Virtual telephone and telepresence technology have transformed the way businesses communicate. In fact, today, more small-business owners now use VoIP (36 percent) compared to those who elect to use traditional phone services (24 percent), according to Software Advice.
While IP telephony has been around since 1995, these tools are gaining ground among businesses of various sizes because of the powerful benefits this technology offers.
These tools are gaining ground among businesses of various sizes because of the powerful benefits this technology offers. Here’s a look at how adopting this type of strategy can help improve your company’s internal and external communications, boost your efficiency and cut your costs.
1. Empowering Remote Workers
With more than one-third of the American workforce now spending at least some of their time telecommuting, one of the major advantages of virtual telephone systems is companies’ ability to hire and retain remote workers. Whereas traditional phone systems require physical equipment to make and receive calls, all that remote workers need to reach colleagues and customers is either a PC, tablet, or smartphone.
In fact, today’s best cell phones include features like Wi-Fi that are well-suited to support virtual phone systems so that your employees can make calls over Wi-Fi networks, even where cellular service isn’t available. This can provide a big boost to your company’s overall productivity, as such technology can help employees to work free of office distractions.
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2. Boosting Sales and Improving Customer Service
It’s not just a company’s internal communications that can benefit from virtual telephones and telepresence technology. Your sales and customer service departments can get a big boost, too. As video chat usage grows, an increasing number of companies are taking the next step and using live video chat as a sales tool, with impressive results. For example, UK retailer Schuh saw a 400 percent sales increase, as well as a 10 percent increase in average order value by deploying video chat sales.
Adopting virtual telephone and telepresence tools can also improve your customer service. In fact, the deployment of these systems will allow you to use a cloud contact center and employ more remote customer service reps. Cloud contact center solutions like Aspect provide a centralized omnichannel interface that your company can use to handle customer service inquiries through a multitude of channels, including phone, live chat, video chat, social media, and email.
This allows your representatives to maintain continuity as support tickets move from one channel to another, reducing the need to repeat information, shortening response time, and boosting customer satisfaction rates.
Related: What is a Chatbox? Methods to Increase Conversion on the Site Using Live Chats
3. Cutting Costs
Virtual telephone systems and telepresence technology can also help cut your operational costs by lowering your overall utility and labor costs. In fact, deploying VoIP enables you to save significantly in line-per-user costs, long-distance charges, and maintenance.
Using virtual telephone and telepresence technology to hire remote workers can also help you cut your labor costs, particularly from the standpoints of office equipment, health benefits, and sick leave costs. For instance, employers can save $10,000 a year in real estate costs per worker by instead hiring and retaining remote employees, according to Premiere Global Services, Inc.
Empowering remote workers, improving sales and customer service, and cutting costs are three ways virtual telephone and telepresence tools can transform the way your company does business. Adopting these technologies can enable your company to be more mobile, efficient, and profitable.
