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How Hosted VoIP Can Support Your Business Growth

Posted by Mark Greim on Feb 20, 2023 9:08:27 AM

You can find a lot of advice out there about how to grow your business, but what you may find less advice about is how to make sure you keep up with your business growth when it happens. We've all heard about some business that got too big, too fast, and ended up stretched way too thin to support themselves and their customers. "Too much success" may seem like an oxymoron, but it can happen if your infrastructure doesn't grow along with your business.

Hosted VoIP supports your business growth by making it easy to grow your telecom service alongside your business, so that it can expand to fit whatever size you need. Unlike with a traditional phone system, which requires expensive private branch exchanges and other equipment, with Hosted VoIP phone systems you never have to worry about system replacement. Adding new people to the system is as easy as ordering another VoIP Phone. Because a VoIP phone system is completely customizable, you can adjust your settings to fit the needs of your business and each individual employee.

It's just as easy to add locations to the phone service, whether in or out of town. Because your VoIP phone service is hosted in the cloud, the new locations will seem like they are on the same system, no matter where they are located. This provides your business with several advantages:


  • Centralization of Functions - Hosted VoIP also allows for a variety of centralizing functions that can help you to manage your growing business. You can add locations but not duplicate functions by centralizing them. For example, you can centralize your customer service function at one location. Calls can be routed to this team via an auto attendant option or a transfer to the group speed dial.
  • Decentralization of Functions – An alternative approach would be to create a decentralized team that handles the function for all locations no matter where they are located, providing your business with the flexibility of employing the right resource. The ring group or call queue for the function can route calls to wherever the team members are located.
  • Number Assignments – You can assign new local numbers for other parts of the country where you're looking to grow your business, whether you have locations there or not. And those numbers can ring any phone you want, even in your home office. Employee direct dial numbers can be based upon where they are located or where your home office is located depending upon your brand strategy.

Business growth comes down to providing exceptional service. If you satisfy your customers consistently and admirably, then you're likely to attract more customers. To provide exceptional customer service, your business must have an infrastructure that can support expansion and to make sure that you can deliver.

Hosted VoIP phone service supports your expanding business and offers a lot of opportunities for enhancing your customer service. VoIP gives you the ability to easily set and adjust auto attendant features for those times when there's nobody around to answer the phone. It also provides a host of options for advanced call routing and access to mobile employees, making sure that there is always somebody to answer the phone and that the call gets to the right person to address the customer’s need.

Whatever the current size of your business, odds are you'd like to see it grow. Hosted VoIP phone service from sipVine can help you grow and support your business. With the right system, no matter how big your business gets, you can always give the kind of exceptional customer service that you want to be providing.

Is it time to make the switch to a Hosted VoIP provider who can deliver the customer service your business deserves? Make every interaction with customers count with the help of sipVine's complete business communication solution! sipVine provides Hosted VoIP services to businesses across the United States. A better phone system for your small business with advanced features to match your unique business needs! Make your company's business communications better by engaging better customer experiences at every touchpoint. Want to learn more? Our small business phone service representatives are here to answer any questions you have!

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Tags: Hosted VoIP, Hosted VoIP phone service

When You See Increasing Phone Service Rates, Run!

Posted by Mark Greim on Jan 6, 2022 9:50:00 AM

Phone service providers should be all about raising your expectations, not your rates. Sadly, the opposite is true in many cases.  Small businesses routinely complain about the difficulty in getting something done through the customer service channels of the major telecom providers.  Just as common are the frustrations that come from being rewarded for such lackluster service with rate increases.  Thankfully, there are alternative providers offering rate stability, improved technology,  and superb customer service.

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Tags: Hosted VoIP, small business phone service

Call Queues vs. Ring Groups – Hosted VoIP Delivers Both Options

Posted by Mark Greim on Aug 12, 2019 3:19:51 PM

You do not need an expensive phone system to enjoy the benefits of call management via a call queue or ring group.  Securing your service with the right Hosted VoIP provider who can effectively consult with you and program your call flow to balance customer needs and employee capacity will deliver the benefits you are looking for with your hosted system.

For high inbound call volume companies, a hot debate is whether to utilize call queues or ring groups.  There are benefits to each, but let’s start with a general description:

Ring Group – Inbound calls are directed to a set of employees and they ring all phones at the same time.  If no one is available to answer, it can be programmed to roll to a back-up group or move into an auto attendant.

Call Queue – Inbound calls are directed into a queue, where the caller is on hold for an available attendant.  Employees need to log in and log out of the queue to accept calls.  Programming and system capability differ widely at this point, but typically there are either opt out processes or time out process that direct callers to an automated attendant.

The beauty of the call queue is the equitable distribution of calls to employees in the queue.  Callers typically will hear hold music and messages while they wait.  Depending upon preferences of the company and their customers, the length of time in queue is a programmable variable.  The challenge with call queues is the management of the employees from a log in/log out perspective.  If someone forgets to log out, calls could be directed to an unattended station.  Again, there are some programming variables to solve for such an issue, but it could lead to some longer hold times for a caller or two until the programming kicks in.

Ring groups are more of a static program with a fixed number of rings between groups and ultimately to an auto attendant as a back-up.  Callers can either hear ringing or hold music while ringing.  The automated attendants serve as back-ups and can provide for routing to people or departments or for message delivery.  The benefit of this approach is that employees in the group are free to move about without worrying about logging in and out of the queue.  Additionally, the fixed amount of time before back up groups or attendants are engaged is seen as a benefit.  The downside is potential inequity of call disbursement between members of the group.

Ultimately, the decision comes down to striking the right balance between customer preference and employee management.  Companies that bring a solid understanding of customer preferences to the table are a step ahead in programming the right solution. 

 

About the author:  Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at sipVine, a provider of Hosted VoIP Phone Service. Mark has extensive experience working for start-up or entrepreneurial organizations and has a passion for affordable, reliable, and purposeful technology solutions in those environments. 

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Tags: Hosted VoIP, Configuring digital phone service

My Phone System is Failing! What do I do?

Posted by Mark Greim on Jun 10, 2019 10:20:00 AM

Every business with an analog phone system faces this question at some point.  The first sign that something is wrong typically is that you are having difficulty securing replacement handsets or other components.  The manufacturer has long since put that system on "end-of-life" and is looking for you to upgrade to their newer model.  You're able to hold on for a while by finding parts on Ebay until your actual service vendor indicates that they will no longer be able to support your system, which really disturbs you because you've been spending a small fortune with them to keep the phone system alive!

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Tags: Hosted VoIP, Phone System Replacement

The No-Stress Way to Upgrade Business Phone Service to VoIP

Posted by Mark Greim on Mar 12, 2019 9:32:00 AM

The debate between landlines and cloud telephony is over.  Most businesses have converted or soon will be converting to Hosted VoIP for their business phone service.  Whether your small business is located in Kansas City or New York City, traditional phone companies continue to increase the pricing on analog landlines, which only fuels the exodus.  Manufacturers of phone systems are discontinuing systems that are analog based in favor of VoIP phone or VoIP enabled phone systems.  Soon, it will be difficult to find replacement parts or phones and receive repair or maintenance services on analog-based phone systems.

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Tags: Hosted VoIP, Cloud Telephony

5 Events Signaling it is Time to Change Phone Providers

Posted by Mark Greim on Dec 4, 2018 9:50:00 AM

Changing phone providers isn't (and shouldn't be) top of mind for most businesses.  Investing in and managing the core business is always the priority, with infrastructure investments left to wait for the right time.  So, when is the right time?  There are some advantages from a strategic and efficiency standpoint that could make sense to implement at any time, but there are also some clear events that signal that it is time to change phone service providers and move to a VoIP phone system.

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Tags: Hosted VoIP, Phone System Replacement, Moving Phone Service, Telecom Term Agreements

The Most Important Feature of Hosted VoIP

Posted by Mark Greim on Oct 26, 2017 10:34:52 AM

Over the years, we've discussed the variety of advanced business phone features that a Hosted VoIP phone service delivers to businesses of all shapes and sizes.  These features have created a new standard for phone service, effectively making analog phone systems and service obsolete.  Moreover, they have transformed the communication practices of the businesses who have deployed them and utilized them to their fullest extent.  So, what is the most important feature of Hosted VoIP?

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Tags: Hosted VoIP, voip business phone system, Business VoIP, Customer Service, Customized Business Phone Plans

Don't Forget Hosted VoIP with Your Cloud Investments

Posted by Mark Greim on Nov 21, 2016 11:32:55 AM

As we approach year end, many businesses are making their IT infrastructure plans for the next year.  As you may expect, investing in cloud infrastructure is high on the list. One of the most common cloud initiatives for businesses focused on cloud investments is moving the phone system to a Hosted VoIP platform, or Cloud Telephony.

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Tags: Hosted VoIP, Cloud Telephony

Narrowing the List of Hosted VoIP Providers

Posted by Mark Greim on Oct 24, 2016 11:07:28 AM

If your business is ready to make the switch to hosted VoIP phone service, or you are ready to look for alternatives to the national hosted VoIP providers, how do you narrow down the seemingly large group of alternative providers in the marketplace?  It isn't an easy task and it will take a little effort.  However, the reward for find the right solution for your business will benefit you for years to come.

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Tags: voip service provider selection, Hosted VoIP, Changing Phone Service Providers

Reminder:  Your Telecom Term Contract is Expiring

Posted by Mark Greim on Aug 18, 2016 1:55:46 PM

This is the year! You placed a reminder on your calendar that your business telecommunications term contract is expiring.  Every year, you've been burned by the dreaded auto renewal provision that is in the fine print somewhere and this is the year you are going to break from the shackles of term contracts and make a change in your phone service!

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Tags: Hosted VoIP, Telecom Term Agreements

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