3 VoIP Phone Features You Need to Impress Callers

There are resources all over the internet that tell you how to impress people face-to-face, but we’re here to talk about how you can use VoIP phone features to impress your callers.

How?

Let’s imagine a few scenarios.

Todd is researching different companies that offer a product he needs.

Todd calls company A and gets a busy tone, so he calls company B and gets a person on the phone who can only take a message for someone to get back to them later.

Then, he calls company C and is greeted by a recording that allows him to select the department he needs to speak to and even specify which product he’s inquiring about. He gets a hold of an agent and gets all the information he needs to decide if he can make the purchase.

Who do you think provided Todd with the best experience?

Of course, a busy signal may be an uncommon occurrence and perhaps taking a message is something that might need to happen when certain agents aren’t available; but what if you could minimize these inconveniences even further with just a few VoIP phone features?

Now, that’s impressive!

One point to keep in mind is to make the interactions less about you and more about the needs of the caller.

To do this, start by focusing your efforts on what the average caller needs when they’re contacting you (billing assistance, hours of operations, etc.) to help you optimize your call management system and create the best experience for your callers.

Impressive VoIP Phone Features

Setting up a reliable business phone system is the first step to making a great impression. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to use the following features to establish a system that works for your company, customers, and prospects.

Hold Music

Hold music is an underestimated feature that can add value to your communications strategy- if you know how to use it right.

Having music playing while the caller is waiting can be a nice touch but it won’t add much value to them. Instead, use your hold music feature as a commercial on hold to inform and educate callers about upcoming promotions, holiday office hours, or product updates.

Tailor these commercials to any seasonal campaigns or current customer trends to show your callers that you’re aware of their needs.

VoIP Phone Number

Every business owner can agree that a good number is a memorable one. If you happen to need one, or want to explore your options, check out our number look up to search for vanity, local, and toll free by state, area code, and city.

VoIP phone numbers work differently than traditional phone numbers because they are not tied to a landline, making them flexible and easier to manage with multiple extensions.

For example, you can have your main company number with dozens of end points (extensions) associated with it so when someone calls to reach customer support, only employees that are responsible for customer support will be notified wherever they are, whether it’s at their office phone, on their mobile phone, or through a soft phone app.

Although a business number isn't technically one of the VoIP phone features, we see it as a component that can be easily used to help create the best impression of your business.

Let's explore the benefits of each.

[Read: How to Use a VoIP Phone System to Manage Multiple Locations]

Benefits of a toll free number

• Establish a national presence
• Callers can reach you from anywhere in the country without paying a dime
• Increases your credibility
• Doesn’t depend on your location so you can take it with you if you move
• Great as a marketing tool

Benefits of a vanity number

• Increases brand awareness
• Easier to remember which leads to repeat callers
• Increases credibility
• Better call response rates
• Qualifies leads easier

Benefits of a local number

• Connects local customers to your brand
• Great marketing tools, if you’re a national brand targeting a specific region
• Higher answer rates when calling local prospects
• Easier for people in a specific area to find and contact you

There is no wrong way to approach your business phone number. As long as you’re keeping the callers’ needs in mind, you will always leave an impression when you use a flexible VoIP number.

Auto Attendant

You may have heard how great an auto attendant can be for your business. Aside from helping you cut costs and automate your call flow, it allows you to create a personal greeting that’s tailored to your business.

This is more than a general voicemail greeting; the auto attendant feature (a.k.a. IVR) is your chance to show the caller who you are and what you can do for them. Some businesses opt for separate greetings for business hours and after hours, while some choose to go with a main menu for all incoming calls. The choice is yours.

Whatever you choose, remember to be concise and use custom prompt menus to help direct the caller to the department or person they need.

[Video: IVR Script Tips]

That’s it!

With these features as part of your communications strategy, you can leave a lasting impression on your callers with a level of detail that shows you’re paying attention to their needs.

Of course, there are other VoIP phone features that can help improve your caller’s experience, but having these on the front lines ensures that your callers are routed properly and adequately informed.