When our business increases the number of staff, a good organization in internal communication becomes very necessary, and it may be time to install a virtual switchboard.
Thanks to this customer service, we will be able to communicate more efficiently with the rest of the company’s structure and externally.
In this article, you will learn in more detail what the virtual switchboard consists of, what types there are and their advantages. Do you want to know what they are? Keep reading this article!
What is a virtual switchboard?
We know by virtual switchboard the telephone system that uses IP telephony (also known as Voice over IP, VoIP); its purpose is to make calls through an Internet connection. It is digital software located on cloud servers and managed from web interfaces.
Virtual switchboards allow companies to manage their calls professionally. In the virtual telephone exchange configuration, the following can be carried out: receive calls, add virtual telephone numbers, make calls between extensions for workers, call recording, and play music on hold or voicemail, among others.
Each worker has an internal switchboard extension for receiving calls and sending them. They have access to call statistics. You can see the duration, and the waiting time, see the caller’s number and which agent answered it.
What types are there?
There are different types of virtual switchboards depending on your job, and all are suitable for telecommuting:
- Essential Virtual Switchboard: it is the usual one in traditional offices. Each worker has a telephone, and they are usually combined with the computer for the possibility of telecommuting.
- Mobile Virtual Switchboard: It is common in companies where employees have company mobiles. These can make calls from mobile lines integrated with the switchboard, without apps or the Internet. Mobile rates are used. Its use is widespread among companies with mobile workers. This supposes a saving in the economy because they avoid
- Multisite Virtual Switchboard: It is common to unify the entire company in the same system and simplify internal communications. it supposes an economic saving since the calls are free. They have outstanding support and advanced control panels.
Mobile Virtual Switchboard for Self-Employed: It is designed to be a single user who uses this to serve their customers. It also has a fixed number and a complete switchboard.
How does a virtual switchboard work?
The calls from the switchboard are managed through a fixed or wireless hardware or software terminal. Each one has an internal identification number called an “extension”. Calls between these are free.
The virtual switchboard has all the company numbers and information on how each call is managed. Virtual numbers are connected through the Internet, specifically in the cloud. The most appropriate connection is fibre optics. It is not necessary to buy any physical device or its maintenance.
Thanks to this advanced telephony, incoming calls can be configured, and information on how the received call should be managed: the time the call was made, the telephone number called, and which option was pressed, among others.
What advantages do they offer?
You can contemplate the option of inserting virtual switchboards in your company since it brings numerous benefits to your business. Next, we detail it in the following list:
- It is easy to set up and does not require much effort.
- Its management is made easy by integrating CRM systems to more effectively manage commercial relations, after-sales service, customer service or marketing. Some examples are Zoho CRM, SalesForce, Britix24 CRM, AmoCRM, Planfix and Retail CRM.
- Increases the quality of the service thanks to the monitoring of the operators.
- There is no need to buy any equipment if mobile extensions are used.
- It is an ideal solution for any company that wants to personalize customer service; it is not necessary to be a large corporation.
- It saves on installation and maintenance since cloud phone services require a minimum initial investment: just buying IP phones and hiring a provider. There is no need to hire a technician or third-party services, only the operators who take care of these tasks.
- Thanks to its hosting in the cloud, you can have remote offices and workers from anywhere in the world.
