Cloud phones can completely revolutionize communication in your business. And we’re not just saying that because we’re a cloud phone company! We’ve seen this transformation firsthand as we’ve helped our clients transition to a cloud phone system. We’ve observed improvements in their communication practices and overall business operations. They become more reliable, responsive, and productive, leading to a flourishing business that can better meet the needs of their customers.
This article will delve into ten ways communication improves with a cloud phone. These improvements are tangible benefits that we’ve seen our clients experience. But before exploring these advantages, let’s first clarify by answering the question, what is a cloud phone?
What Is a Cloud Phone?
A cloud phone system, also known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), is a phone service provided through the Internet instead of a local phone company. The fundamental difference is that your phone system, traditionally stored in a physical location, is hosted in the cloud. This shift brings about significant advantages in flexibility, functionality, and scalability.
With a cloud phone, all your business calls are managed online, allowing you to conduct business from anywhere. All you need is a good internet connection, and you can access your phone system from desk phones, computers, or even mobile phones. This means your business is not tied to a specific location, and you enjoy unprecedented freedom. But there’s more than that. Let’s discuss the ways that cloud phones improve your communication.
10 Ways a Cloud Phone System Improves Business Communication
Our clients often rave about the benefits a cloud phone brings to their businesses, particularly how it revolutionizes their communication practices. Here are some of the most notable advantages.
1. Reliable Communication
With cloud phones, your lines of communication are always open. Unlimited lines mean your customers can always reach you, enhancing your reputation for accessibility and responsiveness. Additionally, features like voicemail transcripts sent via email or text ensure that even unanswered calls are attended to promptly, minimizing the risk of missed opportunities.
Cloud phones transform the reliability of your business communication. Your ability to always answer the call or promptly return any missed ones builds customer confidence and loyalty. Over time, this reliability becomes a distinguishing factor for your business, enhancing your reputation and differentiating you from the competition.
“We never miss an opportunity to take a call from our customers. FranchisePhones® lets us customize our call routing wherever and whenever we want. We get the chance to talk to everyone since they never get a busy signal. We definitely use this advantage as an opportunity to close more sales. And we do!”
Alan | Two Men and a Truck | Multi-Locations
2. Reduced Wait Time
Features like auto attendant, smart routing, and call forwarding ensure that callers are quickly directed to the right person or department. This reduces wait times and enhances the customer experience.
Reducing wait times improves customer satisfaction. It also reduces the risk of abandoned calls and lost business opportunities.
3. Well-Trained Employees
Call recording and call coaching are two powerful tools cloud phones offer to help improve your team’s communication skills. Call recording allows you to review calls to find areas for improvement or share great examples with new team members. Meanwhile, call coaching lets you ‘listen’ to a call, ‘whisper’ suggestions to the employee, or ‘join’ the call if needed.
When your employees are well-trained in company communication standards and policies, it directly enhances the customer experience. Consistent, professional communication can reassure customers, address their concerns, and make them feel valued.
“I love the ease of use of the system itself. Features that I depend on are Call Recording, Call Tracking, and VM transcription. I can track employee activity and get a 360-degree view of what’s happening with my business.”
Lori | ComForCare | Multi Locations
4. Expanded Communication
Cloud-based phones not only ensure that your communication lines are always open, but they also expand your communication channels. For example, you can send SMS and MMS text messages from your business phone, offering customers an additional, often preferred, way to reach you.
In today’s digital age, customers appreciate businesses that offer them various ways to get in touch. In fact, 91% of customers want to receive text messages from companies. By expanding your communication channels to include text messaging, you are meeting your customers where they are and providing convenience that can translate into customer satisfaction and loyalty.
5. Proper Staffing
Your cloud phone can provide insights into call volumes, which can inform your staffing decisions. Knowing your peak call times, you can ensure you have enough employees to assist customers in your various communication channels (phone, in-person, online, etc.).
Accurate staffing boosts efficiency, minimizes customer wait times, and ensures your team isn’t overwhelmed during peak hours. This leads to better customer service, improved employee satisfaction, and a better bottom line.
“We use Clarity’s robust call routing capabilities between our offices to balance staffing & support across locations. Our associates rely on the mobile apps to keep them connected to both customers and our office team. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the system and Clarity’s exceptional service.”
Taylor C | Jeff Glover & Associates
6. Integrated Communication
Cloud phones can connect with your CRM system, providing your team comprehensive customer profiles as they interact with customers. They’ll have a record of all past communication, purchases, and preferences at their fingertips, enabling personalized and informed conversations.
This level of integration leads to more effective, tailored interactions with your customers. Your team can address customer needs more accurately and provide personalized solutions.
7. Better Marketing
Cloud phones can play a significant role in your marketing efforts. You can set up in-ring and on-hold messages to inform customers about promotions, new products, or other company information. Additionally, call tracking allows you to assign different phone numbers to various marketing campaigns, so you can track their performance and adjust your strategies accordingly.
Leveraging your cloud phone for marketing communications informs customers about your offerings and helps you identify the most effective campaigns. It’s an efficient way to communicate, promote, and refine your marketing strategies for a better return on investment.
“Love the FranchisePhones® dashboard! I have instant insight into my business. I can track where my advertising dollars are working, how to staff my location based on call volume, and can export and analyze that call data so we can work harder and smarter!”
Scott | Two Men and a Truck | Oakland SE
8. Employee Mobility
Cloud-based phones make your team more mobile and effective. Employees can take calls and send texts from their personal cell phones (using the business number) and get transcripts of voicemails when they miss a call. These (and other) features make communication more manageable on the go.
Enhancing employee mobility means your team can work from anywhere, respond quickly to customer inquiries, and maintain communication, all of which contribute to business efficiency and customer satisfaction.
9. Data-Driven Decisions
Cloud phones provide robust analytics that can inform your business decisions. Answer times, hold times, missed calls, abandoned calls, number of rings before an answer, and unreturned voicemails – these and other metrics offer a wealth of information about your communication practices.
Access to such data allows you to identify areas of weakness in your communication and make necessary improvements. This empowers you to improve customer interactions, streamline operations, and boost business performance.
“Within the first week of having the system, looking at the reports, we realized the opportunities we were missing. We took immediate action & it made a BIG difference to our bottom line!”
Jeff | Ray Laethem Motor Village
10. Support When Needed
Cloud phone providers like Clarity Voice offer top-notch 24/7 customer support, ensuring you can always get help when needed. Moreover, dedicated account executives and online resources help you maximize your cloud phone’s capabilities.
Having reliable support means you can quickly address any issues with your phone communication. You’ll enjoy peace of mind, knowing you can always count on your cloud phone system to work optimally and support your business needs.
Unlocking the Power of Cloud Communication
Embracing cloud phones can revolutionize business communication, making it more reliable, flexible, and effective. Our clients’ experiences show that shifting to a cloud phone system can transform operations, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive growth.
If you’re interested in unlocking these benefits and improving your business communication, the Clarity Voice team is here to help. We are committed to empowering businesses with cloud phone solutions that meet their unique needs. Contact us today to start your journey toward improved business communication!
