Technology, some people fear it, some resist it, and others embrace it. As a
small business owner, it could be the best thing that ever happened to your
company. With the technology available today, small businesses are increasingly
leveling the playing field between themselves and big companies. With toll free
virtual PBX (Private Branch Exchange) telephone systems, small businesses are
combining today's technology with traditional customer service to take their
business to the next level.
It used to be that only Fortune 500 companies with thousands of employees and
10- story office buildings could afford and maintain a traditional PBX telephone
system. Now, with toll free virtual PBX services, anyone with a telephone can
reap the benefits of this powerful communications tool. A virtual PBX has all
the advantages of a traditional PBX and more without the hassle, hardware, and
expense.
A virtual PBX allows small businesses to:
- Project a professional, more established company image
- Have one unified number for office phone, cell phone, fax, and pager
- Make information available to their customers 24/7
- Automate order taking and pre-qualifying processes
- Have web-based, real time access to their system
Small and
home-based businesses are using all of these features of their toll free virtual
PBX systems to sound and operate like a Fortune 500 company everyday.
Project a Professional, More Established Company Image
Right or
wrong, consumers assume a company with a toll free number is a more established
and secure company. When a toll free number is attached to a virtual PBX with an
automated attendant, that powerful image is perpetuated. An automated attendant
will answer all incoming calls with the same professional and courteous message
every time, day or night. Professional greetings can be recorded by the business
owner themselves, or even by a voice talent, and customized for the needs of the
business. It doesn't matter if the business is operated out of a home office or
the Oval Office. The caller hears a professional greeting each and every time
they call.
Unified Voice and Messaging System
With a toll free virtual PBX
system, small businesses only need one telephone number. This number can be an
office phone, cell phone, fax, and pager all in one. Gone are the days of having
to put 3 or 4 different numbers on business cards. Now the virtual PBX toll free
number replaces them all. When a call comes in to the toll free number, it can
be routed to any local number. It can even be programmed to route to different
numbers at different times of the day or even different days of the week. A call
never has to be missed again. That kind of flexibility is unheard of with a
traditional toll free number or a hardwired PBX. If the call is not answered, or
is sent to voicemail, the virtual PBX system can even send out a page to let the
user know that there is a message waiting for them. The toll free number also
acts as the fax number. When a fax is sent, the system recognizes it as a fax
and can store it in the fax mailbox for later retrieval, forward the faxed
document to a local fax machine, or even send the fax to an email address as an
attachment. The unified messaging feature unchains small business owners from
the home or small office and allows them the flexibility to get out and build
their business while still being available to their customers.
Powerful Automation
No matter how efficient a small or home-based
business is, they simply cannot be available to their customers all the time -
unless they have a toll free virtual PBX system. If a caller has questions they
want the answers now. If they don't get those answers when they call, chances
are they'll look some place else. Making sure information is available, even
when a live person isn't, can be the difference between someone becoming a
customer or moving on to the competition. A toll free virtual PBX allows the
storage of an unlimited amount of information for callers to retrieve 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. Menus broken down into what kinds of information a caller
might need, make it easy for them to navigate the system and get what they are
looking for. Faxes can even be attached so the caller can request an automated
fax back. For a business that needs to pre-qualify their callers, or would just
like to get some information about them, can take advantage of question and
answer voice mailboxes. A set of pre-recorded questions can be asked of the
caller and the voice responses then saved in the system and emailed as a sound
file. These automated processes not only save time, but they also make sure
callers can get the information they need when no one is available.
Web Based System Access
A toll free virtual PBX is just that,
virtual. What that means for a small business owner is that one, there is no
hardware to maintain or software to buy, and two, that they can access their
system from anywhere they can get online. Online system access is one of the
most popular features of a virtual PBX system. Web-based system access allows
users to check their voice and fax messages over the internet or have the
messages delivered directly to an email address. Of course, messages can still
be checked from any touch-tone phone, anywhere.
A small business owner has administrative access to check the call logs of
all incoming calls to their toll free number and use the call capture feature to
not only capture the phone number of the person calling, but also their name and
address. It also allows a user to run reports based on different criteria
chosen. For example, reports could be run to show when the busiest time of the
week is for customer service or if the call volume increased after a specific ad
campaign was released. The applications are endless.
With all these powerful features, and most times more, it's amazing that toll
free virtual PBX systems can be found at a reasonable price. Most systems
offered are between $9.95 and $29.95 depending on the capabilities and size of
the system. Many will offer a varying number of voice mail boxes, features, and
minute plans. A good toll free virtual PBX service provider can also customize
systems if needed.
Technology is ever changing in today's fast paced world. Small business
owners will either have to embrace it or risk being left behind.
Brandi Cummings is the Director of Marketing for Telecentrex, a leading
provider of toll free virtual pbx services. To see how a virtual pbx service
applies to your business click
here or visit http://www.freedom800.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brandi_Cummings
