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Call forwarding is an important feature in our lives now-a-days. In the midst of busy schedules and appointments we often miss important calls and notifications. On the other hand if we are a business owner and we still get caught up in the busy schedule and miss a call, we actually miss an opportunity for growth. Even though we have a call forwarding feature in our phone, what if we get a bulk of voicemails and how will we handle it?
Call forwarding is a need of the hour. In order to maintain 24/7 availability, healthy work life balance and elevate the brand image of your business, this feature is essential.
In this blog, we will further discuss why call forwarding is a critical factor of modern business communication.
What is call forwarding and how does it work?
Call forwarding or call diversion is a feature in automated telephone systems that allows you to redirect a call from the client to the receiver’s alternate number automatically. For example, imagine if you are not at the office and the deskphone there gets an incoming call. So in order to never miss an important call the system automatically diverts the incoming call to the alternate number that was set up.
Types of Call forwarding
Modern phone systems offer key variations of call forwarding features.
- Unconditional call forwarding – every single incoming call is redirected to the alternate number without limitations. It is best for people who are on a vacation, office closure etc..
- Conditional call forwarding – calls are only routed or redirected if they meet the specific criteria. This means the call gets redirected only if the number is busy, you are out of coverage area or you couldn’t pick up the call even after ringing for a certain number of times.
Benefits of call forwarding for Businesses
Here are some top reasons why your business should implement this feature:
1. Maximize customer service and availability
By using a call forwarding feature in your business phone system you ensure that there is no lead leakage. Because with this feature you get to eliminate missed calls and handle each and everyone. Also you will be able to provide continuous support by ensuring 24/7 availability even after working hours. The calls can be directed to the given alternate number. Also you can reduce customer wait times by effectively handling every call.
2. Professionalism and brand image
Giving different numbers for one business is the easy way to lose credibility. At the same time if you could maintain a single number, it will elevate trust. Also if you make use of a call forwarding feature to this system and give redirections to the alternate number you will not lose calls and possible clients. You can use a virtual number with your local code and use the same number for contacting other offices of the same company even if they are in other states, thereby increasing ease of use.
3. Remote work and employee mobility
With the help of call forwarding, employees can attend calls even when they are working from home. They will not lose leads and potential clients. Also even if they are travelling they will be able to easily connect the calls and solve the matter. This ease of access is a prime feature of call forwarding.
4. Personal privacy and work life balance
With a personal alternate number you will only need to give the client the business contact and it will help you to not reveal your personal number or any other details. This data protection also helps you to maintain a healthy work life balance. Also by setting the time of the day in which you are available for calls helps you to give yourselves some downtime.
5. Cost effectiveness and scalability
Instead of relying on expensive hardware or PBX systems, this feature helps you to reduce the use of gadgets and buying them unnecessarily which helps in cost effectiveness. Also as your team grows or shrinks , you can adjust , add, or remove numbers that have call forwarding features set up in them.
6. Business continuity and disaster recovery
In times of emergency situations like in a power outage, your system needs to work smoothly and effectively. The call forwarding feature helps to maintain business continuity and smooth workflow. You can instantly change the forwarding number to route all calls to employee mobiles or an off-site contact center.
7. Advanced call management and tracking
With advanced systems and call forwarding feature, whenever an employee gets a call forwarded to the alternate number you will see a pop up with detailed information regarding the client’s history of call data. This helps the employee to smoothly handle problems and increase first call resolution rates.
Key features to look for in a service provider
If you are selecting a new service provider, you need to check out for some features in their call forwarding:
- Time of the day routing – check if the service provider has the ability to set time bound call forwarding restricting it to working hours.
- Simultaneous ring – the ability to ring multiple numbers at the same time.
- User friendly interface – everyone prioritizes ease of use. If the app gives a complex interface it will require extra training for the employees and it is time consuming.
- Pricing – check if the provider adds call forwarding in the overall price or is there any hidden cost levied for this feature.
Conclusion
The best strategy for any business is not to look for a call forwarding feature alone. Because every advanced cloud based telephony has this feature without charging additional costs. Also the feature should be set according to the need of the business like a small business might need conditional call forwarding but a large enterprise might need unconditional call forwarding. By choosing a service provider that actually aligns with your business strategy can ensure your business continuity and smooth workflow.
Frequently asked questions:
1. Is call forwarding free?
Yes, it is usually included in VoIP plans.
2. Does my mobile phone ring if calls are forwarded?
No, the calls are redirected to the alternate number.
3. Is call forwarding time bound?
You can set the time of the day routing and enable the feature to work on certain specified hours.