Want to be Less Busy? Try These Productivity Techniques

The good news is that productivity in the American workforce is near an all time high. The bad news is that we are busier than we have ever been without much hope for seeing things slow down in the short term. Now is the time to use technology to streamline a process, increase customer retention and make it easier for your customers to give you their money. Let’s take your telecommunication system as an example.

Let’s make some basic assumptions and see if we can find a resolution.

• Customers who call in want a question answered or problem solved. Unfortunately, voice mail is not the answer. Voice mail will document their concern but can never address it. Ignoring and being unresponsive to voice mails will only aggravate your customers. The answer is to leverage the mobility solutions inherent in the more advanced VoIP systems. Find Me-Follow Me and IP Mobility come to mind.  Find Me-Follow Me allows your extension to ring initially but if unanswered, will ring your mobile device. If you are busy or can not answer on your mobile, the caller returns to your company’s voicemail (not your cell phone provider) where they can leave a message or zero out to the operator. IP Mobility works in conjunction such that when you are talking to your customer on your mobile device, you have all the features inherent to your desk set such as, transfer to another extension, record the call, send it back to your desk phone and more. You may even initiate business calls from your mobile device in which the call is routed though your VoIP phone system. The caller receives the Caller ID of your business, thus keeping your mobile number private.
• If a customer wants to buy something or pay for something, let them. This may seem obvious but so many telecommunications systems are not programmed to provide this level of client interaction. Customers willing to spend money with you are sent to your employee’s voice mailbox. When the call is eventually returned, the customer may be unavailable or unwilling to part with their money. Programming options available to remedy this situation are:
  • Group Ringing with Overflow. Callers to certain departments; sales, billing and the like, ring at all phones associated with that department. If unanswered, calls will ring at overflow positions where the call can be handled in an “as needed” fashion.
  • Linear Hunt Groups. Callers to a department will be sent initially to those in the department best suited to assist them. If there are more callers than department personal, additional callers will be sent to stations who can help out as needed.
  • Uniform Call Distribution. Callers to a certain department are sent to a pilot number. Personell taking the calls are logged in as agents. Calls are distributed evenly among the agents. Callers not answered are put in a queue and answered in the order received while occasionally reminded that their call is important. 

Whatever method best suits your company’s needs is not important. What is important is that all callers are given a chance to talk and interact with your employees. Problems are addressed, questions are answered and money is spent. Take a fresh look and see if your telecommunications platform is part of the problem or part of the solution.

January is National Mentoring Month

A mentor can be defined as someone who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less experienced colleague. In my 20+ years in telecommunications sales and sales management I’ve had the privilege of many fine mentors.

In my first telecom sales job, my product training consisted of reading a double sided product handout. If I had questions, I was told just to read it again. I found a mentor early and with his technical background he taught me how and why things work. It was my job to figure out why someone would pay good money for that product.

Later as a manager I had the opportunity to be mentored by many who taught me what I consider to be my core principles. They are:

• Even though you are paid by your employer, your goal is to serve the customer. Unless they buy, nobody makes money.
• Don’t ask those who you support why their performance can’t be better. Instead ask what you can do to help them achieve your shared goals.
• Any complaint is a valid complaint. Don’t think that logic will trump emotion. 
• Under promise and over deliver

With January as National Mentoring Month, remember those who have helped make you who you are today. More importantly think of those you can help to be who you think they could be. Enjoy the rest of the month.

What Good Little Boys and Girls Know About VoIP

While wandering through the mall drinking my gingerbread latte, I happened upon Santa’s Workshop where four small children were visiting with Santa. While waiting for the caffeine to kick in, my curiosity was piqued when I heard a topic not traditionally discussed on the lap of that jolly old elf. It went something like this. “So, tell me children, what can Santa get you for Christmas this year?”

“An X-Box,” blurted Timmy.

“A dolly,” whispered Baby Louise.

“Another Christmas!” shouted Billy.

“Well, well, well,” chuckled Santa. “Little girl, what do you want for Christmas?” he said looking directly at Sally; the only one who had not answered.

“Can you tell me a secret?” asked Sally.

“I’ll try my best.” replied Santa.

“What’s VoIP?” asked Sally.

“That’s easy,” answered Santa. “It’s Voice over Internet Protocol.”

“But what does that mean, Santa?” asked Sally.

“Well, little girl, it’s actually a communications protocol.” conjectured Santa.

“Isn’t it more of a transmission technique via the internet in lieu of PSTN,  Santa?” asked Timmy?

“It’s free phone calls!” shouted Billy.

“What about the absence of QoS on the internet?” retorted Timmy.

“It’s Google Voice!” yelled Billy

“What about latency, jitter, 911 considerations.” stated Timmy calmly.

“It’s free faxes!” yelled Billy after a momentary pause.

“Not without T.38 stupid head!” shouted Timmy to Santa’s amazement.

“Children children this is no way to talk to each other.  Don’t be naughty or I’ll have to put you on the list!” said Santa in a non-threatening way.

“Santa, I’m not trying to be naughty but you can’t discount the lack of redundancy and weak security!” pleaded Timmy.

“Santa?” whispered Baby Louise.

“Yes, sweetie,” answered Santa.

“You’re just like VoIP.” answered Baby Louise speaking a little louder.

“How so?” asked Santa.

“Well, everyone’s heard of you but you mean different things to different people. If we worry too much on who or what you are, we miss your true meaning.” stated Baby Louise.

“Go on,” encouraged Santa.

“It’s not important who or what we are but what good can we bring to one another. That’s the true meaning of Christmas, Santa.” smiled Baby Louise.

“Yes, sweetie,” said Santa smiling, “That is the true meaning of Christmas!”

Internet Shopping for Phone Systems; 3 Thoughts

If you’ve spent anytime on the internet, you’ve certainly been solicited by vendors based on your search history. Being in the telephone industry I regularly receive e-mails for “white papers” comparing and contrasting different telephone systems. Is this a viable technique when you’re considering upgrading your phone equipment? I have three thoughts I’d like to share.

1. The content is not as impartial as they imply. The easiest way to guess who is sponsoring this survey is to find the vendor of whom you have never heard. They are typically the vendor wishing to be considered with the major players.
2. Expect to be contacted. In order to download this information you are required to register with your name, phone, e-mail, number employees, sense of buying urgency etc. Regardless of what you enter, you will be called, and soon; usually within 15 minutes.
3. The information sent can not address your specific business issues.  These white papers can list a systems’ capabilities, features, capacity and relative cost. They can not be tailored to focus on the important things; increasing customer retention, adding to your bottom line or improving an internal process. You need a sales professional to accomplish this.

If you are in need of upgrading your telecommunications system and you would like it designed to address your company’s specific issues, we know where you can find that sales professional. Contact us at sales@selectteltech.com or call us at 815-282-5151. Internet access not required.

Toshiba’s VIPedge; Finally Hosted IP Done Right!

I have not been the biggest proponent of Hosted/Managed IP. As a previous post “An Open Letter to Hosted IP Providers” will attest to,  https://selecttelecom.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/an-open-letter-to-hosted-ip-providers/  Now it’s time for me to change my tune for I believe Toshiba has got it right with their VIPedge.  As I make my argument, let’s break it into two logical discussions. First being, “What type of company would benefit?” and the second being “Why is this solution superior.” 

What type of company would benefit? Toshiba’s VIPedge is designed for companies needing advanced telecom features, such as Unified Communications and PC integration with Outlook or their CRM database but not willing or wanting to own and maintain a telephone system. The VIPedge offers the alternative. Customers pay a recurring monthly fee based on size and usage. Unlike other providers who lock you in to 3 and 5 year contracts, the VIPedge commitment is only 2 years.

Why is this solution superior? The easy answer is the phones. Instead of tiny phones with hard to read LCD’s and even harder to understand buttons, choose either a 9-line LCD, 20 programmable button set or the DECT 6.0 IP4100 wireless.

With its large footprint and layout to which you’ve been accustomed, transition to the Hosted world is a breeze.

You’ll get the features that most hosted systems tout such as:

• The ability to give each extension a unique telephone number, but still maintain your company’s listed number
• Voice Mail with Unified Messaging including Presence, IM, Chat and Desktop Call Control
• Mobility with Find-me, Follow-me
• Unlimited Local/LD in all 50 states. Toll free and international calling available
• Seamless Networking between offices
• VIPedge Enterprise Manager web interface to configure, manage, control and maintain
• Survivability

More importantly, here are some features that the VIPedge has that is usually not found in Hosted IP. These are the key system features we’ve grown to love:

• Outside Line Buttons
• Directory Numbers; Primary, Phantom and Pilot
• Direct Station Select (DSS) Keys
• Multiple Call/Delayed Ringing
• Telephone Group Paging
• Off-Hook Call Announce
• Music/Messaging on Hold
• Uniform Call Distribution
• Call Record to Voice Mail

If you’re thinking that it’s time to upgrade your telecommunications platform but don’t want the cost and hassle of purchasing a new system, the VIPedge is the right choice. If you’re currently on Hosted/Managed IP platform and you’re just not feeling the love, the VIPedge is the obvious choice. Either way contact us at sales@selectteltech.com or call us at 815-282-5151 and we’ll get your telephone system in the cloud with your feet planted firmly on the ground.

 

Early Warning Signs it’s Time to Call Select Telecom

We all know the signs when it’s time to call; the system is dead, a phone needs to be added or moved. The question here is when should we call before it’s too late? What can we do to anticipate the need?

If we assume the purpose of your telecommunications system is to add to your bottom line and increase customer retention, the answer becomes clear. It’s time to call when the system is not adding to your bottom and not increasing customer retention. The question then becomes, what are the early warning signs? Here are a few.

1. Increase in voice mail traffic. Are employees hard to find? If your phone system could find employees both on site and off site, would that help?
2. Are customers hanging up? Before you get to answer the incoming call? After its transferred to an extension?
3. Are customers complaining that is too hard to get a hold of someone or too difficult to get a call back?
4. Is lack of caller ID making it difficult to return those mumbled voice mails?
5. Are there “dead spots” in your company due to lack of cordless/wireless sets?

These are but a few examples. Your specific issues demand a specific solution. To get that solution, contact us at sales@selectteltech.com or call us at 815-282-5151. Don’t let an early warning sign turn into lost revenue.

Let’s Celebrate the 8 Hour Work Day!

In honor of May 1st, celebrated as Labor Day in 66 countries, we honor its most important contribution, the 8 hour work day. Those of us who run a small business are wondering how successful we need to become in order to work just 8 hours. Any good manager will tell you that you must delegate. Who is your most reliable business resource? My vote goes to your telephone system.

It works 24/7. With the right application software it can take orders, accept payments and check order status. Direct in Dial numbers or Auto Attendant can route calls to specific employees. If they’re unavailable, it can forward the call directly to their mobile device or be directed back in to your company’s voice mail to access another employee. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Speech Recognition can mimic human interaction to the point that working an 8 hour work day would seem like 16 hours too short!

If you believe any of these applications could positively affect your company’s bottom line, contact us at sales@selectteltech.com or call us at 815-282-5151. If you can’t make it between 9 and 5, that’s okay, we’ve got you covered.

How VoIP is a Game Changer in Senior Housing

2004 was the beginning of the mass marketing of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). This was the ability to provide telephone service to your home or business over a broadband internet connection. Prognosticators saw this as the end of the copper land line to the home and a revolution in business services. For once they were right. VoIP lowered costs and increased functionality immediately and that trend still continues today. What the soothsayers didn’t foresee is how it would revolutionize the senior housing market.

From a telephony standpoint, senior housing is unique in these ways:

• There are many users (residences) but not much telephone traffic
• Residents like simple telephone instruments whether they have the big buttons for easy dialing or a cordless phone that they can keep in their pocket.
• Keeping the same telephone number they’ve had for years is a big plus for the friends and family who call them.
• It would be a convenient if they had a simple way of communicating with the administrative side of the senior housing facility. This could be as important as an emergency notification to as mundane as confirming an appointment in the beauty salon.

In the past, facilities would install a large PBX with fancy phones for the business side and simple single line sets to the residents. Set up like a hotel, each resident would have their own DID (Direct in Dial) number and share the facility’s bank of outside lines. Cost of this equipment was high and extensive wiring to the resident’s rooms was sometimes needed. Even after this daunting expense, the residents couldn’t keep their old phone numbers. If you wanted to add wired internet access, it meant installing Cat5e cable and outlets to rooms equipped only with the typical twisted pair used for telephones.

With VoIP, things are much simpler and much more cost effective. Voice is nothing more than an application running on an internet connection. SIP trunking applications can provide telephone service to all residents over existing wiring while using their existing handsets. Portability of telephone numbers is a hallmark of SIP. If grandma moves from Manhattan to rural Vermont, she can keep her 212 area code. By providing a hosted SIP solution, the administration has no need for its existing telephone system, only SIP compliant voice terminals. They and the residences are now on the same network with 3 digit dialing between telephone sets. Other applications of hosted SIP such as a common voice mail system are included. Having internet access to each room over the same existing telephone wiring can be accomplished easily. This allows those who need internet access to have it now while the facility has the ability to add it later ala carte as the baby boomers retire and demand for internet rises.

From the administrative side of the business, the hosted IP profit model is the same as if telephone service were provided to the residents via a facility owned PBX. The facility pays the hosted SIP provider for the services and bills the residents directly. Unlike the PBX model, resident moves and new installations can be done via a web browser. Existing telephone numbers can be ported to your hosted SIP network within 24 hours. You’ll never have to wait weeks for the telephone truck to show up only to charge your residents $150 to hook up their telephone line or internet connection.

Some providers are bundling this with satellite TV services, wireless emergency notification systems and audio and video surveillance equipment. Savings on the SIP trunking side and satellite TV side can offset the capital equipment costs of the other equipment allowing the provider to propose a long term, cost effective solution which includes the emergency notification and surveillance equipment a greatly reduced costs.

It’s Leap Year; Time for that 48 Month Check Up!

Every four years it’s leap year. Yes, I know that there is no leap year at the turn of the century; unless that year is divisible by 400. Anyway, we get an extra day this year. What shall we do with it? How about giving your business phone system a 48 month check up?

When you had your new phone system installed you’d have been lucky if it were designed correctly to make it easy for your customers to buy from you and hopefully easy for them get their billing questions answered so that they can pay you. Making it easy for your clientele to deal with your company is the key to customer retention.

As technology changes and competition for business increases, it behooves you to update how your business telephone system interfaces with your revenue stream; your customer base. Take this extra day to do a mental inventory. Ask yourself:

• Are my incoming lines answered in a timely manner or are my customers hanging up and calling my competitors?
• Is my Auto Attendant helpful or just annoying?
• Does my voice mail tell my callers anything other that, “I’m either away from my desk or on the telephone”?
• Is my system designed to get the callers to someone who can help them or just their voice mail?
• Are my remote workers connected to my company via their smartphone? 
• Am I using today’s technology (SIP, Unified Communications, Mobility) to add to my bottom line?
• Do people find it easier to e-mail me than to call me?

If you answered yes, no or maybe to any of the above questions, that may be a reason to get the 48 month check up. Give us a call at 815-282-5151 or e-mail us (if you find it easier, oops!) at sales@slectteltech.com  If that be the case maybe we need to take the day off for a little check up ourselves.

Network Services, How the Pros Do It!

Network Services, commonly referred to as dial tone has been around since there have been choices from the telephone company. Years ago your company could have a T1 line which provided Direct in Dialing numbers, DID. This affords your employees having a direct telephone number without have a dedicated line. This evolved to ISDN, Integrated Services Digital Network. This was like T1 but had ANI, Automatic Number Identification which is very similar to Caller ID. It had some additional features most notably DNIS. This stands for Dialed Number Identification Services which allow your company to determine which telephone number was dialed by a customer. Unique numbers could be associated with distinctive products and services. These numbers could be answered differently by your employees. Do you remember those late night 800 numbers selling the ginsu knife? That was DNIS in action. DNIS let those operators know if you were calling for a Kitchen Magician or the Slim Whitman record.

In the old days, every outside line you had in your business corresponded to a pair of copper wires sent from Ma Bell’s Central Office over her telephone poles and into your building. Today the great majority of business telephone service is brought in over T1 or coax. Ma Bell evolved into a LEC, Local Exchange Carrier. They are the default providers. In our neck of the woods, it’s AT&T and Frontier (who purchased it recently from Verizon, formerly GTE). Chances are your service is not provided by the LEC but a CLEC, Competitive Local Exchange Carrier. You know them as Earthlink (formerly One Communications) TDS Metrocom, PAETEC, Norlight etc. Since these CLEC’s don’t own any telephone poles, all their service to you is over anything but copper. It could be T1, fiber, coax or even satellite.

Since you’re getting a full T1 and voice is but an application on the network. LEC’s and CLEC’s are providing internet access and dial tone (voice and data) on the same connection. Whatever is left over on the T1 bandwidth after you subtract what is needed for voice equals the usable bandwidth for your internet.  Sometimes this is called Dynamic T1. Do you want DID numbers and DNIS with that? It’s not a problem.

So now that we know where we’ve been, where are we going?  SIP, Session Initiation Protocol, holds the most potential. SIP trunks typically cost less than comparable service. They’re location agnostic-you can have listed telephone numbers from anywhere in the US and often times the world. Since the FCC and Illinois Commerce Commission see it as a data service, it’s exempt from many of the taxes levied on traditional dial tone services. Most of the newer telephone systems are designed to integrate directly with SIP trunking. This lowers the cost of the telephone equipment needed.

SIP, T1, DID, DNIS; what works best for my business and will be a cost effective implementation? Do what the Pro’s do. Call a vendor who is affiliated with your LEC and all the CLEC’s and provides all the services. Our affiliation with a Master Agent to all these providers with all their services make us the Pro’s choice. Give Select Telecom & Technologies a call today at 815-282-5151 or at sales@selectteltech.com and let us put our 25+ years of experience to work for you.