Steve Thomas - IT Consultant

The holidays bring great opportunities to boost sales. With increased customer activity, you have to ensure that your Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system is capable of handling the extra load. Here are some ways you can optimize your VoIP system for the holiday rush to ensure that your customers have a positive experience and that your business benefits from the increased traffic.

Inspect your VoIP equipment

Sometimes, issues with VoIP have nothing to do with the hosting provider or the service itself. Instead, such issues are likely because of physical VoIP lines and devices. For instance, if your VoIP equipment is stacked too closely, it’s more likely that users will experience low-quality calls.

To fix this, have your IT team inspect call quality, particularly if there are two or more VoIP devices located near each other. If they experience any glitches, simply moving the devices farther apart should resolve the issue.

Moreover, make sure that you routinely inspect all cables and connections to guarantee they are in good condition to handle increased utilization during the holidays. And if you have any old or outdated equipment, then it may be wise to get an upgrade so as not to experience any downtime or interruption of service.

Implement a VoIP monitoring system

By having a VoIP monitoring system in place, you will be able to anticipate any problems before they become full-fledged disasters. And with the increase in inquiries and customer support calls during the holidays, your organization can benefit from the improved responsiveness that this solution offers.

In implementing a VoIP monitoring system this season, consider the following:

For busy periods

  • Set up call queuing with hold music or an accurate estimated wait time. This will help optimize caller experience.
  • Leave your callers a comprehensive, recorded message. Provide them with alternate contact methods for support, such as calling a hotline, sending an email, or visiting your website or official social media page.
  • If you have shorter business hours during the holidays, set up your VoIP configuration to help manage your customer’s expectations. You can do this by rerouting their call or putting messages on hold.

For closed periods

  • Take the hassle out of informing customers that your business will be closed during the holiday season by setting up automated messages or announcements. Let them know when you’ll reopen so they can plan accordingly.
  • Make sure your receptionist greetings are updated before the holidays to inform callers of your adjusted operating hours.
  • Automatically direct incoming calls to staff members who are on duty and can accommodate customers.

Utilize dedicated support

VoIP is a marvelous technology that allows for enhanced communication at a lower cost. With VoIP, you can ensure your employees working from home are still able to connect with customers. Your VoIP system can be set up to serve both your and your customers’ needs regardless of your holiday business hours. Calls can easily be diverted to mobile devices or remote machines, which allows your team to assist your customers when needed.

Partner with a trusted IT provider

The holiday season is a crucial time for businesses. A properly optimized VoIP system can help you manage the increased call volume and keep your customers happy. If you have any questions or need assistance selecting the right VoIP solution for your business, call us today. We’ll be happy to recommend the best VoIP solution for your needs and set you up for success this holiday season.

If you don’t want to be overwhelmed with the influx of calls from customers this holiday season, it’s important to optimize your Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system for maximum efficiency. Be ready for anything — read on for tips that can help you optimize your VoIP system.

Inspect your VoIP equipment

Sometimes, issues with VoIP have nothing to do with the hosting provider or the service itself. Instead, such issues are likely because of physical VoIP lines and devices. For instance, if your VoIP equipment is stacked too closely, it’s more likely that users will experience low-quality calls.

To fix this, have your IT team inspect call quality, particularly if there are two or more VoIP devices located near each other. If they experience any glitches, simply moving the devices farther apart should resolve the issue.

Moreover, make sure that you routinely inspect all cables and connections to guarantee they are in good condition to handle increased utilization during the holidays. And if you have any old or outdated equipment, then it may be wise to get an upgrade so as not to experience any downtime or interruption of service.

Implement a VoIP monitoring system

By having a VoIP monitoring system in place, you will be able to anticipate any problems before they become full-fledged disasters. And with the increase in inquiries and customer support calls during the holidays, your organization can benefit from the improved responsiveness that this solution offers.

In implementing a VoIP monitoring system this season, consider the following:

For busy periods

  • Set up call queuing with hold music or an accurate estimated wait time. This will help optimize caller experience.
  • Leave your callers a comprehensive, recorded message. Provide them with alternate contact methods for support, such as calling a hotline, sending an email, or visiting your website or official social media page.
  • If you have shorter business hours during the holidays, set up your VoIP configuration to help manage your customer’s expectations. You can do this by rerouting their call or putting messages on hold.

For closed periods

  • Take the hassle out of informing customers that your business will be closed during the holiday season by setting up automated messages or announcements. Let them know when you’ll reopen so they can plan accordingly.
  • Make sure your receptionist greetings are updated before the holidays to inform callers of your adjusted operating hours.
  • Automatically direct incoming calls to staff members who are on duty and can accommodate customers.

Utilize dedicated support

VoIP is a marvelous technology that allows for enhanced communication at a lower cost. With VoIP, you can ensure your employees working from home are still able to connect with customers. Your VoIP system can be set up to serve both your and your customers’ needs regardless of your holiday business hours. Calls can easily be diverted to mobile devices or remote machines, which allows your team to assist your customers when needed.

Partner with a trusted IT provider

The holiday season is a crucial time for businesses. A properly optimized VoIP system can help you manage the increased call volume and keep your customers happy. If you have any questions or need assistance selecting the right VoIP solution for your business, call us today. We’ll be happy to recommend the best VoIP solution for your needs and set you up for success this holiday season.

Many businesses expect a surge in customer calls during the holidays. If your Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system isn’t properly optimized, you could experience dropped calls, poor sound quality, and other issues that will frustrate your customers and cost you business. In this blog post, we will discuss how to optimize your VoIP system for the holiday rush. By following these tips, you can ensure customer satisfaction and keep your business running smoothly during one of the busiest times of the year.

Inspect your VoIP equipment

Sometimes, issues with VoIP have nothing to do with the hosting provider or the service itself. Instead, such issues are likely because of physical VoIP lines and devices. For instance, if your VoIP equipment is stacked too closely, it’s more likely that users will experience low-quality calls.

To fix this, have your IT team inspect call quality, particularly if there are two or more VoIP devices located near each other. If they experience any glitches, simply moving the devices farther apart should resolve the issue.

Moreover, make sure that you routinely inspect all cables and connections to guarantee they are in good condition to handle increased utilization during the holidays. And if you have any old or outdated equipment, then it may be wise to get an upgrade so as not to experience any downtime or interruption of service.

Implement a VoIP monitoring system

By having a VoIP monitoring system in place, you will be able to anticipate any problems before they become full-fledged disasters. And with the increase in inquiries and customer support calls during the holidays, your organization can benefit from the improved responsiveness that this solution offers.

In implementing a VoIP monitoring system this season, consider the following:

For busy periods

  • Set up call queuing with hold music or an accurate estimated wait time. This will help optimize caller experience.
  • Leave your callers a comprehensive, recorded message. Provide them with alternate contact methods for support, such as calling a hotline, sending an email, or visiting your website or official social media page.
  • If you have shorter business hours during the holidays, set up your VoIP configuration to help manage your customer’s expectations. You can do this by rerouting their call or putting messages on hold.

For closed periods

  • Take the hassle out of informing customers that your business will be closed during the holiday season by setting up automated messages or announcements. Let them know when you’ll reopen so they can plan accordingly.
  • Make sure your receptionist greetings are updated before the holidays to inform callers of your adjusted operating hours.
  • Automatically direct incoming calls to staff members who are on duty and can accommodate customers.

Utilize dedicated support

VoIP is a marvelous technology that allows for enhanced communication at a lower cost. With VoIP, you can ensure your employees working from home are still able to connect with customers. Your VoIP system can be set up to serve both your and your customers’ needs regardless of your holiday business hours. Calls can easily be diverted to mobile devices or remote machines, which allows your team to assist your customers when needed.

Partner with a trusted IT provider

The holiday season is a crucial time for businesses. A properly optimized VoIP system can help you manage the increased call volume and keep your customers happy. If you have any questions or need assistance selecting the right VoIP solution for your business, call us today. We’ll be happy to recommend the best VoIP solution for your needs and set you up for success this holiday season.

For many businesses, the holidays can be one of the busiest times of the year, with clients calling left and right. Fortunately, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems offer numerous cloud-enabled features that ought to help you handle large volumes of calls and cover periods when you are closed. However, if you don’t optimize their utility, you may run into some problems. Beat the rush with these tips.

Check your VoIP equipment

Sometimes, problems with VoIP don’t have anything to do with your service provider or even the servers that host the solution. Issues may stem from the physical VoIP lines and phones themselves. One common issue with VoIP is that if your equipment is stacked too closely, users may experience a degradation in call quality.

You can ask your employees to check call quality, especially if two or more VoIP devices are close to one another. If there are issues, moving the devices further apart should clear this up.

Beyond this, take the time to inspect all cables and connections to ensure they are in good condition and are able to deal with increased wear and tear during the holidays. If your equipment is old and outdated, you may need to replace them with newer models.

Establish VoIP system monitoring

With people rushing to get their last-minute shopping done, your staff will likely experience a sharp spike in inquiries and assistance. A monitoring solution can predict when issues may arise. Whether you are open or closed for the holidays, make sure to implement the following:

For busy periods

  • Set up call queuing with hold music or estimated wait time.
  • Leave recorded messages with complete information and an alternative way to contact support, such as a hotline, an email address, or your website.
  • Change your configuration to help you manage shorter business hours.
  • Reroute or put messages on hold when the company has reduced hours.

For closed periods

  • Set automated messages or announcements to inform customers that your business will be closed during the holiday season and what day you will reopen.
  • Update receptionist greetings before Christmas to remind callers of your holiday hours.
  • Reroute incoming calls for employees who will be working remotely.

Enable dedicated support

The great thing about VoIP is the support that comes with it. You can keep call costs low, as employees working from home can still communicate with the office. A good VoIP system can be configured to work for you and your customers no matter what hours you are open during the holidays.

Whether it’s diverting calls to mobile devices or remote machines, a good VoIP service provider understands that your business needs to be operational even during the holidays, and can accommodate those needs.

Work with an experienced IT provider

Christmas is busy enough without having to worry about something like a phone outage. If you need help with your phone systems or want to discuss how VoIP could help your business, call us today and we’ll recommend the best VoIP solution to ensure that your customers are happy and satisfied.

The holiday season is upon us, which means businesses will likely be bombarded with a wave of customer calls and inquiries. As a business owner, you need to make sure that your Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems are ready to cope with the holiday rush. Below are a few ways to ensure crystal-clear calls.

Check your VoIP equipment

Sometimes, problems with VoIP don’t have anything to do with your service provider or even the servers that host the solution. Issues may stem from the physical VoIP lines and phones themselves. One common issue with VoIP is that if your equipment is stacked too closely, users may experience a degradation in call quality.

You can ask your employees to check call quality, especially if two or more VoIP devices are close to one another. If there are issues, moving the devices further apart should clear this up.

Beyond this, take the time to inspect all cables and connections to ensure they are in good condition and are able to deal with increased wear and tear during the holidays. If your equipment is old and outdated, you may need to replace them with newer models.

Establish VoIP system monitoring

With people rushing to get their last-minute shopping done, your staff will likely experience a sharp spike in inquiries and assistance. A monitoring solution can predict when issues may arise. Whether you are open or closed for the holidays, make sure to implement the following:

For busy periods

  • Set up call queuing with hold music or estimated wait time.
  • Leave recorded messages with complete information and an alternative way to contact support, such as a hotline, an email address, or your website.
  • Change your configuration to help you manage shorter business hours.
  • Reroute or put messages on hold when the company has reduced hours.

For closed periods

  • Set automated messages or announcements to inform customers that your business will be closed during the holiday season and what day you will reopen.
  • Update receptionist greetings before Christmas to remind callers of your holiday hours.
  • Reroute incoming calls for employees who will be working remotely.

Enable dedicated support

The great thing about VoIP is the support that comes with it. You can keep call costs low, as employees working from home can still communicate with the office. A good VoIP system can be configured to work for you and your customers no matter what hours you are open during the holidays.

Whether it’s diverting calls to mobile devices or remote machines, a good VoIP service provider understands that your business needs to be operational even during the holidays, and can accommodate those needs.

Work with an experienced IT provider

Christmas is busy enough without having to worry about something like a phone outage. If you need help with your phone systems or want to discuss how VoIP could help your business, call us today and we’ll recommend the best VoIP solution to ensure that your customers are happy and satisfied.

Many customer-facing businesses often experience a surge in customer calls during the holidays. It’s therefore important that your Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems are capable of handling the increased network demands and activity during one of the busiest times of the year. To ensure customer satisfaction during the holidays, here’s how you can optimize your VoIP system.

Check your VoIP equipment

Sometimes, problems with VoIP don’t have anything to do with your service provider or even the servers that host the solution. Issues may stem from the physical VoIP lines and phones themselves. One common issue with VoIP is that if your equipment is stacked too closely, users may experience a degradation in call quality.

You can ask your employees to check call quality, especially if two or more VoIP devices are close to one another. If there are issues, moving the devices further apart should clear this up.

Beyond this, take the time to inspect all cables and connections to ensure they are in good condition and are able to deal with increased wear and tear during the holidays. If your equipment is old and outdated, you may need to replace them with newer models.

Establish VoIP system monitoring

With people rushing to get their last-minute shopping done, your staff will likely experience a sharp spike in inquiries and assistance. A monitoring solution can predict when issues may arise. Whether you are open or closed for the holidays, make sure to implement the following:

For busy periods

  • Set up call queuing with hold music or estimated wait time.
  • Leave recorded messages with complete information and an alternative way to contact support, such as a hotline, an email address, or your website.
  • Change your configuration to help you manage shorter business hours.
  • Reroute or put messages on hold when the company has reduced hours.

For closed periods

  • Set automated messages or announcements to inform customers that your business will be closed during the holiday season and what day you will reopen.
  • Update receptionist greetings before Christmas to remind callers of your holiday hours.
  • Reroute incoming calls for employees who will be working remotely.

Enable dedicated support

The great thing about VoIP is the support that comes with it. You can keep call costs low, as employees working from home can still communicate with the office. A good VoIP system can be configured to work for you and your customers no matter what hours you are open during the holidays.

Whether it’s diverting calls to mobile devices or remote machines, a good VoIP service provider understands that your business needs to be operational even during the holidays, and can accommodate those needs.

Work with an experienced IT provider

Christmas is busy enough without having to worry about something like a phone outage. If you need help with your phone systems or want to discuss how VoIP could help your business, call us today and we’ll recommend the best VoIP solution to ensure that your customers are happy and satisfied.

Small business owners understand the nuisance that comes with the holiday season. Fortunately, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems offer numerous cloud-enabled features that ought to help you handle large volumes of calls and cover periods when you are closed throughout the shopping season. However, if you don’t optimize their utility, you may run into some problems. Beat the rush with these tips.

Check your VoIP equipment

Sometimes, problems with VoIP don’t have anything to do with your service provider or even the underlying servers that host the solution. Instead, issues may stem from the physical VoIP lines and phones themselves. One common issue with VoIP is that if your equipment is stacked too closely, users may experience a degradation in call quality.

You can ask your employees to check call quality, especially if two VoIP devices are close to one another. If there are issues, moving them further apart should clear this up.

Beyond this, take the time to inspect all cables and connections to ensure they are in good condition and are able to deal with increased wear and tear during the holidays. If your equipment is old and outdated, you may need to look for replacements.

Establish VoIP system monitoring

With people rushing to get their last-minute shopping done, your staff will likely experience a sharp spike in inquiries and assistance. A monitoring solution can help predict when issues may arise. Whether you are open or closed for the holidays, make sure to implement the following:

Busy periods
Set up call queuing with hold music or estimated wait time.
Leave recorded messages with complete information and an alternative way to contact support such as a hotline, an email address, or your website.
Change your configuration to help you manage shorter business hours.
Set diverts for reduced hours.

Closed periods
Set automated messages or announcements to say that your business will be closed during the holiday season and what day you will reopen.
Update receptionist greetings before Christmas to remind callers of your holiday hours.
Set up call diverts for employees who will be working remotely.

Enable dedicated support

The great thing about VoIP is the support that comes with it. You can keep call costs low as employees working from home can still communicate with the office. A good VoIP system can be configured to work for you and your customers no matter what hours you are open during the holidays.

Whether it’s diverting calls to mobile devices or remote machines, a good VoIP service provider understands that your business needs to be operational even over the holidays, and their support service underpins that.

Work with an experienced IT provider

Christmas is busy enough without having to worry about something like a phone outage. If you need help with your phone systems, or want to discuss how VoIP could help your business, call us today and we’ll make sure to recommend the best VoIP solution to ensure that your customers are happy and satisfied.

The holiday season is upon us — and businesses are likely to experience their phones ringing off the hook. As a business owner, you need to make sure that your Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems are ready to cope with the holiday rush. To ensure crystal clear calls, follow these useful VoIP system tips.

Check your VoIP equipment

Sometimes, problems with VoIP don’t have anything to do with your service provider or even the underlying servers that host the solution. Instead, issues may stem from the physical VoIP lines and phones themselves. One common issue with VoIP is that if your equipment is stacked too closely, users may experience a degradation in call quality.

You can ask your employees to check call quality, especially if two VoIP devices are close to one another. If there are issues, moving them further apart should clear this up.

Beyond this, take the time to inspect all cables and connections to ensure they are in good condition and are able to deal with increased wear and tear during the holidays. If your equipment is old and outdated, you may need to look for replacements.

Establish VoIP system monitoring

With people rushing to get their last-minute shopping done, your staff will likely experience a sharp spike in inquiries and assistance. A monitoring solution can help predict when issues may arise. Whether you are open or closed for the holidays, make sure to implement the following:

Busy periods
Set up call queuing with hold music or estimated wait time.
Leave recorded messages with complete information and an alternative way to contact support such as a hotline, an email address, or your website.
Change your configuration to help you manage shorter business hours.
Set diverts for reduced hours.

Closed periods
Set automated messages or announcements to say that your business will be closed during the holiday season and what day you will reopen.
Update receptionist greetings before Christmas to remind callers of your holiday hours.
Set up call diverts for employees who will be working remotely.

Enable dedicated support

The great thing about VoIP is the support that comes with it. You can keep call costs low as employees working from home can still communicate with the office. A good VoIP system can be configured to work for you and your customers no matter what hours you are open during the holidays.

Whether it’s diverting calls to mobile devices or remote machines, a good VoIP service provider understands that your business needs to be operational even over the holidays, and their support service underpins that.

Work with an experienced IT provider

Christmas is busy enough without having to worry about something like a phone outage. If you need help with your phone systems, or want to discuss how VoIP could help your business, call us today and we’ll make sure to recommend the best VoIP solution to ensure that your customers are happy and satisfied.

As a business owner, you know how important it is to attend to your holiday customers. To ensure customer satisfaction, optimize the use of your VoIP system. Here’s how to do just that.

Check your VoIP equipment

Sometimes, problems with VoIP don’t have anything to do with your service provider or even the underlying servers that host the solution. Instead, issues may stem from the physical VoIP lines and phones themselves. One common issue with VoIP is that if your equipment is stacked too closely, users may experience a degradation in call quality.

You can ask your employees to check call quality, especially if two VoIP devices are close to one another. If there are issues, moving them further apart should clear this up.

Beyond this, take the time to inspect all cables and connections to ensure they are in good condition and are able to deal with increased wear and tear during the holidays. If your equipment is old and outdated, you may need to look for replacements.

Establish VoIP system monitoring

With people rushing to get their last-minute shopping done, your staff will likely experience a sharp spike in inquiries and assistance. A monitoring solution can help predict when issues may arise. Whether you are open or closed for the holidays, make sure to implement the following:

Busy periods
Set up call queuing with hold music or estimated wait time.
Leave recorded messages with complete information and an alternative way to contact support such as a hotline, an email address, or your website.
Change your configuration to help you manage shorter business hours.
Set diverts for reduced hours.

Closed periods
Set automated messages or announcements to say that your business will be closed during the holiday season and what day you will reopen.
Update receptionist greetings before Christmas to remind callers of your holiday hours.
Set up call diverts for employees who will be working remotely.

Enable dedicated support

The great thing about VoIP is the support that comes with it. You can keep call costs low as employees working from home can still communicate with the office. A good VoIP system can be configured to work for you and your customers no matter what hours you are open during the holidays.

Whether it’s diverting calls to mobile devices or remote machines, a good VoIP service provider understands that your business needs to be operational even over the holidays, and their support service underpins that.

Work with an experienced IT provider

Christmas is busy enough without having to worry about something like a phone outage. If you need help with your phone systems, or want to discuss how VoIP could help your business, call us today and we’ll make sure to recommend the best VoIP solution to ensure that your customers are happy and satisfied.

VoIP_Dec11_A_PH.jpg

It’s the holiday season, and regardless of the industry you work in, or where you are located, there is a good chance that during this busy time your phone systems will see an increased load. It seems that as the year comes to a close people want to communicate more, and so you need to ensure that your VoIP systems can handle the increased volume.

Establish VoIP system monitoring

Before you know whether your systems are ready for an increased call volume, you should establish monitoring tools that allow you to keep track of call volumes and how the systems hosting your VoIP solution are faring. If you notice that a spike in call volume during peak hours leads to decreased call quality, or perhaps an increased load on systems, then it may be a good idea to invest in a new solution that can help carry this extra burden.

Because this is the holiday season, and your staff and even IT providers may be away on leave, a monitoring solution can be helpful in predicting when issues may arise. You and your IT team can then help prepare for an increase in call volume and any problems that may crop up when they are away from work. This ensures that your systems won’t go down when you need them most.

Check your VoIP equipment

Sometimes, problems with VoIP don’t have anything to do with your service provider or even the underlying servers that host the solution, but the physical VoIP lines and phones themselves. One common issue with VoIP is that if equipment is too close to other VoIP equipment, you may see a degradation in call quality.

Therefore, you should take care to ask your employees if they have noticed lower call quality lately, especially if two VoIP devices are close to one another. If there have been issues, moving them further apart should clear this up.

Beyond this, take the time to inspect all cables and connections to ensure they are in good condition and able to deal with the increased wear and tear the holiday season can bring. If equipment is looking a little past it, now may be the time to look for new devices and solutions that can help boost your communications.

Set data priorities on your router

Most modern business routers have an important feature called QoS, or Quality of Service. This allows users to set bandwidth limits for different activities and even create priority lists. Because you will likely be getting more calls during the holiday season, it is a good idea to ensure that the extra bandwidth will be there when you need it.

Because your router is also in charge of assigning bandwidth to your VoIP solution, using the QoS feature is a good way to ensure that calls are receiving the bandwidth they need to remain clear. Take a look at the way data and bandwidth is being used in your network and set limits on non-essential activities that may be using higher amounts. For example, it may be a good idea to reduce the bandwidth assigned to streaming services and apply the extra percentage to your VoIP solution.

Work with an IT partner

These tweaks and updates can be time consuming and a bit of a chore to carry out, especially if you are not a tech expert. What we recommend is contacting us, so our VoIP experts can work with you to ensure your network is configured for the higher call volume, equipment is working, and servers are ready. We can even offer suggestions on better systems that can improve communications while reducing costs. Be prepared for the holiday season, contact us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.