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The blog for Global Call Forwarding has articles on the latest customer service trends, telecommunications technologies, and business news.
The image above shows 3-way voice calling.
7th March 2022 blog

3-Way Calling: Benefits & How to Get

The photo above shows global coverage being added to a phone system
24th February 2022 blog, International Business

How to Add Global Coverage to Your Business Phone System

Picture above shows what remote call forwarding is.
23rd February 2022 blog, Call Management

What is Remote Call Forwarding?

What are call detail records (CDR)?
14th February 2022 blog, Call Management

What are Call Detail Records (CDRs) and Their Benefits?

What is find me follow me routing?
11th February 2022 blog

What is Find Me Follow Me?

The most common SIP problems (with solutions)
8th February 2022 blog, VoIP

8 Common SIP Problems and Solutions

Use cloud communications to improve caller experience.
17th January 2022 blog, Customer Service

5 Ways to Improve Caller Experience with Cloud Communications

How to delight customers
11th January 2022 blog, Customer Service

Customer Delight: What is it and How Can it Help Your Business?

Best holiday voicemail greetings.
14th December 2021 blog, Call Management

Spice Up Your Business Holiday Voicemail Greetings [9 Templates + Ideas]

3-Way Calling: Benefits & How to Get

7th March 2022 blog

It’s no secret that collaboration and communication are two driving forces behind any well-functioning sales or customer support team. Your reps need to be able to communicate with others (co-workers, supervisors, managers, etc.) when the time arises. And in some cases, they may need to collaborate with others during a call with a customer. The ability to quickly add someone to the call saves time and moves the process (closing the sale or trouble ticket) along smoothly. That’s when having 3-way calling within your cloud phone system comes in handy.

What is 3-Way Calling?

3-way calling is a call management feature that allows you to add another person to an ongoing call. Other common terms for 3-way calling include call merging, conference calling, or call conferencing. To do this, you will have to initiate the second call and then merge the two calls together.

There have traditionally been a few different ways to add another person to a call:

  • Conference call numbers or codes
  • 3rd-party services
  • Call waiting, and so on.

But these resulted in reduced call quality and confusing mechanisms. It sometimes even led to the first call being dropped.

To solve these issues, phone service providers have made it easier to merge calls, leading to the birth of the 3-way calling feature.

Benefits of 3-Way Conference Calls

So, how can your business use 3-way calling? When conferencing with others, you can:

  • Collaborate internally on projects within customer service and sales teams
  • Conduct quick virtual meetings with important decision-makers
  • Offer more responsive service by getting help and support quickly
  • Save time on having two separate calls or meetings by having just one
  • Train new employees by showing them how to respond in certain situations
  • Boost customer satisfaction and caller experience by cutting down wait times and long transfers
  • Have faster and more efficient meetings and conversations
  • Increase first call resolution rates
  • Converse and collaborate across different departments, locations, and devices.

Call merging helps your teams connect and work together towards a common goal: improving your business’ sales and customer support initiatives. And with a cloud phone service provider, your teams can do this even during remote work periods.

How to Get 3-Way Calling with Global Call Forwarding?

An image of 3-way calling from the GCF Softphone.You can get 3-way calling with any phone service provider. Global Call Forwarding offers a variety of call management features and services along with our virtual phone number plans.

If you are a Global Call Forwarding customer, you don’t need conferencing numbers or codes to engage in a three-way call conference. You simply need an Outbound Calling plan. Then, you can download the GCF softphone and use the Merge feature to add another person to your ongoing call.

Get Outbound Calling and other advanced business communication features with Global Call Forwarding. Call us at +1 (561) 908-6171 or chat with our telecom experts today!

How to Add Global Coverage to Your Business Phone System

24th February 2022 blog, International Business

The global economy is much broader and more lucrative. So, expanding to new markets is in your business’s best interest.

Advanced technology makes it easier than ever to expand your business internationally without increasing overhead costs. And with the rise in cost-effective telecom solutions, businesses are able to enter markets where numbers and phone services are generally harder to get.

That’s where global telephony providers like Global Call Forwarding come into the picture. We can help you add global coverage to your business phone system with international phone numbers and advanced call features.

Building a Global Communication System

Global telephony providers offer cloud communication solutions such as voice, messaging, phone numbers, and call management tools. And since these services work over the internet, businesses can use them to communicate with customers in different countries and regions worldwide.

In most cases, your business does not even need to open a new office or physical location in these countries. You simply forward calls internationally or communicate via web apps.

So, how do you add global voice coverage to your business phone system without dramatically increasing overhead costs?

  1. Purchase international phone numbers for target countries.
  2. Work closely with your phone service provider to manage phone service in hard-to-reach countries.
  3. Set up international call forwarding to have incoming calls routed to the right department and office anywhere in the world.
  4. Use outbound calling with caller ID management when making outgoing calls to customers in target countries.

This image shows a phone system with global voice coverage.

Increasing Global Phone Coverage with Global Call Forwarding

Limited global coverage and documentation restrictions are the main obstacles corporations face when expanding. So, how can your business get around this problem? Work with a global telephony provider that offers high-quality voice service and has an extensive network of local telecom partners.

United World Telecom (our parent company) has long-term relationships with trusted Tier 1 Carriers worldwide. This allows us to provide our customers with one of the widest offerings available on the market.

New players in this space do not specialize in this area of the telecom industry. So, the numbers they provide may be more limited, come with stricter documentation requirements, or take longer to activate.

Due to our positive reputation in the industry and the trusted relationships built with our providers, we offer our customers phone numbers with fewer documentation requirements than other providers and at competitive rates. And we provide added flexibility with our month-to-month billing and no long-term commitments – which our customers prefer over the strict contracts required by many telecom providers.

Using Our Service with Other Providers

Since some global phone providers have limited coverage and require stricter documentation for most originations, they may be harder to work with. But that does not mean you need to find a new phone service if your communication system is already built with other providers. You can simply integrate our services and rare or hard-to-reach international numbers with other providers like Zoom Phone, Amazon Connect, Aircall, and so on.

Global Call Forwarding (run by United World Telecom) has an extensive inventory of phone numbers from over 160 countries around the world. And we can provide phone service in hard-to-reach countries as well. So, your business can use our service to add global voice coverage to your existing phone system reliably.

View the available countries we offer service for on our Country Coverage page.

Adding Global Coverage with Global Call Forwarding

1. Add global coverage with BYOC

BYOC lets you forward calls directly to SIP. This is the best option for businesses that want to add numbers to an existing PBX system and/or have limited minutes. You can simply buy numbers from us and forward calls to your PBX. Here’s how:

  1. Buy desired numbers from Global Call Forwarding and activate your service.
  2. Contact your PBX or phone service provider.
  3. Give them your list of phone numbers and our list of IP addresses. Your provider has to whitelist these IP addresses so you can receive calls.
  4. Your PBX provider will then create a special SIP domain for each number
  5. Add this SIP domain in your control panel under Forward all calls to, so we can forward calls to the right domains.

Note: We support G.711/μ-law and G.711/a-law codec for sending calls.

forward to your number

2. Add global coverage by forwarding directly to the number

Alternatively, if you already have local numbers with another telecom provider but need additional global coverage, you can buy international numbers from those countries with Global Call Forwarding. Then, you can simply forward incoming calls to your local number. This is the best option if you have an unmetered plan with your local phone number provider. And you avoid the hassle of dealing with SIP domains and whitelisting IP addresses. You can do this on our Pricing page.

Challenges to Keep in Mind

Most global phone service providers offer international phone numbers and various cloud communication features. But, they may come with limitations that can impede your business’ global expansion plans:

Limited global coverage
Worldwide coverage is typically limited to just Western Europe and the Americas. This means that providers may not have a strong presence in the Middle East, Latin America, or Africa. So, if you have customers in these regions or want to expand, you will need an additional phone service provider.

For instance: Zoom Phone offers phone numbers in 45 countries and toll-free service in only 29 countries (of which some are inbound-only).

Amazon Connect offers phone numbers and inbound calling from about 80 countries, DID and toll-free numbers in nearly 20 countries, and outbound calling for 200 countries.

Stricter documentation
Additionally, new players in the telecom space may require stricter documentation for most originations. This could be a result of short-term experience, smaller networks, different business models, and so on. But it can add more roadblocks to your international expansion plans.

Note: Information mentioned in this article is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to changes.

Finding the Right Global Phone Service Provider

While there are countless global inbound phone services available, you need to find one that works best for your business communication needs. Here are some questions to consider when looking for a global telephony provider:

  • Which countries do you need coverage for (regions you want to expand)?
  • What is your overall voice communication budget?
  • What communication tools or features can improve the way your business communicates with international customers?
  • Do you need phone service in hard-to-reach countries or countries with political instability?
  • And finally, can this provider offer reliable coverage for those countries with your desired features and within your budget?

Keeping all of this in mind, you can determine which global telephony provider for your business communication needs.

Ready to add global voice coverage to your phone system? Call us at +1 (561) 908-6171 or chat with our experts online!

What is Remote Call Forwarding?

23rd February 2022 blog, Call Management

With the growing acceptance of remote and flexible working, it is important to equip your business with cloud-based tools that ensure employees continue working even if they cannot be present in the office.

Cloud communications often grant you access to advanced features that help create a better caller experience. Among these features lies remote call forwarding. This feature especially comes in handy during unprecedented situations and remote work. But, it is not limited to those situations.

Forwarding Calls When Your Business Works Remotely

Remote call forwarding is an asset to businesses and teams looking to stay connected with customers while away from the office. This feature makes forwarding calls to any device from anywhere possible. So, you’ll never miss important calls or potential sales again. Advanced call forwarding meets both businesses’ and customers’ needs to connect.

What is Call Forwarding and How Does it Work?

Remote call forwarding (RCF) is a service feature that allows you to route incoming calls to another designated phone number, location, or device. Whether you’re in a different location or your team is spread across multiple areas, local and international forwarding enables consumers to reach your brand at the same number. This feature helps establish consistent business communication by ensuring every call to your number is answered, regardless of your location.

Incoming calls can be routed to any cell phone or computer worldwide. Overall, international call forwarding provides businesses with flexibility by seamlessly routing incoming calls to desired destinations, anywhere in the world.

When Should You Use Remote Call Forwarding?

Call forwarding is a valuable communication tool, creating a seamless and reliable experience for your callers. This feature is customizable to your business needs. But when can your business make the most out of this service? It pays off the most in these circumstances:

  • Remote work – Remote call forwarding is a great way to connect your lines of communication across multiple physical locations. Customers can dial the same, familiar number and reach an available representative, regardless of location. RCF helps distributed teams transition to the work-from-home setting without sacrificing call reliability or quality.
  • Network issues – Whether your internet goes out or your service is interrupted, you can still receive incoming calls by forwarding them to another location or device. This service feature acts as a fallback or failover strategy, so you never miss an important call.
  • Emergency situations – Integrating failover forwarding into your business phone system prepares your company for emergencies that may close your office. When you enable call forwarding, all inbound calls route to an alternative phone, destination, or available agent. This helps your business avoid shutting down for an extended period without putting your team at risk. Remote call forwarding is also an excellent crisis communication tool. You can set up emergency messaging in your prompts or route calls to back up teams when necessary.

7 Benefits of Using Advanced Call Forwarding For Your Business

Remote call forwarding offers businesses of all sizes benefits like flexibility, customization, and increased functionality. Let’s take a look at the top 7 advantages of using RCF:

  1. Increased availability – You can forward calls anywhere! Your business remains accessible to consumers regardless of time, location, or issues. Set up rules for after-hours calls or remote backup teams to stay connected with customers.
  2. Flexibility – Not only can you forward calls to any device or destination, but you can also change up your rules at your convenience. This service makes setting up and modifying forwarding rules from any device and at any time simple and effective.
  3. No need for additional equipment – Since call forwarding is cloud-based, all you need is a good call forwarding service, a stable connection, and an internet-enabled device. So, you can skip the bulky hardware and complicated setup. You can even use your smartphone for business calls without exposing your private number.
  4. Never miss an important call – Set up advanced forwarding rules, like find-me-follow-me, so you never miss another call. This feature allows customers to stay connected to your business and your team no matter either party’s location. It also helps prepare your business for any emergency situations or network outages.
  5. Cost-effective – Remote call forwarding eliminates the cost of additional equipment. As a cloud-based service feature, it also is more affordable than a traditional phone service. You save on international and long-distance calling rates.
  6. Improve caller experience – By providing an accessible and reliable service, you can improve the way callers interact with your business. Customers will always be able to reach your business with questions or concerns.
  7. Fully customizable – Remote call forwarding is entirely customizable to your business needs. You control the handling of calls and how they flow through your system.

Get the Most Out of Your Remote Call Forwarding Service

To get the most out of this service, you’ll want to consider different aspects of the forwarding process. Here are some things to keep in mind when using this service:

  • Emphasize your brand – Whenever customers connect to your business, take the opportunity to reinforce your brand’s voice. It also helps to simply state your business name and other relevant information, so the caller knows they’ve reached the right company.
  • Ensure the stability of devices receiving forwarded calls – With a remote call forwarding system in place, you can route calls to any device or destination. But, this function is ultimately rendered useless if the device you’re forwarding calls to doesn’t work or has a bad connection. Make sure all devices included are stable and functional.
  • Shorten wait times – Try to shorten the amount of time calls ring at one number before transferring to another. You don’t want callers waiting for long periods at every number they are transferred to, which can lead to caller frustration.
  • Use basic IVR with menus and prompts – If you decide to add an IVR, phone menu, or prompt to your incoming call flow, make sure they are professional as well as short and to the point. Concise messaging helps keep the caller moving in their journey.

How to Set Up Remote Call Forwarding?

Ready to start connecting your teams and increase the functionality of your phone service? Remote call forwarding comes included with any Global Call Forwarding service plan. You can sign up on our website and start forwarding calls to locations and devices as needed. It’s easy to set up call forwarding in our online control panel.

To learn more about remote call forwarding, call us at +1 (561) 908-6171 or chat with our experts online.

What are Call Detail Records (CDRs) and Their Benefits?

14th February 2022 blog, Call Management

As the name implies, call detail records (CDRs) register all details of incoming and outgoing calls on your system. Whether you’re operating on a VoIP system, wireless phone, or PSTN, calls get logged in a CDR. You can use this feature for billing purposes, call tracking, evaluating success, and more.

Call Detail Records For Your Business

Call records (also known as call logs) contain detailed information logs about your phone network and users. This data can help inform areas of improvement for your business and help build a more effective service. This article will explore the benefits call detail records offer your business and how to use them.

What are Call Records?

Call detail records are data logs that document all telecommunication exchanges occurring on your network. More specifically, call records provide information on how and when the phone system was used. In other words, they log all billable phone activity on your network.

Most service providers typically upload CDRs to online portals or send them with your formal monthly bills. Usually, anyone on your phone network with administrative capabilities can access the records. The reports are never deleted and remain accessible forever.

What Information Do CDRs Include?

Your call detail records contain a wide variety of metadata to help you understand how employees and customers use your system. The reports are generally sorted by users or phone numbers and look like an itemized list. The information included in your call logs vary from service to service.

So, what kind of data could your call records include? Here are some examples:

  • Date and time
  • Call duration (minutes)
  • Caller ID
  • Location of call origination and destination
  • Destination number or number dialed
  • Completion status or reason for call termination
  • Type of call (toll-free, local, etc.)
  • Cost per call and total charge
  • Features used (SMS forwarding, call recording, etc.)
  • Call journey (extensions, IVR, etc.)

Additionally, CDRs might contain data related to your VoIP network, like IP address or port number. It is also important to note that call detail records do not include the contents of phone calls or text messages.

call detail records explanation

How is the Data Collected?

Software programs begin collecting data the moment you make or receive a call. Each call made on your network passes through a mediation layer which processes and converts call data into a specific format. When the data is properly formatted, billing systems and OSS applications can import the CDR to create your final bill.

When they enter the network, incoming calls are assigned a caller identifier (ID). The caller ID stays with the call throughout its entire journey, making call tracking possible.

Just remember, the data included in your call detail records depends on the type of software that collects the information and the provider you use.

6 Benefits of Call Detail Records

Call records enable your business to monitor all activity on your network and adjust your service accordingly. With this level of information, you can craft a more effective and successful business service. Here are the top 6 benefits of using call detail records in your company:

  1. Better call management
  2. Boost employee performance
  3. Optimize campaigns for success
  4. Identify quality leads and new target markets
  5. Improve caller experience
  6. Measure ROI of business calls and marketing campaigns.

6 benefits of call detail records

How Can Businesses Use Call Logs?

Although businesses primarily use call records for billing purposes, your company can use these reports in many different ways. Let’s take a look:

  • Monitor Employee Use – Businesses and team managers can use call detail records to evaluate employee performance. The data reflects the number of inbound and outbound calls, call duration, and more. So, you can see if employees are hitting their objectives or need more training.
  • Call Analytics – Using call records, you can quickly analyze call data to learn more about your customer’s needs. The data informs you on customer calling behavior, pain points, preferences, and more. With that in mind, you can enhance the customer’s experience and drive sales.
  • Identify Calling Trends and Patterns – CDRs give you the ability to identify patterns and variants on your network. Identify the peak time for incoming calls or which countries generate the most calls. With this information, your business can create a more effective service.
  • Campaign Tracking – When you assign a unique number to each of your marketing campaigns, you can use the records to track call metrics and evaluate a campaign’s success. You can see which campaigns generate more calls and, therefore, more customers.
  • Call Center Management – Call logs contain tons of beneficial information for call center managers. It provides you with basic record-keeping but also allows you to track call volume fluctuations, call duration, and more. This information helps boost the functionality and effectiveness of your call center.
  • Billing – Your business can use the reports to calculate how many minutes you’re using and adjust your budget accordingly.

How to Access Call Detail Records

Here’s a step-by-step process on how to access your CDRs with Global Call Forwarding:

  1. Log in to your Control Panel.
  2. Go to the My Phone Numbers tab on the left-side menu
  3. Choose a phone service line and click on Service Plan.
  4. Click on Activity in the orange bar.
  5. Then, choose what kind of calls you want to look at: Answered, All, or Missed.

Visit our Knowledge Base for further instructions on viewing or downloading your Call Detail Records!

Start Using Call Records to Improve Your Business

Call detail records come included with any Global Call Forwarding phone number plan. They are easily accessible through our online control panel. To learn more, speak with our sales team or your dedicated account manager at (561) 908-6171 or chat with us online!

What is Find Me Follow Me?

11th February 2022 blog

Whether you’re taking calls from customers, clients, or employees, an effective communication system is essential to every business. Find Me Follow Me call forwarding helps you stay connected when you’re on the go. That’s why this routing strategy is offered as a common Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) feature.

Understanding the Find Me Follow Me Phone Service

Find Me Follow Me is also referred to as call hunting, call routing, or call forwarding. However, this service is not the same as a basic call routing system. Instead, Find Me Follow Me allows you to set up forwarding rules that meet your needs.

This feature keeps you connected to incoming calls by routing them to your desired destinations and devices. Staying in touch with callers has never been easier or more flexible than with Find Me Follow Me. And since it is a cloud-based service, you don’t need any additional, expensive hardware!

What is Find Me Follow Me?

Find Me Follow Me is actually two different VoIP forwarding strategies that are commonly used together.

find me follow me flow chart

The “Find Me” strategy automatically routes inbound calls to a specified destination. This gives you the ability to receive calls at any location whether you’re in the office, at home, or traveling.

“Follow Me” forwards calls to designated phones, ringing calls simultaneously or sequentially. This service makes you available across several devices.

When these strategies are used together, your incoming calls route to a predetermined list of alternate locations, numbers, and devices.

You then have the option to ring these numbers or devices one after the other or all at once. This feature will continue down the list until the call is answered. If the call goes unanswered on all devices, you can decide what happens to the call next.

Here’s an example of Find Me Follow Me:
A call comes into your desired destination – your desk phone. The call rings for 30 seconds and goes unanswered. The call is then routed to your mobile phone and home phone until the call is answered. Find Me Follow Me will ring your devices sequentially or simultaneously.

Sequentially: It first rings your mobile phone and after 30 seconds, it rings your home phone.
Simultaneously: It rings both your mobile phone and your home phone at the same time.

If all devices go unanswered, calls are routed to voicemail or your backup team.

How Can Find Me Follow Me Help Your Business?

Find Me Follow Me ensures that you never miss an important call and increases your availability with callers.

Once you set up this feature, Find Me Follow Me automatically sends incoming calls to your predetermined list. So, the calls “find” you whether you’re bouncing between locations, working from home, or going out to lunch. This is also extremely helpful if your schedule is constantly changing or if you travel for work.

11 Benefits of Using the Find Me Follow Me Service

Most VoIP providers agree that Find Me Follow Me is a powerful tool for business communication systems. This call management feature not only offers a flexible way to stay connected, but many other benefits as well. Some of these benefits include:

    1. Receive incoming calls from any location and on any device
    2. Optimize your availability
    3. Customize to fit your system
    4. Reduce the need for additional hardware
    5. Decrease call wait times
    6. Reduce the number of missed calls
    7. Keep your personal numbers private
    8. Improve caller experience
    9. Advertise only one, primary number for your company
    10. Boost your team’s productivity
    11. Easily scale your business

Who Benefits From Using Find Me Follow Me Call Forwarding?

Now that we know the specific benefits that come along with the Find Me Follow Me service, let’s discuss its use cases. Here are a few examples of those who benefit most from using this routing strategy:

  • Customer Service and Sales Teams
    Find Me Follow Me call forwarding enables your support team to deliver a responsive and consistent service. The feature helps agents maximize their availability. Additionally, your sales team will never miss out on a lucrative sales opportunity. Using Find Me Follow Me, both support reps and sales agents can deliver quick response times and improve the caller’s overall experience.
  • Remote Workers
    If your company needs an easy way to forward calls from your workplace PBX to an employee’s personal phone, Find Me Follow Me is the perfect solution. The virtual service not only allows you to route calls to other devices, but also to any location. This is a seamless and efficient way to connect customers to your remote team.
  • Business Owners
    Small business owners and solopreneurs are constantly pulled in multiple directions — whether you’re attending meetings, checking in with employees, or networking. Find Me Follow Me will ensure that important calls always reach you.
  • Healthcare Providers
    Doctors and healthcare professionals are always on the move. So, they need a healthcare communication solution that keeps them connected even when not at their desks. Find Me Follow Me allows patients with emergencies and urgent questions to quickly reach their healthcare providers.

How to Set Up Find Me Follow Me

Most VoIP providers include the Find Me Follow Me service with their cloud phone plans. Here’s how to set up Find Me Follow Me with Global Call Forwarding:

1. Log in to your Control Panel.

2. Choose a phone service line and click on Settings.

3. Select Call Forwarding from the horizontal menu and click IVR.

4. Click the orange Manage IVR Application button.

Find me follow me set up in the control panel.

5. Select Phones from the menu on the right-hand side and click Add a new phone.

Here, you can add the number where you want your calls to first arrive.

6. Click the green Save Changes button.

7. Select Add a new phone again.

In the Call Destination window, choose your ringing method. Add as many numbers or devices as you want by clicking the orange Add button.

Choosing find me follow me destination.

8. Hit Save Changes.

9. Then, select Create New Application in the IVR Manager window.

10. Choose Phone Call from the list of actions.

Here, add a name and select the desired number calls should come to first (see step 5). Note: Skip the prompt section.

11. Customize the Max. Wait time between transfers.

12. Click the arrow in the Failed bar and choose Phone Call again.

Add a name and skip the prompt section again.

13. In Destination, select the phone group you created for backup devices.

14. Click the blue Close button and hit Save Application at the top.

find me follow me ivr manger sample

Get Advanced Routing!

To learn more about Find Me Follow Me from Global Call Forwarding? Speak with our representatives today or connect with your dedicated account manager today! Call us at +1 (561) 908-6171 or chat with us online.

8 Common SIP Problems and Solutions

8th February 2022 blog, VoIP

Effective communication systems are at the heart of successful businesses. SIP provides your business phone system with a dependable, cost-effective, and modernized service. While this service offers a ton of capabilities and benefits for your business, it’s normal to experience SIP-related issues every so often. We’ll discuss typical SIP problems and our recommended solutions.

Identifying and Troubleshooting Common SIP Issues

SIP trunking uses the internet to route calls, making your business communication easy and affordable. SIP provides reliable and stable communication services. But as with any technology, even SIP encounters technical issues. Although this service usually has a low downtime, it’s great to know tips for troubleshooting SIP problems.

Understanding Your SIP Trunk Phone System

It’s helpful to understand how your SIP system works to properly identify any upcoming issues. Before we get into common SIP problems and their solutions, let’s first review the basics of your SIP trunking service.

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) works with VoIP to transmit and maintain multimedia communication through the internet. SIP trunks convert communication data into digital packets. The service then delivers the packets to your desired destination, also referred to as a packet switch network.

One SIP trunk includes several channels. Every channel represents one call, whether it is inbound or outbound. A SIP trunk with multiple channels enables you to simultaneously place or receive multiple calls. Additionally, SIP trunking works with most devices and can even be integrated with your PBX.

Now on to common SIP problems and solutions. We’ve divided SIP issues into two main categories and included our recommended fixes:

Audio quality

  1. Echoes
  2. Delays
  3. Broken audio
  4. Jitter
  5. No sound

SIP connection issues

  1. Inability to make calls
  2. Dropped calls
  3. Missed calls or not receiving calls

As we begin to discuss SIP problems, keep in mind your selected SIP service and settings. Also, you can review our glossary to familiarize yourself with the terminology used in this article.

SIP problems explanation

Audio Quality SIP Problems

Communication is vital in any business. So, poor audio quality can negatively impact business calls. The first step in solving an audio VoIP problem is to identify the issue. Audio quality issues could be anything from jitters, echoes, and delays to broken audio. Keep in mind that some solutions apply to multiple SIP problems. Let’s take a deeper look at each issue, possible causes, and solutions.

1. Echoes

Phone echoing occurs when voice audio repeats at a later interval. Usually, the caller experiencing the echo isn’t the one creating it. Echoes trigger caller frustration and affect caller experience for both parties. The main cause of phone echoing is hardware problems or a slow internet connection.

Solution for Echo in Audio

The quickest way to eliminate an echo is to take your phone off speakerphone or lower the volume. Speakerphones use multiple microphones and speakers to transmit your voice. Since this function uses several microphones, voice audio is sometimes reflected back and causes echoing.

Keep an eye on your equipment. If you have a faulty microphone or headset, it can also contribute to echoing. Outdated or damaged equipment within your SIP or VoIP infrastructure — such as an old switch, headset, router, or cables — generates audio quality issues. Replace your old equipment or legacy phone system to help reduce unwanted feedback and audio interference.

Related: Modernizing Legacy Phone Systems: How and Why to Upgrade?

2. Delays or Latency

Voice delays are a significant pause between when you say things and when the recipient hears you. This is also known as audio latency or lag. Latency leads to callers talking over each other or prolonged pauses in the conversation. The common cause of voice delay originates from a low internet speed.

Solution for Audio Delay

If you have audio quality issues, check your current bandwidth power. Bandwidth affects both the upload and download speeds of your internet connection. For one SIP channel, your minimum bandwidth speed should be 100 kbps. This rate should increase depending on the amount of SIP channels or trunks you have. Contact your internet service provider (ISP) to ensure your network meets these bandwidth requirements.

If you’re still having audio trouble after checking your bandwidth power, review your Quality of Service (QoS) settings on your router. QoS enables you to prioritize different kinds of traffic on your network.

3. Broken Audio

When words or voices continuously cut in and out, you’re experiencing choppy or broken audio. Inconsistent audio increases miscommunication between parties. The usual source of broken audio is packet loss. Packet loss occurs when certain pieces of data are not successfully transmitted. Typically, network or internet connection problems contribute to packet loss.

Solution for Broken Audio

Although WiFi is usually strong enough for basic internet access, Ethernet may be a better option for your VoIP phone system. An Ethernet cable increases internet speed, lowers network latency, and offers a more stable connection. This is a possible solution to packet loss that causes broken audio and jitters.

Streaming services take up bandwidth power and contribute to internet traffic on your network. When making or receiving calls, consider closing the streaming services to increase call audio quality.

Related: 10 Best USA SIP Trunk Providers

4. Jitters

Call jitter occurs when voice audio is missing or jumbled. Similar to broken audio, audio is lost and never delivered to the recipient. But unlike broken audio, voice data has the potential to be delivered out of order. This affects the overall quality of the call and often leads to miscommunication. Packet loss also triggers this issue and originates from a poor internet connection.

Solution for Jitter in VoIP Calls

Again, poor internet connection and insufficient bandwidth contribute to many common SIP problems, including audio quality issues. A stable and strong internet connection sets you up for the best audio quality. Double-check that you have the appropriate amount of bandwidth available to power your devices and services.

A jitter buffer intentionally delays incoming audio data packets so that the caller receives clear sound. You can use either a static or dynamic jitter buffer. A static buffer is set up through your hardware by the manufacturer. Whereas, a dynamic buffer is software-based and easy to modify to the needs of your network.

5. No Sound

This issue occurs when your call successfully connects, but you can’t hear anything. In some instances, the other caller may not be able to hear you. Lack of sound results in a constant exchange of “Hello?” and “Can you hear me now?” which is really aggravating for both people on the call.

Solution for No Sound in SIP Calls

Firewalls provide your network with security to prevent unauthorized network traffic. However, your firewall may be preventing your audio packets and SIP in general from working properly. To fix this, make sure firewall and PBX ports are open to your provider’s recommended settings. For Global Call Forwarding users, open ports 10,000 to 60,000.

One of the most common SIP problems

SIP Connection Issues

SIP trunks and VoIP calls make business communication both reliable and efficient. However, users may sometimes experience SIP problems when making, receiving, and connecting calls. Here are some common SIP connection issues and solutions:

6. Inability to Make Calls

Outbound calling is an essential part of operating a business, especially for call centers. It can derail your company’s efforts or business transactions if you cannot place outbound calls. Some services clearly indicate if outbound calling is disabled or unable to connect with a message or icon.

Solution When Unable to Make Calls

First, make sure you have the outbound calling feature added to your account. To check if you have this feature, reach out to your service provider or IT support. Global Call Forwarding users can review your enabled services in the Control Panel or speak to your dedicated account manager.

If you have outbound calling enabled, double-check your SIP credentials. Make sure to confirm the validity of your SIP user ID, password, and domain information with your provider.

Additionally, check that your SIP trunk is set to the proper codec. Codecs both compress and decompress data to reduce file size and consume less bandwidth power. Different codecs provide various data transmission times, known as bitrates, and bandwidth requirements. Contact your SIP provider with questions about correct codec names.

For our users, use codec G.711 for all SIP trunks. The Global Call Forwarding network supports the G.711 codec, which provides the best VoIP call quality and uses no compression.

7. Dropped Calls

When calls randomly end or stop in the middle of your conversation, you experience a dropped call. Businesses or call centers with high call volumes might also experience dropped calls after a specific amount of call time. Dropped calls tend to create caller frustration for both parties.

Solution for Dropped Calls

Dropped calls typically originate from a poor network connection or limited bandwidth power. Analyze your internet speed, connection, network traffic, and available bandwidth power to identify areas of improvement to your network. Consider contacting your ISP or looking for a VoIP quality test online to obtain this info. Additionally, take a look at your QoS settings and make sure to prioritize all voice calls.

Ensure both your software and hardware are updated as needed. For software, consider turning on or allowing automatic updates.

8. Missed Calls or Not Receiving Calls

Calls that go straight to voicemail or don’t properly come through your phone system are considered missed calls. This is another common SIP problem that could affect your company. When you miss calls, you miss business opportunities. So, let’s solve this issue.

Solution for Missing Calls or Not Receiving Calls

If you’re not receiving calls as intended, ensure your firewall isn’t blocking your inbound calls. Simply access your firewall to authorize or manually add your provider’s IP address.

Setting up a friendly trunk can also solve this issue. A friendly trunk allows the call to proceed to the next step in your SIP system. It’s best to ask IT support for help with friendly trunk configuration. But if you’re a do-it-yourself person, you can configure a friendly trunk using open-source PBX software like FreePBX, Elastics, or Asterisk.

Solve Your SIP Problems with a Reliable Service

Selecting the right VoIP provider will help eliminate persistent SIP problems. Look for a SIP trunk provider that understands your business’ communication needs and offers reliable services.

Global Call Forwarding delivers a clear-cut SIP trunking service. We offer 24/7 support and a dedicated account manager for every user. This dedication helps avoid VoIP problems before they begin. Our affordable and straightforward plans provide a stable and reliable service with no roadblocks.

Call us today to learn more or request a demo!

5 Ways to Improve Caller Experience with Cloud Communications

17th January 2022 blog, Customer Service

When a customer calls your business, they expect to be helped right away. Without a basic phone number, a consistent answering system, an organized routing plan, and more, you could lose potential sales and repeat customers. Using our cloud communication tools, your company will have the speed, mobility, and flexibility to improve caller experience.

How to Create a Positive Caller Experience with Cloud Communication

Callers quickly abandon businesses or publish bad customer reviews when they have a bad customer service interaction. But, a well-designed caller experience produces increased consumer lifetime value (CLV), repeat clientele, and referrals. With cloud communication tools, your company can easily and reliably receive calls from anywhere in the world. Once a call comes in, you are in full control of how it is managed — this can make or break a caller’s experience.

Here are some ways to improve caller experience with our cloud communication tools:

1. Provide an Easy Contact Method

The first step in providing great service is being easy to contact. Consumers generally will switch to a different brand or service if they cannot find a simple and affordable way to call you. This is where toll-free numbers come in handy. Our toll-free numbers offer a free call to consumers in selected countries. You can expand your network with our international toll-free numbers to connect with your global customers. This option forwards long-distance incoming calls to your business’ location and stays free for callers.

2. Stay Consistent

When a client calls in, you want to pick it up within the first three rings. Callers are more likely to hang up or feel frustrated if a call rings too long. Our interactive voice response system (IVR) makes consistency easy by automatically answering inbound calls, even if your company has to manage a high call volume.

After IVR answers, it is capable of completing common tasks and transferring callers to the right department or employee.

Simply put, a cloud IVR can improve caller experience by:

  • reducing your employees’ workload
  • cutting down on average handling time (AHTs)
  • eliminating ignored or missed calls
  • delivering a consistent cloud communication service.

Plus, this call management feature comes included with our virtual number plans. This cloud communication tool guarantees that each inbound call will be answered in a consistent time frame and manner.

3. Be Professional and Friendly

A positive and professional greeting not only tells your consumer they called the right business but also that you’re happy to hear from them. Your opening message establishes the tone for the rest of the call. Voicemail messages are equally important as they leave a lasting impression and sometimes notify callers of the next steps.

Custom messaging such as on-hold messages, music, and sale promotions can drive sales and lower call abandonment rates. Our customized phone greeting feature makes it easy to set up opening messages and voicemails, using cloud IVR from our online control panel. You can upload any personalized recording as a greeting or voicemail.

Improve Caller Experience with Cloud Communications
Source: Stockphoto.com – O# 100062207713 ID#100186088462

4. Manage the Flow of your Inbound Calls

After your opening messages, what happens to the call? A well-thought-out call flow can improve the caller’s experience by letting you control where and how a call is routed to enhance customer experience.

Our call flow designer allows you to design how you manage and route incoming calls. With this tool, you can visualize how calls move through your system.

Here are some advanced call routing options we offer for any business model:

Geographical Routing
Geo-routing allows you to direct inbound calls to the nearest call center based on the caller’s location. This cloud routing tool helps establish a reliable and accessible caller experience by connecting consumers with a representative in their time zone and preferred language.

Round Robin Routing
This routing service distributes incoming calls evenly using your preset order of agents to determine the next rep in line and transfers the call to them. Round Robin strategy can improve caller experience, especially for high call volumes, by reducing hold times.

Follow the Sun Routing
With follow-the-sun routing, your company can provide 24/7 international customer support without depending on a singular support department. Additionally, your agents aren’t overwhelmed by midnight shifts, improving their customer interactions.

Time of Day Routing
Time-based routing diverts inbound calls to a different predetermined destination based on the time of day, such as past business hours or during a holiday. This can improve customer experience by automatically forwarding calls for the most convenient handling.

Sequential Forwarding
Our sequential ringing feature guarantees that every call is addressed. With this strategy, you can add multiple numbers to your sequence and program calls to go down the list or voicemail if they never connect. Having a backup system ensures a smooth caller experience and avoids any frustration from dropped calls.

5. Regularly Train and Give Feedback to your Support Team

You can consistently deliver a positive and successful caller interaction by proactively improving service interactions. Cloud call recording gives you the opportunity to listen back to previous calls. With this cloud communication tool, you can provide your staff members with feedback and personalize training. This allows you to fine-tune your customer service interactions and identify any room for improvement.

Bringing Cloud Communications to your Business

Cloud communications are the future of business communication. With the variety of advanced tools and features, you can not only improve the way your teams interact with customers but also improve office productivity.

Learn more about all our cloud telephony solutions. Call us at 1 (888) 908-6171 or chat with our representatives online today!

Customer Delight: What is it and How Can it Help Your Business?

11th January 2022 blog, Customer Service

It is easier than ever for consumers to switch to different services or rival products. Attracting new clients is also becoming increasingly expensive for businesses. To counter these trends, businesses have adopted a customer delight strategy. Here, we’ll walk through the importance of customer delight and how you can leverage it to improve customer relations.

Advancing your Business through Customer Delight

Delighting your customers is becoming necessary in successful business models. It can influence a client’s choice to stay with your brand or replace you with a competitor. A happy consumer base can increase sales, generate organic publicity, refer your business to others, and much more. This lasting positive impression can sustain your business and guide it towards continued success.

What is Customer Delight?

Simply put, customer delight is exceeding a consumer’s expectations — when a client has a beyond positive experience with the brand, products, support services, etc. When your business surprises or delights a user, you establish a bond and increase the likelihood of consumer loyalty. This is an ongoing process, which no one employee or department handles. Whether you’re in marketing, customer service, IT, or production — you’re all equally responsible for sustaining a company that delights clients.

Customer Satisfaction vs. Customer Delight

At first glance, customer satisfaction and customer delight are the same things. Customer satisfaction is a stepping stone to delight.

So, what’s the difference between customer satisfaction and customer delight? While consumer satisfaction just meets their experience, customer delight aims to exceed.

Let’s break down these two concepts further.

  • Customer Satisfaction – A satisfied client is someone who received average or decent service. The encounter didn’t blow their mind, but it will do. It’s easier for a satisfied user to switch to rival providers or products. This is also referred to as customer abandonment or churn rate. Satisfaction reduces the likelihood of customer retention as it creates a vulnerable state in the consumer’s journey.
  • Customer Delight – A delighted client is someone who received an above-average experience. The consumer’s entire encounter with the brand positively exceeded their expectations. This type of service leaves a lasting, favorable impression on the user and increases the likelihood of consumer loyalty. Overall, it contributes to the customer’s lifetime value and the company’s long-term success.

Calculating Success

It’s important to measure the success of your customer delight strategy to make sure it’s working. Start by creating an index or baseline of current consumer attitude toward your brand. Create your business’ baseline by asking for feedback or sending out client surveys. Once you’ve established a baseline, you can measure progress through a couple of different methods, including:

  • Customer Lifetime Value
  • Retention Rate
  • Net Promoter Score
  • Churn Rate
  • Customer Effort Score, and more.

You can also ask for additional feedback or conduct follow-up surveys. This way, you can determine areas of your strategy that are working or need improvement.

Customer delight

5 Ways Delight Improves Your Business

We’ve already discussed how exceeding customer expectations breeds consumer loyalty. But, what other benefits does this tactic have for your business? Take a look below.

1. Stand Out from the Competition

By creating a personalized and unparalleled customer-first strategy, you separate your business from rival companies. Aiming for delight instead of consumer satisfaction can influence clients to stay with you or switch to your brand.

2. Sustained Growth

An above-average experience attracts clients to your business, products, or services. Striving for customer delight strengthens the possibility of customer retention and loyalty. This process of both attracting and retaining consumers leads to sustained growth and long-term company success.

3. Organic Publicity

A delighted customer is more likely to produce organic publicity for your brand. This happens naturally through consumer word-of-mouth marketing, recommendations, reviews, and more. Delight creates unofficial advocates and promoters for your company.

4. Protects Brand Reputation

Exceeding a customer’s expectations can protect your business’ reputation. In the same way, it can generate positive publicity, it also discourages consumers from writing bad reviews or criticizing you publicly. Even a social media blow can negatively influence your reputation and sales. Strategic customer delight works to prevent negative press. Delighted clients might even defend any negative comments against your company.

5. Cost-Effective

Delighting consumers is actually more cost-effective than customer satisfaction. Retaining clients through customer delight is far more lucrative than attracting new ones. According to Harvard Business Review, acquiring new customers costs anywhere from 5 to 25 times more than retaining current clients. Exceeding customer expectations additionally contributes to increased sales and user spending. In another study by Bain & Company, increasing consumer retention rates by 5 percent caused profits to increase by 25 to 95 percent.

How to Delight Customers?

A successful customer delight strategy doesn’t happen overnight. It is an all-encompassing and ongoing process that takes time to develop. If you’re just getting started with exceeding client expectations, take a look at these popular customer-first strategies:

Collect Consumer Data

Market research is an important part of exceeding customer expectations. You have to know your audience to deliver the best experience possible. Market data enables you to focus and target client needs, wishes, and interests. It also provides insight into possible improvements in your service or products. You can collect consumer data through:

Personalize the Customer’s Experience

Using the data you collected, you can tailor a consumer’s experience to their individual needs and wants. A customized experience comes as a result of one-of-a-kind interactions and consumer-first strategies. You can even use personalization software to design customer-focused web content and personalized emails for each client. Such personalized touches connect your client to your brand and help steer them towards delight and retention.

Empower Your Team

Above-average service begins with customer-facing employees. Proper foundational training helps employees recognize opportunities and deliver an unparalleled customer experience. Additionally, encourage your support team to take ownership of their work and give them the freedom to make decisions. This will lead to a boost in productivity and quicker decision-making – which will all lead to successful interactions.

Up Your Customer Service Game

Strengthen your customer support by being accessible to all your consumers. Make it as easy and painless as possible by providing follow-the-sun customer service. With the right tools such as our cloud communication tools, your business can be globally available with no added fees for your clients.

The Bottom Line

If your customer has a problem, fix it quickly and painlessly. Delivering a smooth service experience is more likely to improve customer loyalty and delight. Once you establish an effective service, you can start adding the little touches to seal the deal. Don’t strive for the bare minimum; keep evolving and progressing the customer’s experience.

Learn more about how Global Call Forwarding’s communication features can help your business generate delight. Reach out to us today to learn more — Call us at 1 (561) 908-6171 or chat with us online!

Spice Up Your Business Holiday Voicemail Greetings [9 Templates + Ideas]

14th December 2021 blog, Call Management

When is the last time you changed your voicemail? Or, the last time you got creative with it? With the holiday season drawing near, customized holiday voicemail greetings can give your business that extra dash of holiday cheer that customers will appreciate all season long.

Holiday Voicemail Greetings

Use the holiday season as an excuse to personalize your professional voicemail greetings. Whether you use the season to portray your fun personality, inform customers of holiday hours, or route calls to an open office, there are many options that suit your every business need.

The Perks of Sprucing up your Call Management this Holiday Season

Sprucing up your professional voicemail greeting does more than you think to engage customers, drive sales, and strengthen your brand’s personality. Here are some benefits:

Emphasize your Brand’s Identity
You can customize your messages to reinforce your brand’s identity. A strong brand personality entices consumers and can even convert them into loyal customers. With a custom holiday voicemail greeting, it’s easy to stand out from the competition.

Grow Customer Engagement
Unique holiday voicemail greetings allow your business to foster consumer engagement. Whether you’re encouraging customers to call back during normal business hours or promoting holiday offerings, consumers will appreciate your holly jolly messaging.

Holiday Routing
What if your business can’t take a holiday? For example, businesses that deal with emergencies or matters that demand immediate attention must always be available. If your business can’t solely rely on voicemail, consider holiday call routing. With this feature, your business can route inbound calls based on a holiday or selected time period. Holiday call routing ensures your customers receive the support they need, even if your team is out of the office.

Related: 6 Ways to Prepare Your Business for the Holidays

What to Include in your Voicemail

So, you’ve decided to customize your holiday voicemail greetings. But, what should you include in your message? Holiday greetings for businesses enable you to get creative and have fun while being professional. Spruce up your professional voicemail greetings with some puns, holiday wishes, or festive expressions. But, don’t forget to keep your message professional and concise. Here are the essential components of a good holiday message:

1. A Polite Welcome or Recognition: You want to start by acknowledging the caller. This could be as simple as a “Hello” or “Thank you for calling [business name].”

2. Who They’ve Reached: If you don’t introduce your business in your initial greeting, make sure to include it now. If you want, you can also add your name. The point is – people want to know who they are calling.

3. Briefly Explain Why You Missed The Call: This is where you can start to get creative. Throw in a pun or holiday expression. Overall, keep it simple while still letting the customer or your teams know why you are away.

4. When You’ll Return or Your Holiday Hours: Notify your customers on when you’ll return or get back to them. You can avoid specific dates; a rough estimate is fine. Or, simply inform consumers to call back during your updated holiday hours.

5. Give the Caller Another Contact Person or Method: If appropriate for your business, provide an emergency contact or backup communication method like email. This just gives the caller another option if their matter is urgent.

6. Call to Action: Finally, leave the caller with an objective. This could be anything from “Leave a message” to “Please call back during our updated business hours [state business hours].”

7. Don’t Feel Like Recording a New Message?: If recording messages isn’t your thing, but you still want that holiday cheer, consider implementing transfer or hold music. Give your customers a reason to happily stay on hold with classic holiday music, jazz, or even the office carolers.

Holiday voicemail greetings for business.
Source: DepositPhotos.com – Lic#415849070 ID#27446420

Holiday Voicemail Templates and Suggestions

Whatever tone you’re going for this season, we’ve got you covered with these holiday voicemail greeting templates:

Professional And to the Poinsettia

“ Hello, you’ve reached the office of [your name] at [company name]. I am out of the office until [estimated time frame]. Our updated holiday hours are [say hours or where they can find them]. Please leave your contact information at the tone and I will return your call. Happy Holidays.”

Hi, this is [your name or business name]. We cannot come to the phone right now as we are home for the holidays. We will be back in the office on [estimated time frame]. Please call back then, thank you.

“Thank you for calling [your name or business name]. Our offices are operating on our holiday hours [say hours or where they can find them]. We will get back to you during these hours. In the meantime, please leave your name and number. Season’s Greetings!

Hopeful and Bright

“Hello, you’ve reached [your name or business name]. We are currently away on holiday vacation. We will back on [estimated time frame] and return your call then. Warmest wishes during this Holiday Season.”

“We are happy to hear from you at [business name]. We will be closed for the upcoming holiday until [estimated time frame] and will get back to you then. Please leave your message after the beep. Hope the holidays bring you many reasons to smile!”

“Greetings! Thanks for calling [your name or business name]. Please be aware that our office hours have changed due to the upcoming holiday. Our current hours are [state hours or where they can find them.] We will get back to you as soon as possible. Please leave your contact information after this message. May your holiday be festive and the laughter be contagious.”

Funny (More Like Pun-ny) and Festive

“Season’s Greetings! You’ve reached [your name or business name]. Our office is currently closed until [estimated time frame]. It would be a tree-mendous help if you leaf your name and number at the tone. So we don’t fir-get to back to you as soon as we can. Thank you.”

“Thank you for calling [your name or business name]. As it snow happens, we are currently out of the office until [estimated time frame]. You snow the drill – please leave your contact info after the beep and we will Fa-la-la-la-follow up during our regular business hours [say business hours or where they can find them]. We wish you a happy holiday season!

Hello, thanks for contacting [your name or business name]. Unfortunately, we candy cane’t come to the phone right now as we are jingle bell rocking around town. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message so we can challah back at you on [estimated time frame/date]. Happy Holidays!

Wrapping Up!

Whatever approach you take for your holiday voicemail greetings, your consumers will appreciate the extra effort. There’s no time like the present to spread some holiday cheer through your professional voicemail greeting.

Want to learn more about custom phone greetings and call routing from Global Call Forwarding? Talk with our representatives today or contact your account manager. Call us at +1 (561) 908-6171 or chat with us online!

We wish you a wonderful holiday season!