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Category: Learn

Cloud Call Center Software – Pricing Guide & Cost Comparison

6th August 2023 blog
call center software pricing

Purchasing the right cloud contact center software can have a significant impact on your business. The correct software will maximize agent productivity, improve customer service, and set the foundation for …Read More »

21 Best Zoho Integrations

4th August 2023 blog
An image of the best Zoho integrations in 2023.

More and more businesses are turning to advanced tools and technologies to improve their operations and elevate their service offerings. Among one of the most popular business tools is Customer …Read More »

What Happens After Signing Up With Global Call Forwarding

3rd August 2023 blog
signing up with global call forwarding

New to Global Call Forwarding? We’re happy to have you! Let’s go over the process of getting a phone number and VoIP subscription with us. Here are a couple of …Read More »

Global Call Forwarding Launches New User & Role Management Feature

17th July 2023 Press
user role managment

Global Call Forwarding launches a User & Role Management feature to manage user access to your phone service. DELRAY BEACH, FL, July 2023 Global Call Forwarding launches a new User …Read More »

7 Benefits of Voice and Telecom Network Consolidation

14th July 2023 blog
The benefits of voice and telecom network consolidation.

As an IT infrastructure manager or network engineer, your time on the job should be spent maximizing efficiency and reducing costs while building reliable business systems. Do you spend too …Read More »

What is Inbound Sales? Definition, Examples, & Strategies

13th July 2023 blog
What is inbound sales?

The sales landscape is constantly changing and adapting to prospect preferences. That’s where inbound sales come in. In this post, we will explore the fundamentals of inbound sales, why this …Read More »

MiFID II Call Recording Compliance for EU Banks

20th February 2020 Learn

Keeping harmful and abusive financial practices and customer data protection in mind, the MiFID II was created to increase transparency within the financial services industry. Among the many rules, the MiFID II also regulates communications between European Union (EU) banks and its customers and clients. Let’s look at call recording compliance under this regulation.

What is MiFID II?

MiFID II or the Market in Financial Instruments Directive II came into effect in 2018. This EU legislation follows the old MiFID version by enforcing rules that prevent breaches and malpractices within the finance industry. Institutions like EU banks, interdealer brokers, stockbrokers, etc., are regulated under this ruling.

Call Recording Compliance Under MiFID II

Among others, MiFID II requires business communications — telephone and electronic correspondence — be recorded. More specifically, correspondences that “result in transactions concluded when dealing on own account and the provision of client order services that relate to the reception, transmission, and execution of client orders,” according to its policy statement. Additional types of communication that fall under the legislation’s call recording requirements include those between:

  • Bank and selling shareholder or bank and buyers relating to the purchase and resale of a block of securities.
  • Bank and its corporate client and bank and sellers in relation to the purchase of securities in “buy-back” transactions.
  • Bank and buyers regarding the resale of shares purchased by an underwriting bank.
  • Bank and its clients and bank and a third-party seller/broker regarding purchase of securities as part of a stakebuilding exercise.

Complying with MiFID II

Financial services companies, as a precaution, should comply with the regulations of the MiFID II legislation. Doing so can increase transparency and reduce liabilities, especially if your company conducts business appropriately and in its best interest. So, how do you record calls to be in compliance with MiFID II?

You can invest in recording technology or a call recording software or choose a cloud-based solution. Recording technology like devices and recorders can prove expensive and may not produce high-quality recordings. Additionally, they will require physical storage space. Call recording software may be a better alternative but not all come with unlimited or cloud storage. Most virtual phone service providers, interestingly, offer call recording solutions that let you store recordings on the cloud for a certain amount of years. And the quality of such recordings is generally good, depending on which provider you work with.

Global Call Forwarding offers call recording as an additional feature for a small monthly fee. With this feature, you can record up to 100% of all inbound and outbound calls. The calls are stored as MP3 files and are stored for up to six years. Additionally, you have the ability to record over different channels and devices. And since this comes along with your business number, you don’t have to purchase special equipment.

Other Reasons to Record Your Calls

Call recording is a popular choice with businesses that carry out transactions involving sensitive information and customer data through communication systems. Recording and storing such data can help reduce liabilities, both business and personal. Additionally, it can be useful with regard to quality assurance. Utilize recordings for training purposes and to teach employees what to do and what not to do on calls. Create and uphold a company standard that is reflected in the way your business interacts with its consumers.

Get Call Recording with Global Call Forwarding

Setting up call recording for your office phone system is easy. You can purchase a business number or port your existing one to Global Call Forwarding and add the feature to your service. Then, you can record 100% of your calls or adjust to record as many as you need. Access recorded files and important customer information quickly all while following the MiFID II regulations. Sign up today or call us at 1 (888) 908 6171 to learn more.

7 Best Outbound Calling Strategies: Make Calls That Convert

17th February 2020 Learn, Tips

Is your sales team suffering from a low period and struggling to reach monthly goals? It may be time to rethink your sales techniques and make some improvements. Here are some outbound calling strategies to reevaluate your cold-calling tactics and bring your company back on the right track.

Outbound Calling Strategies

There are several reasons why businesses with large outgoing call volumes succeed or fail. A lot of it has to do with how you are conducting your outbound calls, the level of training your agents undergo, and the tools and technology you use. What strategies can you use to refine your outbound calling results?

1. Set (or Re-set) Goals

The first step when creating any strategy is to decide on the end goals. What is everyone on the team hoping to achieve through these tactics? Is the objective to gain straight sales or set appointments or just survey prospects to determine which are valuable? Additionally, how many calls do you intend to make over the course of a week or month? Having these goals established will ensure each team member is on the same page and works towards the same end.

2. Create the Right List

Another important step in attempting to sell your product or service is identifying who your target audience is. If you don’t pay attention to this key factor, you will waste time calling the wrong people and not making the right sales. Start by conducting market research to determine and understand your ideal customer group. Then, create a list and work off of that.

3. Work with the Marketing Department

Working with the marketing department can help you understand when and how the company may be losing prospects. Use that information to fix the problems before they occur. For example, say your marketing team discovers that most failed customers are the ones that result in abandoned carts. Your outbound strategy might then focus on reaching out to these users and helping them complete the process or resolve any existing doubt.

4. Train Your Agents

Preparing your agents is equally important. Conduct training sessions every couple of months as a refresher to reinforce company standards. Additionally, make sure that reps are familiar with the tools, software, and technology they need to use. This way, no time is wasted on learning in the middle of a call. Provide training materials and opportunities like webinars, textbooks, seminars, etc., that can assist agents in doing their best and increasing their confidence when on-call. Consider using call recording for quality assurance and performance analysis. Reward successful interactions and use failed interactions as lessons.

5. Rethink the Script

To follow the script or not? That is the real question. It is known that customers automatically tap out of a conversation when they hear a monotonous script that they know had been heard by many. But scripts help reps retain key information, stay consistent, and make fewer mistakes. The cold-calling script acts as a safe switch for when they forget or lose track of their speech. The trick to creating a script that is informative but not monotonous is to give reps input. Let them create the script with you through a collaborative and flexible process so that their concerns and issues can be represented as well. And the final product is one that works for everybody.

6. Prospect Comes First

Keeping the prospect engaged and interested has often proven to be a difficult task. If they did not expect your call, it’s less likely that the customer will let you even complete the first sentence of your script. First, you want to grab their attention with an offer that piques their interest. Use persuasive words and phrases. Make customers feel valued and heard. Perhaps you can call them by their name, ask how they are doing, and ease into the script. Let them know how you came across their contact. This way, you don’t come across as creepy or stalker-ish. More importantly, be mindful of their time and let them know that. Offer to set up another call time, if they are busy now. Letting your customers know you care and respect their time will give you a better chance at converting them.

7. Smart Calling

Besides implementing all these strategies, keep in mind that timing matters as well. If you are calling prospects too many times or during odd hours, chances are, you will lose that sale. Additionally, if you call an interested client too late, that too may be a dead end. Using analytics, determine what are the best times of the day and days of the week to reach out or return calls. For example, you can use outbound calling to follow up with an interested customer who dealt with a sales chat rep or interacted with your website or requested a callback. Here, the sooner you connect with them, the better you can capitalize on their interest.

Outbound Calling with Global Call Forwarding

Want to upgrade your company’s outbound calling service? Purchase outbound calling and virtual numbers from Global Call Forwarding. You can then use our Customized Caller ID feature to override the caller ID to display one of the numbers you purchased instead. For example, that way, when calling Mauritius, the caller ID will display a Mauritius number. Additionally, you can also get Outbound Call Recording and record outgoing calls! Sign up today or talk to an expert for more information.

Infographic: Must-Know Facts About Business Phone Calls

17th February 2020 Learn

Business communications are an important factor in the successful running of an enterprise. Whether you are using in-house customer care teams or outsourcing to a contact center, how you interact with potential customers can heavily impact your sales. Advancements in telecom technology have paved a way to enhance office productivity and sales with call forwarding, tracking and recording, high call quality, and more. And these tools have made it easier than ever to maintain good customer relations through business calls. Keeping some of the below stats in mind, you can determine what is the best way for your company to connect with users.

Business Calls: Increasing Productivity and Customer Retention

Business dealings consist of internal and external calls. Internal refers to correspondences within the company and its team members. External calls, on the other hand, relate to the incoming and outgoing calls that connect your business to its clients. A good office phone system will ensure the smooth running of all business communication channels. With good call quality and contact tools, you can attract more customers while making yourself always reachable for returning ones.

Reasons Why Business Calls are Still Important

Interestingly, more than 92% of all customer interaction happens on the phone. Convenience and good customer service are strong contributing factors. It is no surprise that individuals find customer care important. A business that is easily reachable increases trust in the eyes of the caller because they know that you can solve an issue quickly, if the need arises. On the other hand, a company that takes the time out to call a user to provide information or assistance can further pique their interest in the service. Welcome and follow-up calls are appreciated because the customer can feel valued and not just treated as another price point.

Another reason why they prefer calling over emailing is that they believe a phone call is the quickest and most effective way to get a response. More than half of website visitors prefer contacting an enterprise through phone calls rather than email or contact forms. Click-to-call ads and call-to-actions which appear on mobile searches have greatly increased this number. Click-to-call options appear on sponsored ads or business listings where they provide a call button. Web visitors can click on these buttons to immediately call the business instead of searching for the number and dialing it in their dial-pad to call.

Tools That Enhance Business Dealings

Virtual phone service providers offer a wide range of tools that can be used and customized to meet your corporation’s needs. You can use call distribution features like Call Forwarding, Simultaneous Ringing, Time of Day Routing to direct calls to different destinations and locations. The point of this is to ensure that if one agent or employee is unable to answer a call, another one can. Additionally, if you have offices spread across states and countries, you can forward calls to those areas during certain hours. Again, this makes sure that if your office is closed or busy, another team can answer calls. The key is to make your business accessible so that customers don’t have trouble reaching you. At the same time, effective call distribution will ensure that your employees are not overwhelmed with overflowing business calls.

You can use tools like Call Recording, Analytics, and Call Tracking to improve and strategize. Recorded calls can help train new employees and act as a refresher for current employees. You can also identify good and weak sales tactics, or conduct performance analyses based on how agents behave on call. Call tracking and analytics can provide insight into important call stats and metrics like:

  • Number of calls occurring over a day, week, or mont
  • Average handle times (AHT)
  • Customer effort score (CES)
  • Average speed of answering (ASA)
  • Queue times
  • Where incoming calls are coming from, etc.

Use this information to retrain agents or streamline marketing efforts, all with the end goal of refining customer relations.

phone call stats
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Make Good and Lasting Connections

Improving your business communications is the first step to attracting new customers and satisfying existing users. Sign up with Global Call Forwarding to take advantage of our virtual phone service tools and features or call us at 1 (888) 908 6171 to learn more.

The Importance of a Virtual Phone System for Businesses

12th February 2020 Learn, Tech

Many businesses see how necessary it is to use virtual phone systems to connect with their current customer base. And they recognize these systems as a great tool to establish connections across new markets. Cloud-based phone systems with virtual numbers allow sales teams to connect with local and international customers for affordable prices. And they come with various cloud communication features like time-based routing, hosted call recording, customized voicemail greetings, and more.

What Can Your Business Do with a Virtual Phone System

Most entrepreneurs don’t start off with a lot of disposable capital that they can use on fancy corporate offices. Most small business owners have to invest every dollar earned in the early years for growing their company. Many small businesses don’t survive as a result of wasting money on unnecessary resources. Entrepreneurs in the know realize that when they’re trying to grow their businesses, having a virtual phone number is a great investment that will be rewarded at a tremendous rate. Virtual phone numbers keep you connected and relevant in today’s markets, without a major financial commitment.

So, why should your business change its business phone system? Here are the top reasons to get a cloud phone system:

Work From Anywhere

With all of the features a virtual phone system provides, there is no need to sit by the phone in your office after hours. With call redirection services, you can take important phone calls when you’re traveling or working from home. And there is no delay for the caller to get in touch with you. They simply dial the same number as your office and you are instantly connected to your mobile phone or the device of your choosing. Missing phone calls is nearly impossible, but if you do, you can even forward voicemails as MP3s or text messages through to your email or fax machine. So no matter where you are, you can remain connected.

virtual phone numbers
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100012355324

Forward Calls Internationally

Additionally, you can route incoming calls internationally with an international call forwarding service. With this service, you can forward international calls made to your virtual phone number to another phone number or line in a different country. For example, your Mexico customers call your Mexico local phone number. You can set calls to this number to be forwarded to your office based in London. Your Mexican customers won’t be charged for an international call; they’ll pay regular local calling rates. And you get to connect with them without opening a physical office in Mexico.  This way, international call forwarding within a cloud phone system helps businesses expand globally in a cost-effective manner.

Related: How to Set up a Virtual Phone System?

Route Calls Smartly

Like redirecting calls to your cell phone, you can also route calls to the right departments within your company. Callers interacting with an IVR menu can choose an option on their keypad. This will redirect them to the best person to help them out.

On the other hand, if you are waiting for a very important call and need to go into an emergency meeting but cannot afford to miss the call, you can always redirect them to someone who is available during that time frame to take the call. The best part is that when you’re away, you don’t have to worry about missing any important calls; you can even set an away message. Whether you’ve stepped out to lunch or went home for the day and need to spend time with your family, you can notify your clients why you cannot come to the phone and redirect them to an alternate means of communication, or details on when they will be called back.

Access Cloud Communication Tools

Depending on your cloud phone service provider, you can get access to various advanced communication features when you get a virtual phone system. Here are some of the more popular features businesses use:

Offer 24/7 Customer Service

The best way to see your business grow to new heights is to have stellar customer service skills. After all, loyal customers are the lifeblood of any business. The best way to excel in your customer service skills is to be available to your customers at all times. With features like simultaneous ringing and sequential forwarding, your customers will never have to hear a busy tone when calling your business.

Scale and Grow

With the number of different plans available from virtual phone system providers, you can easily find one that meets your current demands. However, sooner or later your business will begin to grow and you will demand more from your service provider. Service providers like Global Call Forwarding will grow with your company and offer several different plans that will work with you at any stage of development, along with the additional services you may need for maximum efficiency in handling your communication needs.

Get a Cloud Phone System with Global Call Forwarding

Global Call Forwarding offers businesses with virtual phone systems tailored to improve office productivity as well as caller experience. Our cloud phone numbers come with advanced features and services so that you can create the right business phone system for your company.

How To Record a Phone Call

23rd January 2020 Learn, Tips

No matter which end of business you are on, you may need to learn how to record a phone call. This is significant when you need to remember important information or store important information that can be referred to later. It is not always possible or convenient to type out notes from a phone call. But a recording of that call gives you more time with the material. It also gives you time to review and learn from the quality of that conversation. And so, call recording is becoming an increasingly necessary tool for business communications, even more for companies looking to improve their customer service efforts.

How To Record A Phone Call for Business

You can choose how to record a phone call from a few different methods. But it depends on what type of phone system you have and what type of calls you want to record. For instance, do you want to record incoming calls only or outgoing calls, as well? Additionally, if the quality of the recording is important for your purposes, then you may want a call recording software that is designed specifically for good recordings.

It is important to note that there are federal and state laws regarding recording phone calls. To be careful, always ensure both parties verbally consent to being recorded, so that you don’t run into any trouble. Read the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) rules for information about call recording laws.

Call Recording to Boost Customer Care

Many companies, such as call centers and customer service businesses, use call recording to keep track of customer interaction. Recording calls and then reviewing them later can help to identify successes and areas of improvement. For instance, you can use recorded calls to train or monitor employees on what to do and not to do when on a call. Or, you can use recordings to establish customer profiles and preferences. They can be a way to survey your target audience and understand how they are interacting with your product and business.

And so, customer service agencies and large corporations seek call recording software to manage their needs. Sometimes, they opt to work with a phone service provider that lets you record inbound and outbound calls. But the question remains, how to record a phone call without it interrupting your communication experience?

Recording on Your Smartphone

Sometimes, you need to record a call on your Android or iPhone to store important information, especially when you are unable to write down info during the call. For example, certain professions like journalism or reporting would require the interviewer to record the on-going call. And then, refer to it later for exact quotes. Other times, you need the person on the other end to provide verbal consent for a service, and the recording acts as evidence. Either way, recording the call can save you time that would otherwise be spent looking for that information.

Keep in mind, however, Androids and iPhones don’t come with built-in call recording abilities. Although, you can get a recorder app on your smartphone and start recording when you dial a number. Or, you can get a calling app with a built-in recorder. These can record calls and help you manage, share, and store them, as well. Another option is to buy cheap hardware or a recording gadget and plug it into your phone.

However, there are some shortcomings in recording apps that may impede your business’ communications. For example, apps may be able to record either incoming or outgoing calls, but not both. Or, they may be able to record calls made to your personal phone only, making it difficult to access all recordings in one consolidated space. For these purposes, you may want to consider a call recording software or a phone service provider that offers recording capabilities.

Record Calls with Global Call Forwarding

Imagine this: a phone service that lets you record inbound and outbound calls, record calls from anywhere, and on any device. When you purchase a virtual telephone number from Global Call Forwarding, you can also make use of its call recording feature. This feature lets you record calls from all virtual lines associated with your account. It also stores recordings as MP3 files in the control panel. This makes it easy to access all recordings in one place and play them back as needed.

And, now, with Global Call Forwarding’s new feature Outbound Call Recording, businesses can record outgoing calls as well. And then use these recordings to monitor performance, avoid liabilities, and more. But more importantly, you do not need any additional equipment or set up for this to work efficiently. All you need to do is access your control panel on your device and make or answer calls.

Improve Customer Interaction and Build Better Relations

Now that you know how to record a phone call, it is just a matter of choosing which way, app, or software to go ahead with. You can improve the way you correspond with important clients and keep records of conversations that may be needed later. And, you can increase employee productivity by rewarding desired behaviors and training ones that need improvement. Recording phone calls can be beneficial to the overall functioning of a business. Call Global Call Forwarding today to see how we can help you with your call recording needs.

The Benefits of Buying Local Phone Numbers in Bulk

17th January 2020 Learn

Bulk Phone Numbers Are a Smart Addition to Any Business.

They give your business an authentic presence in particular target markets and make your company more accessible to individuals in local and international areas. Given the fact that your business needs a new phone number for each targeted area, the need to get bulk toll free numbers is a high-priority. Therefore, the more that you purchase in bulk, the greater the benefits for your business.

Let’s take a look at the many benefits that come with using bulk local numbers from Global Call Forwarding, including:

  • Tracking Marketing Efforts
  • Easy Access for Your Customers
  • Improving Regional Marketing Efforts
  • Streamlining Your Business
  • Cost-Effective Global Business Expansion
  • Utilizing Advanced Features to Remain Competitive

Track Marketing Efforts

By using multiple local numbers, you can track where the majority of calls are coming from. For instance, with the intuitive dashboard from Global Call Forwarding, you gain insight into how effective your advertising campaigns are. Additionally, you can also view the effect of regional marketing campaigns, which appeal to different target demographics. Most importantly, armed with this insight, you can make more intelligent decisions about marketing, distribution, and more.

Easy Access for Your Customers

When using localized phone numbers in international markets, you make it easy for customers to contact you. In other words, there are no long-distance fees, no service blockages, and no issues when dialing out of the country. That is to say, bulk local numbers consolidate particular regions and open up communication there. For instance, purchasing bulk local numbers in Europe can facilitate communication between countries that ordinarily have restricted access or require separate SIM cards for callers.

Improve Regional Marketing Efforts

Each domestic market that your business wants to interact with has an inherent bias towards domestic businesses. Having a presence in multiple markets but differentiating each one with a local number is a valuable asset to your company.

For example, the United States is a country comprised of 50 states, 16 territories, and the District of Columbia (a federal district). To get adequate coverage, you may want to purchase a local phone number for the major cities of the U.S. For larger organizations, you can buy local phone numbers for each state/territory to ingratiate your business.

Streamline Your Business

The routing capabilities of virtual phone numbers can sum up all of the bulk phone numbers and redirect them to one destination phone number. This means that you don’t have to constantly switch between numbers or constantly redirect inbound calls.

Further, using an add-on like simultaneous ringing ensures that all connected phone numbers ring to multiple devices. Whether your employees use a laptop, headset, softphone, and more, inbound calls are streamlined. This is valuable for providing customer service as fast as possible, never leaving a potential call unanswered.

Cost-Effective Global Business Expansion

It has never been easier to grow your business than buying local phone numbers in bulk. From emerging startups to established enterprises, bulk local phone numbers immediately give your business a presence in whatever market you’re looking to penetrate. Simply choose a local phone number, advertise it to your audience, and begin to receive calls.

Furthermore, there’s no need for opening up a branch office in a new area, which has been an insurmountable barrier for many SMBs and startups. With bulk local phone numbers, your business can save time and resources to focus on other aspects of your organization

Utilizing Advanced Features to Stay Competitive

The bottom line is, when you purchase bulk local numbers with Global Call Forwarding, you’re gaining the ability to use advanced tech in your business model. Likewise, we offer businesses and individuals a wide range of add-ons and features that can revolutionize how you compete in your industry. For example, some of these include:

Buying Phone Numbers in Bulk is a Good Idea

Global Call Forwarding can help your business get bulk local numbers hassle-free. Consequently, the process is 100% online and/or with the assistance of our expert representatives. Above all, if your organization is still on the fence about getting bulk local free numbers, consider the benefits of having them and contact us today!

What is Meant by Inbound and Outbound Calls?

13th January 2020 Learn, Tech, Tips

Are you in the market to outsource your customer service needs? Then, you are looking for either an inbound or outbound call center. But how do you decide which one is suitable for you? That starts by understanding the difference between inbound and outbound calls and which is the one your company needs.

Inbound vs. Outbound Calls

Both inbound and outbound calling are customer service tactics used to generate sales through phone conversations. And so, they are usually conducted by customer service teams or call centers. Deciding which service your business needs is based on what type of calls you receive more. Does your business run on calls coming in from customers and prospects? Or, do you make your sales, like a telemarketing company, by calling customers, making a pitch, and selling a product? In other words, do you have a high volume of incoming or outgoing calls?

What are Inbound Calls?

Inbound calls are types of calls that a customer makes in order to connect with a contact center or a call center. The help desk also responds to inbound calls just like a contact center, but calls initiated to a help desk will usually come from employees and less likely from a customer.

Inbound and outbound calls can be attended to exclusively or in a combination of both by the call center.

Customers who initiate an inbound call to a call center will usually be doing so to make inquiries about products and services, as well as to make complaints. The information gathered by the call center agent is then used to find a resolution to the complaint or to provide information that the customer has enquired upon.

There are several metrics that are used to measure the performance of an inbound call agent, these include average handle time (AHT), time in the queue, and first call resolution (FCR). Inbound call centers occasionally enumerate the service goals that the call center will aim for in a service-level agreement (SLA).

Due to advancements in communication technology, inbound call agents now communicate with customers via other means such as chat and emails, which allows customers’ needs to be met from a variety of methods.

What is an Inbound Call Center?

An inbound call center is a company that responds to calls initiated by customers.

Inbound call centers are designed to provide customer support or service. In many cases, inbound call centers have been found to be a part of the sales division by taking sales orders and also serving as an internal help desk for organizations and businesses.

Customers will call a business for a variety of reasons, such as:

  • To ask information about a product or service
  • Make an appointment or reservation
  • Resolve an issue
  • Connect with customer service
  • Make a payment
  • Register a complaint
  • Get support or assistance
  • Leave feedback and suggestions, and more.

In most cases, many organizations do not directly handle inbound calls. They usually contract that aspect to external inbound call centers. Businesses rely on external call centers to receive inbound calls because it is typically cheaper to purchase the service, rather than paying the cost of employing several call center agents, along with implementing an actual call center into their business.

Most businesses take advantage of incurring the cost of inbound calls on a “per minute” charging basis compared to incurring the financial burden of acquiring calling equipment and staff that the task needs. Appointment setters, customer service, inbound call centers, and customer or tech support teams are the ones that usually take care of inbound calls. Agents answer the call and help customers through positive interactions. An inbound calling service, therefore, is a suitable option for a business with a high incoming call volume.

What are Outbound Calls?

Unlike an inbound call that is initiated by the customer, an outbound call is a call to a customer from the call center or on behalf of a business. Have you ever received a call from a strange number with a voice that could be that of a man or a lady asking for or giving information about a product or service? That is what an outbound call is.

Outbound calls are part of a series of activities that businesses engage in by utilizing call centers to reach out to their customers and prospects.

Modern technology has improved the features of outbound calls that assist call centers in doing a better and effective job. New features such as auto-dialing and predictive dialing are tools that help call center agents maximize their time more efficiently.

Another great tool that helps in making outbound calls more efficient is the automatic call-back tool. Other features such as call scheduling, as well as customer relationship management tools all help to enhance the quality of outbound calls. Call center agents who have information about customer behavior are equipped to make better-quality outbound calls.

Generally, outbound calls have improved in efficiency over the last decade with improvements made to enterprise software, which are readily available and are at the disposal of the call center.

The typical nature of an outbound can include:

  • Fundraising calls
  • Sales calls
  • Telemarketing
  • Calls for contact list updating purposes
  • Surveys
  • Verification services

What is an Outbound Call Center?

An outbound call center is a type of business activity center that consists of a collection of call center agents who make calls to existing and prospective customers on behalf of clients and businesses.

Outbound calls are often facilitated with the use of modern technology in order for them to be efficient. With the help of tools like a predictive dialer, a large volume of calls can be made within a shorter time.

These are some of the uses of outbound call centers:

  • Make sales pitches
  • Generate and qualify new leads
  • Conducting market research
  • Provide company updates
  • Raise funds or donations
  • Appointment setting
  • Follow-up on previous purchases or visits
  • Leave reminders for renewals or appointments
  • Proactive customer service
  • Upselling and cross-selling
  • Collect feedback and surveys, and more.

This type of calling is generally more sales-focused. Sales teams and appointment setters use outbound calling due to their high outgoing call volume. They call clients on a list determined by metrics and market research to pitch a product or service, renew appointments, or collect data. And so, an enterprise that needs to make multiple sales calls will find an outbound calling service more useful. Basically, if more than 50% of your calls are outbound, then you can be considered an outbound call center.

Differences Between Inbound And Outbound Call Centers

The type of calls that take place at a call center ultimately determines whether that call center is an inbound call center or an outbound call center. This is the main factor that can differentiate between one or the other.

If over 50% of calls that take place at a call center are inbound, that call center functions as an inbound call center. The same criterion applies to outbound call centers.

If you operate a call center, determining the type of call center that you are operating or planning to operate is key to implementing the protocols and systems you want to run in your call center.

For example, if your call center handles primarily inbound calls, there may not be a need for technology devices like a predictive dialer. Your focus will be more on tools that are more suited to inbound calls.

For call centers engaged in outbound call activities, more resources are available in software programs that will help make them more efficient. Tools such as call scheduling, predictive dialing, and automatic callback are some of the essentials for an outbound calling center. Calling features such as call monitoring, which is great for listening in on outgoing calls should also be utilized for those interested in maximizing the services offered.

Related: Call Center Trends in 2023

Technology Used for Inbound and Outbound Calls

Depending on whether your company makes more inbound or outbound calls, you will require different technology and software to ensure smooth running. Virtual phone service providers like Global Call Forwarding offer these tools and features along with your business number to enhance your customer relations.

Inbound calling benefits from:

  • Call forwarding: to forward and direct calls to different office locations or during specific days and hours
  • Metrics and call activity: making note of average handle times (AHT), queue times, average speed of answering (ASA), customer effort score (CES), etc.
  • Call tracking: tracking when and where incoming calls are coming from
  • Extensions: for different offices or departments
  • Call transfer: the ability to transfer to different offices and departments
  • Interactive voice response (IVR): to welcome and direct callers through a series of menus.

Outbound calling technology includes:

  • Outbound calling with customizable caller ID: to call clients with a caller ID of a virtual number purchased for a specific location
  • Dialers: predictive or automatic dialing technology
  • Outbound IVR: proactively engage customers through voice calls, SMS or email, and by delivering personalized customer experience
  • Customer relationship management (CRM) systems: to record and note customer data and engagement.

Assisting and Empowering Call-Focused Businesses

Inbound and outbound calling can enhance the way your company interacts with returning and prospective customers. You can outsource your business communication needs to inbound or outbound call centers. Or, purchase your business number with Global Call Forwarding and get communication tools and features that support your calls. Call us today to learn more.

Building Credibility with Professional Toll Free Numbers

13th January 2020 Learn, Tips

If there’s one thing that new businesses need when they enter the market place, it is the credibility to attract customers. And there’s no better way to do so than with the help of professional toll free numbers from Global Call Forwarding. In this article, we will explore a number of ways that professional toll free numbers build credibility with customers around the world.

Getting Professional Toll Free Numbers

Think about the last time you contacted a high-level organization, like a government organization, non-profit, or multinational corporation. Or, what about a high-volume business, like law firms and large retailers? Chances are that in each case, those entities offered a toll free number to the public to enable communication that would otherwise be pricey – or impossible.

As you may be aware, toll free numbers help accommodate the broadest audience for your business by picking up the charges that would normally be incurred by the caller. Instead, your business foots the bill to enable all callers to reach your business. By offering this service, your business gains an edge over lesser organizations that demand more out of prospective customers. Even subconsciously, customers immediately appreciate a business that makes it problem-free to contact them.

Geographical Agnosticism

One way to build credibility is to have a national presence instead of being tied down to a specific area code. With toll free numbers, your organization’s toll free numbers help to create something called “geographical agnosticism.” This component enables your business to gain a professional sheen that automatically implies that your organization has the capabilities to handle inbound calls from nearly anywhere.

And because most toll free numbers are national, geographical agnosticism can help obscure where your business is calling from, particularly if it is located in a less-favorable location or one not known to carry the same weight as major cities.

Accommodating International Customers

One particular challenge that comes with offering toll free phone numbers is that international callers are not able to receive these benefits when dialing a phone number located outside of their country and/or numbering plan. Instead, these callers are saddled with long-distance fees, saddled with the chore of dialing outside of their country, and may not be able to complete the call depending on their telecom service providers’ requirements. This can reduce credibility in the eyes of international markets and may render your efforts useless. Is there a better way to guarantee ease of communication?

Yes, there is. Luckily, with the help of Global Call Forwarding’s services, you can use two forms of toll free numbers that help bridge the gap: ITFS numbers and UIFNs (International Toll Free Numbers and Universal International Freephone Numbers, respectively). Both types of toll free numbers enable international callers to reach your business without incurring charges or service blockages. In most cases, these phone numbers match the area code and remaining digits identical to “normal” toll free numbers that those customers are already used to, which is something your international callers will certainly appreciate.

Professional with Toll Free Numbers Customer Service Directory
Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100077897772

Adding Professional Toll Free Numbers Directories to Your Business

Going back to our first example, another component you’ve probably encountered with large, high-volume organizations is first encounters a directory that allows you to self-select which person and/or department you’d wish to speak with, as well as provide information relevant to your inquiry (i.e store hours, frequently asked information, voicemail services, staff list, etc.). One common form of directory available from Global Call Forwarding is called Interactive Voice Response (IVR), which uses spoken voice commands to navigate through your company’s directory, which can reduce the hassle of constantly dialing numbers to navigate (or eventually dialing ‘0’ to reach an operator to guide you, if available).

Global Call Forwarding also offers PBX services, which is short for “Private Branch Exchange.” Essentially, by using a PBX, you can expand one phone number into many sub-directories for callers to reach various departments and staff members, usually by dialing * and the appropriate digits. Callers appreciate this and it helps build professional credibility, particularly when multiple calls need to be made quickly and directly.

Better Functionalities with Add-ons from Global Call Forwarding

Because modern professional toll free phone numbers are powered by cloud computing (supplanting the limitation of landlines), there is a host of new advancements that can be added to regular phone service to augment how your business operates. Let’s cover a brief list of some of the most popular add-ons to build credibility:

CallMe Click: As the name implies, when you use CallMe Click, a visitor to your website can initialize a call from their device to reach your business with a simple click. This makes contacting your business more instantaneous instead of having the customer dial the number manually. This allows for fast action, allowing for almost-instant connection with a customer, and wasting no time.

Time of Day Routing: This add-on enables inbound calls to be routed to a specific destination depending on when a call is placed. For instance, if callers reach your business outside of regular business hours, those calls can be forwarded to another destination, such as a call center in a favorable time zone or voicemail.

Call Recording: This add-on records and stores calls made between your phone number and the public. By using call recording, you can more adequately assess if your staff is following company protocol to establish the best customer service possible and follow best-practices – a crucial component to building credibility.

888 Meaning and How To Get an 888 Number

13th January 2020 Learn

Are you seeing the 888 phone number everywhere and wondering what it stands for? You’ll notice these numbers on billboards, ads, company contact details, and more. 888 numbers are toll free numbers used by businesses. You can get toll free numbers such as 888 numbers with Global Call Forwarding. In this post, we will talk about:

  1. 888 meaning
  2. Benefits of an an 888 number
  3. How to get an 888 toll free number.

What is an 888 Phone Number?

When you type in “888 meaning” in Google, most search results will give you information about the spiritual meaning behind the 888 number. However, 888 numbers are also phone numbers used by businesses and corporations to correspond with their clients and customers.

The internet is filled with people wondering, is 888 a toll free number? Yes, the 888 number is a toll free code. And these numbers work just like 1-800 toll free numbers. Toll free numbers are numbers beginning with a three-digit toll free prefix. Prefixes currently available are: 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 887, and 888. These numbers are preferred by businesses and their customers alike because calls made to toll free numbers charge the receiver and not the caller. Therefore, calling an 888 number is almost free for anyone calling. In cases of providers that offer text-enabled numbers, customers can also send and receive texts from toll free numbers.

Get an 800 number

Benefits of Using 888 Numbers

An 888 phone number can greatly boost the number of customer calls your business receives. This is because these numbers are free for US customers to call from within the US. Customers can call 888 toll free numbers free of cost while the call is forwarded to your business office. You can forward these calls to any location or device, wherever your sales and customer service teams reside. Help your customers reach your business easily when you get an 888 number.

How to Get an 888 Number for Your Business

You can get 888 numbers easily. These use voice over internet protocol (VoIP) systems to route calls over the internet. This is good for companies that have international clients or want to expand their business to neighboring cities and states. Calls made over an internet connection are much cheaper than through traditional phone lines, making them a viable option. So, how can you get an 888 phone number for your business? Here’s the process.

1) Find a Provider

The first step to getting an 888 phone number is researching various providers. A virtual phone number can give you added benefits and features that work over the internet, making sure you are always connected. So, you may also want to consider getting a virtual 888 number. Browse through a variety of plans available and see what rates work for you. Most rates are based on the number of minutes used or the number of users.

Global Call Forwarding has five 888 number plans: Basic, Value, Power, Premium, and Enterprise. And they are all based on the number of calling minutes you may need. We also offer a Rollover Minutes feature which lets you accumulate unused minutes and carry them forward to the next month. We recommend Global Call Forwarding for virtual toll free numbers because we have a plan for businesses of every size. And setting up your 888 number with Global Call Forwarding is quick and easy.

2) Choose Additional Features

Another thing to consider when selecting a provider is the kind of features they offer. For example, do you need features like call forwarding and call transfer? Does your company have international offices and therefore, do you need to route calls to alternate numbers during certain times of day to ensure no call is missed? Then, features like Simultaneous Ring, Time of Day Routing, etc can be very helpful. Additionally, if you want your company to seem professional to callers, setting up an interactive voice response (IVR) system may be a good idea. This will greet callers and direct them through a menu of options.

These aside, you can add additional benefits that you require such as our Hosted Call Recording feature or more. So, it is important to consider what providers can offer you and how these features can be customized for your specific needs.

3) Consider Making it a Vanity Number

Depending on the type of business you are running, you may want to consider making your 888 number a vanity number. Vanity numbers are unique and attractive numbers that utilize patterns or letters to make a statement. For example, 888-FLOWERS or 888-222-2224. Vanity numbers are easy to identify and remember which makes them a good marketing tool to have.

Get an 888 Number to Improve Business Communications

Improve your business communications by getting an 888 number with Global Call Forwarding today! Or call us at 1-(888)-908-6171 or chat with us through our website to learn more.