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How to Improve Call Connect and Pickup Rates for International Calls

Luke Genoyer 29th May 2024 blog

How to improve call connect rates and pickup rates for international calls.

Are you making business phone calls to people in other countries, but nobody answers? Well, over 80% of people are “extremely unlikely” to answer a call from an “unknown number.” …Read More »

8 Reasons to Use the Salesforce-GCF Telephony Integration

Vasudha 20th May 2024 blog

GCF-Salesforce voice and telephony integration.

Refining customer experience can boost sales revenue by 2–7% and profitability by 1–2%. This suggests that investing in customer-focused improvements can directly impact the bottom line. What if we told …Read More »

6 Benefits of Using the Zendesk-Global Call Forwarding Integration

Vasudha 6th May 2024 blog

6 benefits of using the Zendesk and GCF calling integration

When it comes to business communication, VoIP-CRM integrations are a game-changer. Not only do these solutions improve voice connectivity, they also optimize workflow efficiency. By creating a unified platform, you …Read More »

Using the Zoho-Global Call Forwarding Integration to Optimize Business Communication

Vasudha 30th April 2024 blog

An image showing Zoho Telephony Integration use cases with Global Call Forwarding.

That customer experience is the driving force behind business success is a given. And therefore, ensuring responsiveness is critical at every stage of the pre-and post-sales processes. In this effort, …Read More »

How to Save Money with Cloud Telephony?

Vasudha 24th April 2024 blog

The role of technology as a transformative force of business growth cannot be overstated. And cloud telephony has emerged as a key solution that helps businesses stay resilient and competitive, …Read More »

What is Contact Center Agent Elevation?

Vasudha 29th March 2024 blog

An image of contact center agent elevation.

The process of contact center agent elevation, also known as escalation, is one of the quickest ways to address customer expectations and queries. As customers want quick and tailored solutions, …Read More »

Manning the Phones: How to Create an Effective Customer Service Strategy

Ilsa Morales 8th March 2019 Learn, Tech

A chief role of managers and customer service employees is knowing how to create a good experience for their customers. As a business owner, it is essential that you develop a strong customer service strategy that your employees can easily navigate and understand. This strategy should effectively incorporate key points that will take your customer service to the next level.

The goal of any business is to expand and create the most profits, and the best way to make this happen is to provide excellent customer service. Your goals as a company should include an effective customer service strategy. Begin this strategy by employing a strong management team that is skilled in leadership, communication, and service. Once you have a strong team, you can begin to develop your customer service strategy.

1. Set goals

Before you can work on a plan, you must compile a list of goals that you wish your business to achieve. Once you have figured out what you want to see from your company, you can begin to map out a plan to execute the plans. Share your vision of the future of the company with your employees so that they can keep your goals in mind when carrying out tasks.

2. Determine the wants of your customer

Frequently, a business will fail because the owners were unable to understand what the customer wanted. Businesses will assume that they know better than what their customers want and then provide them with a product that won’t sell. Your business needs to have a plan in place that will allow customers to express their opinions freely. To set this plan in motion, begin by initiating communication with the customer. This can be done through feedback surveys, comment cards, and focus groups.

3. Improve your hiring process

Customer service employees should be adequately screened and vetted with the customer in mind. The agents that you hire should encompass many traits, including empathy, excellent communication skills, patience, problem-solving skills, and a keen ability to stay positive when dealing with a negative customer. All agents can be trained for certain things, but you can’t teach someone to have a different personality.

4. Measure your results

Now that you know what the customer is looking for and you have a team that can effectively communicate, you can begin to create small goals to improve your customer service strategy even more over time. An example of a more modest goal instead of an overall vision is to answer calls within a specific timeframe. These small goals will help you achieve your bigger goals and overall vision in time. Be sure that your employees are aware of these new goals so that they can be held accountable for delivering that same high level of quality. If you find that a goal isn’t quite achievable, you can work backward and find out what is stopping your team from being able to reach their goals.

5. Ensure all employees undergo a thorough training process

Although you already hired a stellar staff with all of the qualities that your business needs in a customer service agent, you still need to deliver consistent service. The best way to stay consistent with your customers is by training all of your employees thoroughly and regularly. Train your employees on product knowledge, frequently asked questions, and provide them with a set of guidelines to follow for each phone call. Be sure that your staff is always up on current standards by using call recording to capture missed details, learn additional information about customers, and to improve the quality of every call.

6. Accountability

Your agents and managers should be held to a standard of consistency and quality. Practice regular performance reviews and be sure to share with your employees the customer service data so that they can see the fruits of their labor.

7. Reward your employees

When your employees are continually adhering to quality standards and surpassing goals, they should be rewarded for their efforts. All work and no play can create gloom in the workspace. People work better with positive reinforcement, and you will want to keep the people who deal with your customers directly to always be in a positive headspace. Prioritize a work/life balance with your employees and provide perks. Organize a happy hour with your customers, encourage a casual Friday, or reward your employees with an ice cream social or pizza party for lunch. Showing your employees that you appreciate them never has to break the bank, and any effort you make to recognize them for their service will result in a positive response.

This is How Customer Service is Done Best

Ilsa Morales 8th March 2019 Tech, Tips

What can you do to gain loyal customers, expand your business, and increase your earning potential? Upgrade your customer service. A skilled customer service team knows how to engage with their customers, problem-solve, and is empathetic to others’ queries.

Customer service is one of the most critical pieces of your business as a whole because your customer service team makes up the face of your company. They are the ones that you are trusting to interact with your customers face-to-face, over the phone, and online. Many loyal customers are created through positive customer service interaction. Therefore, your agents need to be trained in the best ways to serve your clients.

Top businesses know this to be true, and your business can compete with others by following these tips.

1. Humanizing Traits

Your customers want to speak to another human that can listen and answer their questions, but the humans that you hire as your representatives need to embody many skills. Empathy and patience are necessary skills to have when a customer is angry. Your agents must also be able to adapt to every customer, and they should be able to handle your clients’ varying moods, questions, compliments, and complaints.

2. Good Communication

The overarching skill that representatives need is communication skills. This means that your agents can express clearly and intelligently what they want to say. They should stay positive, but not overly so. All customer service agents need to understand what they are selling. If your agents do not understand the product on day one, there should not be a day 2 in their future without further training.

3. Strong Work Ethic

Your agents should be confident in their abilities, embody time management skills, and be able to focus on multiple things at once. A strong customer service agent is also aware of how long they have been on the phone with one customer when they have others waiting. Prioritizing is a top skill you need to look for in your representatives.

4. Handling Criticism

Unfortunately, a big part of the job is dealing with negative customers. Many times, a customer is so frustrated with a product or wait time, that by the time they get to speak to an agent they are fired up and ready to attack. Your agents should have thick skin and be aware that the customer’s anger has nothing to do with them.

5. Record Calls

The best way to train your team is to show them exactly how a call should go, and should not go. Call recording is a useful feature that Global Call Forwarding offers and it can help your business to ensure that the right skills are exhibited on every phone call.

6. Relate to Customers

Your representatives should be able to find common ground with every customer that they come into contact with. A great way to do this is for your agents to engage in active listening, that way they can truly understand where a customer is coming from and sympathize with their situation.

7. Follow-Up

A useful trick in customer service is to follow up after a query has been resolved. It ensures that your customer was indeed helped, and if they weren’t, they can now get the help that they need. Additionally, this can be done to let your customer know that their issue was important to your company and you are happy to see that they are happy and things are resolved. You can do this through a quick email or by reaching out with a feedback survey.

8. Personalize the Experience

If your company deals with several of the same clients, be sure to assign a customer service agent to each one so that they can get used to each other and form a bond. Treat your top customers and clients like they are important to you by sending them gifts or personalized emails. Also, invite your customers to trade shows, host webinars, and always interact with them on social media. Opening up this dialogue is also a way to learn what your customers would like to see from your business.

Awesome Skills of the Best Customer Service Agents

Ilsa Morales 7th March 2019 Learn, Tech

Customer service can be a difficult industry with a high turnover. But there are a few secrets that the best customer service agents use to stay friendly, clear, and knowledgeable when in communication with their customers. Whether your agents are using phone calls, social media, email, or all three, there are specific skills that every customer service agent should incorporate.

Each method of communication requires different customer service skills and some overlapping skills are needed throughout all three. If you are ready to start interviewing customer service agents or are looking to train up your staff, these fundamental skills are what you need to be on the lookout for.

1. Listening

Never interrupt your customer, even if you already know how to solve their problem. Listen to their entire complaint, then respond with your answers. If you miss an important detail from their complaint or question, then you cannot correctly solve their issue. Never assume you’ll know exactly what the customer will say.

2. Smiling

Smiling over the phone can convey a positive attitude in your voice. Although the person on the other end cannot see your face, they will be able to pick up on clues that you are smiling through the tone of your voice and the way that you are speaking. Use your judgment when using this tool. No one will appreciate you smiling through their problems when they want you to sympathize with them.

3. Acknowledgment

After you have listened to your customer’s entire question or complaint, don’t forget to let them know that you understand where they’re coming from and that you are happy to be helping them out. Again, customers want you to sympathize with their problems, as well as solve them. This is a humanizing trait that makes your company come off as caring and authentic.

4. Mirroring

Mirroring is a way in everyday life to make other people comfortable and subconsciously show that you are listening and interested in what the other party is saying. It is a great tool to use on the phone, in person, or through text messaging as well. Watch how often you use this tool as mirroring a customer’s anger won’t do your company any favors.

5. Communication

Be upfront with your customer. In other words, don’t lie to your customer and say that they will be on hold for 30 seconds when it’s going to take 15 minutes. They will most likely hang up and be angry the next time they call you, if they decide to ever call again. This is an essential rule for all customer service agents. If the wait times are incredibly long and you don’t want to lose your customer, offer to call them back as a courtesy to save them from waiting.

6. Templates

Templates are like scripts for your agents to follow. However, instead of coming off as mechanical like an agent would if they were merely reading from a script, templates are more of a guideline. These guides can contain answers to commonly asked questions and other useful strategies to keep your agents from getting stuck.

7. Personality

When your agents use these helpful templates and guidelines, they should still be adding their own spin to them. Everyone’s personality is different, and when your customer agent shows off their unique personality, the advice and guidance they are giving comes off as more authentic.

8. Time Frames

When responding to email, chat, or social media, be sure to reply promptly. Chat and social media should be instant, while email has a slight leeway time. However, emails shouldn’t take that long because your customers might get concerned that you didn’t receive their message. Consider setting up an auto-response to emails letting your customers know that you received their email and will be responding with an answer to their inquiry in a suitable time frame.

9. Problem-Solving

Your customer service agents should know the questions that they need to ask their customers in order to get a complete story from them. Once they have all the facts, they need to be able to summarize the issues and come up with the best solution.

10. Skill Range

Your customer service agents should be able to handle a variety of customer service channels and be able to multitask. All agents should be trained in chat, phone service, and social media.

More than Just a Number: Why Your Toll Free Number is Essential to Your Business

Ilsa Morales 7th March 2019 Tech, Tips

Toll free numbers began gaining popularity in the 80s and 90s with almost every business because it was the simplest way to communicate with customers all over the country. Now, in the age of information and the internet, toll free numbers are still essential to have for your business and they remain popular with major companies all over the nation.

1-800 numbers were created in the 1960s as a way for businesses to connect to people all over the country without those people having to pay for making the call. Businesses began to realize the convenience of this service and started using toll free numbers to give their companies a convenient and free way to communicate with them. Eventually, toll free numbers became so popular that an additional six three-digit codes were added.

Customers Expect a Toll Free Number

Because of how popular toll free numbers have become, customers now expect that all businesses, even smaller ones, will have a toll free phone number that they can connect to, with zero cost to them. Toll free numbers aren’t just convenient for your customers. They are also essential to your business. When your company uses a toll free number, it increases your business’s credibility as well as heightening the possibility for customer loyalty. Having a dedicated toll free number for your company also allows you the ability to set business hours.

Your business could be losing customers not local to your area if you do not offer a toll free phone number. Toll free phone numbers allow customers from outside of your local area to reach your company, and if you don’t provide a toll free phone number, a customer outside of your neighborhood may decide not to use your company because they don’t believe that you will be able to deliver what they need.

For example, if you run a cake shop and are able to make deliveries all over the country but you only offer a local phone number, somebody looking to buy your cake in the next state over may bypass your company because they fear that your company would not be able to deliver to them. With all of the refrigeration delivery tools available, your business can most certainly deliver to them, but it is likely that these potential customers will not take the time to find out. You are potentially missing out on a lot of income when you only offer a way for certain people to get in contact with your business. It is essential for a growing business to increase their reach if the company is to be successful.

Virtual Calling Made Simple

Another benefit to using toll free phone numbers for your company is that you can set up a line that is entirely virtual. This means that you don’t have to set up a new phone line, you can just use the business phone you already have or even a home line or cell phone. Virtual toll free numbers from Global Call Forwarding allow you to connect to several different lines so that you can work from anywhere. You can also set your hours, which means you won’t get calls forwarded to your personal line when you are off the clock. Instead, they can be sent to a customized voicemail, your email, or a fax machine so you can get back to your customers at a later time. The lines are also set up so you know whether you are getting a call from your personal or business line, that way you can guarantee you properly answer your phone. It is also completely secure. Your customers will have access to you, but they won’t know your personal phone line.

A Necessity for Advertising

Toll free numbers are also a great advertising tool, especially if you decide to purchase a vanity number. People find these vanity numbers like 1-800-FLOWERS to be much easier to remember than non-vanity numbers, and they can be placed on billboards, flyers, or your website as an easy way to market your business. These vanity numbers are great tools for lawyers and real estate agents, as well.

The bottom line is that having a toll free number proves to your customers that your business is worthy of their trust because you can provide them with a number that allows them to contact your company with no cost to them.

Games To Boost Call Center Morale and Engagement

Ilsa Morales 7th March 2019 Learn, Tech

Motivating your call center team can do wonders for your company. An easy and fun way to do this is by introducing games and activities that can be done in the workplace. After all, work doesn’t have to be boring. These games will encourage employees through competition, and you will see an improvement in company sales and overall workplace culture. Read on to learn about six simple games that your call center employees will love.

1. Pass the Ball

This game is reminiscent of a childhood game called “hot potato.” The premise is that your manager provides the team with a ball, it can be anything from a baseball to a blow-up beach ball. As long as the object is easily passable and catchable, the game will work. Each time an employee finalizes a sale, the ball is then passed to that employee. A timer is set up to go off different intervals and when the timer goes off the employee holding the ball will win a prize. So, the last person to make a sale when the timer goes off will be the winner.

2. Sports Agents

During huge sporting competitions, like March Madness, the Olympics, or the World Cup, your customer service agents can have a bit of fun by dividing up into teams. For example, during the Olympics, your employees can pick out of a hat different countries which will later become their teams. At the end of the Olympics, the country/team with the most medals will be the winner. This game is good for company morale, entertainment, friendly competition, and teamwork. Consider granting the winners a get-together so they can get to know each other better, or merely catering a fancy lunch for them the next time they come into work.

3. Bingo

Bingo is a classic game that anyone can play, but this way puts a “call center” twist on it. Since call center employees are constantly calling customers, the bingo cards would have different area codes all over the board. When an agent completes a call to that area code, they can they cross the number off. Once an agent completes calls to five area codes on the card in a row, that agent will win. This game will help your agents to become more competitive and boost efficiency.

4. Customers and Compliments

This is a very straightforward contest in which the agent who receives the most compliments from customers receive a nice reward. This can be instated as a year-round game, at the end of each month you can tally up the number of compliments each agent has received and then reward them with a gift. At the end of the year you can add up the compliments, and a winner can be chosen for an even larger prize. This game encourages your agents to be friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful regarding customer interaction.

call center employees — Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100020030569

5. Battle Balls

This game is slightly similar to the Pass the Ball game, except the winner is not restricted to timing. At the beginning of the day, hand a ball to each one of your call center agents. Then throughout the day each time, an agent makes a sale they are allowed to get up and take a ball from another agent. At the end of the day, the agent with the most balls wins the prize. This is great for competition and a way to save money on rewards if you can’t afford to gift multiple awards throughout the day.

6. Hangman

The classic hangman game can be applied to your call center workforce. After a training session, the best way to quiz on retention is to split your employees into two teams and write down a series of questions that they just learned from the training. Each team writes down their answers, and each time a team gets a question wrong they add a piece to the hangman. Keep asking questions until one hangman is completed; then the other team will be claimed the victor. Hangman can help your employees retain more information and get a deeper understanding of the training they just went through.

These games are a great way to boost morale in your company, but it is best to check in with your upper management before bringing these games to your office. Some offices may not want their employees to engage in office games, but it is always a good idea to present this idea if it is not on the minds of upper management yet. Good luck and may the best call center agent win!

Streamlining the Vendor Selection Process

Ilsa Morales 7th March 2019 Learn, Tech, Tips

If you are looking to streamline the process in which you select your vendors, consider a Request for Proposal or RFP. An RFP is precisely what it sounds like, and it is a proposal that you can use to compare and contrast offers from a variety of different vendors. Once you are able to analyze your options, you can create a better picture of what is best for your business and for your customers.

Building Relationships with Vendors

Outside of RFPs, you can also have a more direct dialect with one or several vendors, whether that is in person or by reaching out through email or phone. When you build a relationship with a vendor, trust begins to burgeon, and you will start to feel more comfortable with the people who you are buying from and vice versa. These relationships help vendors to understand what their buyers want and need and therefore won’t need to offer a service that the buyers don’t need. This also allows buyers to narrow down their selections because they have already seen demonstrations. They can then move on towards comparing prices and quality.

Request for Information and Request for Quote

When you are interacting with your vendors, another way to approach the buying process is with a Request for Information and a Quote. These are less detailed reports of information that answer some frequently asked questions. This concise and to the point report is used to give enough information up front to where the buyer will then be able to ask informed questions and in return, get an informed response. These vendors target the specific needs of the buyer in question and then focus their energy on what the buyer has decided is important.

An even more concise report will come in the process called Request for Quote. RFQ is highly detailed and broken down by a list of the pricing of the object which includes things such as the number of licenses you will need and their prices. The RFQ works similarly to the Request for Information and a Quote because it’s the main focus to create communication between the buyer and the seller by allowing the buyer to ask questions and then receive a detailed response in return.

businessman cellphone coffee — Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100133329530

Keep Your Options Open

Don’t forget that you can also “shop around.” The internet offers a large number of cloud solutions for your company, and the sites typically advertise everything that is provided and what the prices usually come out to be. Websites often have a chat option, or at least an email and phone number which you can use to get into contact with these vendors. Once in touch, you can then ask more questions and get an even better idea of the exact pricing. Usually, on websites, they are true to what they are selling and if a vendor does not seem to meet your needs, making a phone call is typically a waste of time. If they had the feature that you need, it would be advertised on the site. There is a blind trust in using the internet to select your vendors because it is likely you will never meet the seller in person, which is preferable for some and a turn-off for others.

So which one of these options should you choose for your business? Well, that depends on some different factors of your business. Is your company large in scale? That could mean you would need an RFP or sometimes you can get away with an RFI/Q. You must also weigh the risks and complexities of your business as well. Can you trust a source that you have never met or are you concerned about security and fraud?

However, if you have a smaller business or a more straightforward business plan, then you can easily find a cloud-based solution online. You can choose on your own time when you will carry out your internet research where you can compare and bid on different vendors. This flexibility is great for smaller businesses and offers simplicity for your process. Plus, because the website often advertises its standard offerings and pricing, you don’t have to guess which one might be better for your business.

No matter your business, take your time to consider the best vendor for it. It could take weeks to months of research, but it will be worth it to know that you’ve chosen the best vendor for your company.

Things Customer Service Representatives Should Do On Every Call

Ilsa Morales 7th March 2019 Learn, Tech, Tips

The customer service representative is one of the most critical pieces of your business. They are the face of your company and the people who you trust to speak one-on-one with your customers.

We may sometimes forget how important a customer service representative’s role truly is. They are given the duty to treat customers with respect and find solutions for a myriad of issues that can arise. An angry customer is not an easy challenge to overcome, and your staff needs to be adequately trained in customer service skills and must be talented enough to know how to handle various situations. Read on to learn how each customer service representative should handle every single call.

1. Swift Responses

Timing is a very crucial part of customer service. The response time to every inquiry should be dealt with quickly and accurately. Customers do not want to wait on the phone all day to ask an agent a question. They also do not want to wait for extremely long periods for a delivery or an email response. Your representatives must be trained properly to reduce hold times. Call center agents must understand the importance of timeliness in business.

2. Patience Is A Virtue

Many customers make calls to customer service lines because there is some issue with the product, whether it be damaged, missing pieces, or something else. This can undoubtedly frustrate some people, and therefore some people may come off as combative at first. A customer service representative that is patient, however, can easily diffuse situations with a negative customer. You might like this resource from Barbara Khozam about how to practice patience.

3. Positivity

Agents who can maintain a positive attitude despite dealing with a negative customer will be the most successful. Those with a positive attitude are aware that they do not need to bring their jobs home with them and become more successful overall. While positivity may be a mindset, there is training that you can cover. For example, you can train your agents on positive language to use over the phone and in person, such as “I can see how that would upset you, let’s try to find the solution.” Plus, a happy brain performs better.

4. Communicative

Customer service representatives spend their time interacting with customers. Therefore they need to excel in business communication skills. If they are not professional and conversational, perhaps they’re not right for this particular job. Agents need to be concise, but they also know when to make a little small talk. This adds a human touch, but your agents should not be overly conversational, merely adding a personal comment to the situation your customer is describing is enough. Do not interrupt people and resolve their issue as fast as possible without being robotic.

Things customer service employees should say on every call. — Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100230923000

5. Empathetic

Empathy is an essential trait in any customer service agent. The ability to understand a customer’s feelings and being able to relate yourself to their situation can turn a bad situation around. When customers call customer service, they’re usually unhappy with something, and it is important that your customer service representatives apply empathy to every story they hear.

6. Knowledgeable

Being knowledgeable about the business whom these agents are representing is key in delivering excellent service. Be sure that all of your agents undergo a proper amount of training so that they are equipped with all the tools they need to be successful in this position. Training should happen regularly, not just at the time of hire. Agents should always be knowledgeable about current promotions, new products or services, and on technology updates to the systems they regularly use.

7. Attentive

All agents should possess excellent listening skills. Sometimes customers need to explain their issues in greater detail, and an agent needs to listen during the entire explanation actively. Also, when an agent offers solutions frequently, the customer is not interested in all of them, and an agent must be able to understand their customers’ opinions and come up with more flexible solutions to suit the person.

Along with all of these skills, customer service representatives should always try to go above and beyond for their customers when possible. The best customer service representatives display all of these skills in each and every phone call. But that is not all, they also should be undergoing training, and it is important that your customer service agents stay motivated so that they can excel for your company and turn your customers into loyal brand followers.

If you like this article, you should check out this ultimate list of customer service tips for 2020.

Legal Issues Regarding Call Recording

Magaly Fuentes 31st December 2018 Learn, Tech, Tips

Someone may wish to record a phone call for any number of reasons, but it is important to take into consideration that there are both federal and state laws pertaining to the recording of calls. Being aware of legal issues regarding call recording is important for companies, in particular, who wish to record all customer service calls, as an example. United States federal law requires that at least one party taking part in a call be notified that the call is being recorded.

In addition to federal law, there are laws in some states that require only one party to be notified of the call recording, while other states require two parties to be aware of the call recording.

All-Party Consent States

Approximately 13 states in the United States require all parties to consent to a call recording. Those states include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington State.

Call Recording in the UK

In the United Kingdom, there are several laws that cover the practice of recording phone calls. Unless you are able to guarantee that the call recording will not be shared with any third party and that the call is being recorded to either gather evidence, prevent a crime, or ensure regulatory compliance, it is the safest bet to consider the United Kingdom a jurisdiction that requires all parties of a phone call to consent to a call recording.

Canadian Laws on Call Recording

In Canada, there is an established single set of rules for all call recording, which is built into its electronic privacy law. Canada also has an all-party consent approach so that in order for a call to be legally recorded, a person/business must notify the others on the phone call that the call will be recorded, what the purposes of the call recording are, and that the call may only be recorded with the consent of every person on the phone call.

Call Recording in Ireland

Ireland also requires all party consent in order for a call to be recorded legally. The purpose of the call recording must be explained in detail to each participant of the call and each party on the call must give informed consent.

When companies are considering implementing a recording of phone calls for both outbound and inbound calling, it is customary to hear some type of default message that is either pre-recorded or stated by a company staff member. One that is heard commonly in announcing the recording of calls is, “For quality assurance, this call be recorded.” Another common one is, “This call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes.”

Some of the reasons companies may wish to record calls are for records-purposes. That is, if there is a dispute regarding an agreement regarding a contract or a payment, the company has the recording to fall back on for review and resolution of the dispute. Call recording is also used in order to support the improvement of customer service practices and for staff training purposes. For example, a recording may be used to demonstrate to new incoming staff members how a particular situation should be handled. In the same way, a call recording could be used to show new incoming staff members how a situation should not be handled. Call recordings can be very useful for staff training.

Legal issues regarding call recording can be complicated and sometimes controversial. It is the choice of a business owner to comply with all relevant regulations and any industry standards. Accomplishing the task of compliance requires careful research related to which laws apply to particular types of businesses. Legal issues regarding call recording also encompass a variety of call recording functions. These include, but are not limited to, issues of participant consent, regulations regarding the storage of recordings and the legality of putting a pause on and then resuming any live recordings.

In order to research legal issues regarding call recording for a call center, for example, a number of agencies and resources must be checked to ensure all aspects are covered in recording calls from and to various areas.

As it is easy to see, legal issues regarding call recording vary from state to state within the United States and they also vary from country to country. For a business that operates in various countries, it may be simpler to adopt an all-party disclosure and consent rule rather than aim to investigate and follow the rules of each market the business works within. Making sure that you and your legal team has a clear understanding of legal issues regarding call recording and always obtaining consent when in doubt is paramount.

Improving Internal Communications in Your Company

Global Call Forwarding 12th December 2018 Learn, Tech, Tips

Failing to address the challenges that arise when companies due to poor communication within a company is a recipe for disaster. Miscommunication leads to losses in productivity, creates tension amongst coworkers, and results in a higher turnover rate.

Overlooking internal communication issues in your company also makes the hiring process much more difficult because the lack of communication makes it harder to translate company goals to new team members. When a new hire is brought into the business, it’s difficult for the individual to learn or seek guidance from other team members because there isn’t a clear path to follow or specific strategies for success. Furthermore, team members will not know how to properly represent the company.

The Importance of Improving Internal Communications In Your Company

Why is improving internal communications in your company so critical? There are many answers to this question, but one of the main reasons would be harmony and balance must exist between coworkers and management to build trust and encourage open, honest dialogue.
A lack of proper communication has a major impact on productivity and it can be the difference between reaching company goals and falling short on completing critical tasks.

Another negative impact of miscommunication is a high turnover rate. Turnovers cause companies of all sizes to lose money because the business must invest in the hiring and onboarding process, not to mention the training and compensation of new employees. When a new hire leaves unexpectedly, the process must start over and it will require more funding. When this happens on a frequent basis, the high turnover rate also brings the integrity and management of the company into question.

Strive Towards Improving Internal Communications In Your Company Regularly

Many business owners wonder what specific methods can be implemented to improve internal communications in your company. This answer will depend on your unique company structure and team, but there are actions that every company should take to improve their ways of communicating.

Internal communication can be improved in your company with the right mindset, transparency, and the use of technology. Whether your business is large or small, communication is key.

These key methods should be helpful for companies striving to communicate and improve their workplace with more clarity and efficiency.

Establish A System For Sharing Information

One of the biggest communication errors companies make is deciding to use a middleman to relay information. This can go wrong for various reasons. If communicating information between select employees, they may not understand the importance of making sure that everyone on the team receives the message. With so many daily tasks to handle, it’s easy for team members to forget sharing information that is not related to the immediate task at hand.

Another conflict that may arise from handing off information and priority documents to specific employees is the possibility of favoritism. If your staff feels that only one person or a few people on staff can be trusted with sensitive information, it may result in tension in the workplace. Hence, another reason improving internal communications in your company will be necessary.

work meeting — Source: Stockphoto.com O#100052465503

Maintaining a high level of transparency through the use of technology is the best way to avoid communication gaps. This is crucial for improving internal communications in your company. There is a wide selection of cloud communications technology that will allow managers to quickly upload important documents and notes so that all employees can access with just a username and password. When looking to share quick notes and attachments, there is the option of Dropbox, along with team messaging services such as Slack and WhatsApp for constant convenient communication. These apps also allow employees to give their input and ask questions in real time and read responses on similar topics.

Host Online Meetings

Consistent meetings are great for improving internal communications in your company. Just as the internet allows companies to share important documents, businesses can also use online technology to host online meetings, which is especially beneficial if you are working with remote teams.

Remote teams will not be able to attend most company meetups due to their location or time zone differences, however, this can be easily supported. The best way to make meetings convenient and cost-free for everyone is by using cloud phone numbers for conference calls or video messaging. Employees appreciate this because a feeling of inclusion through the sharing of information is great for team morale.

Hosting meetings online makes sure that everyone has access to the same information, eliminating silos and hierarchy. Hierarchical environments can make employees feel isolated, and this can make everyone more reluctant to communicate openly. This resentment often results in a loss of motivation and prolongs the time it takes for teams to take action and achieve success.

Define Your Company’s Mission and Set Goals

You know your company goals and mission, but do your employees know? When your aim is improving internal communications in your company, this is really important to set a foundation. Discuss company goals in meetings and have your company mission statement clearly visible in the workspace and online. These reminders will help keep everyone on track while helping employees better assist customers.

Understanding a company’s goals and mission creates a better customer service experience because representatives will demonstrate more confidence in their role and product knowledge. Along with in-depth knowledge, customer service associates will be able to provide support while respecting the tone and communication style of the brand.