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Category: Tips

What is iNum?

12th July 2022 blog
what is iNum

The 1990s and 2000s were a golden era of globalization. Global trade in goods and services, as well as capital flows across borders, reached unprecedented levels. As a result, businesses …Read More »

How to Invest in Africa’s Fast-Growing Economies with Call Forwarding Services

11th July 2022 blog, International Business
invest in africa

Collaborated with Meryl D’Sa-Wilson The rise in modern technology usage and emerging markets has made Africa a prime location for international business. So, what does that mean for companies wanting …Read More »

11 Call Center Technologies Business Leaders Must Know [2024]

29th June 2022 blog
A comprehensive list of the most important call center technologies in 2023..

Many businesses use a suite of call center technologies ranging from basic to cutting-edge. This technology helps companies achieve big benefits like increased efficiency and enhanced customer experiences. But, how …Read More »

FreePBX vs 3CX: Features, Pricing, Deployment

20th June 2022 blog
A comparison of FreePBX vs 3CX.

Want to upgrade your business phone system but don’t know which provider is better? In this comparison, we will look at FreePBX vs 3CX, specifically at their features, pricing, deployment, …Read More »

What is E.164?

14th June 2022 blog
What is E.164

E.164 is an international phone numbering plan for public telecommunications. This numbering format defines a general format for international phone numbers. It ensures that calls are delivered correctly by assigning …Read More »

Asterisk vs FreePBX: Features, Pricing, Deployment

9th June 2022 blog, Reviews
asterisk vs freepbx

Want to upgrade your PBX but don’t know which provider to choose? In this comparison, we will look at Asterisk vs FreePBX, specifically at their features, pricing, deployment, support, and …Read More »

Why You Should Keep Educating your Team

27th December 2017 Learn, Tech, Tips

As a team leader, one of your most important roles is to keep your team educated. This means ongoing training so that your personnel can keep up with the latest products, standards, and practices related to your business. In order to keep educating them, you have to maintain vigilant attention to your company’s vision as well as the goals and deadlines of the project at hand. It is also important to maintain your own motivation; only when you participate wholeheartedly in a project will your team be motivated to be there alongside you. There are a number of advantages to ongoing training; here is a look at some of the ways it pays to keep your team continuously trained.

Boosting Productivity

Training and development is an excellent way to increase productivity and retention. Don’t give in to the temptation of cutting back on outside training such as workshops and conferences for your employees because this can actually cause you to lose out in the long run. Studies show that employees who are well-trained are much more willing and capable of assuming a higher level of control over their assignments and they need less supervision when on task. Not only do they offer better customer service, but they also enjoy their work more.

Maintaining Communication

There is no such thing as too much communication, and this should be an integral part of all employee training. Make sure that you and all members of your team are on the same page all the way through each project. Employees need to be updated on the progress of the project on a regular basis. Though regular face-to-face meetings are very important, it’s not always convenient to call everyone together as this can impede progress, particularly if your team members do not share the same geographic location. Other good ways to keep your employees on top of the project’s ongoing status is through email, memos, conference calls, and video conferencing. Let your team know how important communication is for meeting long-term training goals and also addressing any challenges that are being faced, and encourage them to make suggestions.

Rewarding Efficient Performance

Another key factor to maintaining adequate training and motivation to learn is to reward individual and team performance. Recognition of achievement is a great way to provide positive reinforcement and encourage excellence among your employees. Use your company newsletter to announce specific achievements and goals that have been met. Take the time to make personal phone calls to commend high achieving workers. In recognition of team efforts, take your employees out for lunch, post-performance charts in the workplace or on your company website. Make these acts a regular part of your corporate motivation strategy.

Offering Your Team a Challenge

By setting your team-challenging goals, you are offering a stimulating way to learn new skills or to brush up on old ones. Your employees will work hard to meet new challenges and to achieve excellence. Make sure that the training goals are realistic and can be attained within a reasonable amount of time. Don’t forget to equip your team with the tools to succeed. They will soon lose motivation if they lack the tools required for the job. This doesn’t only include the necessary equipment, but also internal support, materials, and regular communication.

Keep Poor Performance in Check

Poor performance can lead to a downward spiral of decreased motivation and can undermine the whole point of ongoing training. Your team will rely on you to manage group members who are not participating fully, without causing conflict. Resolve such issues as quickly and diplomatically as possible. Avoid turning a blind eye to poor performance, otherwise, it will soon get out of hand and affect your team and their efficiency. Be clear about the changes you expect to improve performance, and if necessary explain what additional action will be taken if goals are still not met.

When and How to Use Praise

Praise is an important part of keeping your team educated, but remember, if praise is to be productive, it must be specific so that the individual is aware of what he or she has done to earn it. Clear and detailed feedback will help your employees understand their strengths and will ensure that you do not appear to be patronizing. Use praise conservatively; if you praise everything, it ceases to have any value. Try to avoid adding conditions to your praise; otherwise, it will come across as false or as a requirement for something else.

Another important thing to remember is that praise should be timely. If you wait too long after an event to make positive comments, they will have lost their impact. A good way of reinforcing praise is to coincide it with some form of recognition. Some possibilities include an achievement award, a write-up in the company newsletter or a gift certificate.

When and How to Use Constructive Feedback

There is an important difference between constructive feedback and criticism. Constructive feedback is given with forethought and with the intention of creating an empowering experience. Criticism, on the other hand, consists of being judgmental and most often creates negative feelings and loss of empowerment. While individuals and teams are inspired by constructive feedback, criticism can lead to resentment, loss of motivation and poor performance.

As part of your employee training, consider how you can strengthen your bonds with your employees and encourage them to fulfill their maximum potential. Remember to listen to suggestions from your team; their input may lead to new breakthroughs, especially if you are not afraid to try out new methods. Staying abreast of concerns and disagreements within your workforce will enable you to diffuse them before they get out of hand. It will help instill your employees with confidence in your leadership skills. Use training to address weaknesses in your company and to strengthen these areas. Don’t forget that before you begin training your staff, you should be personally up to date with the latest information to maximize the effectiveness of the team. An investment in your employees’ continuing education is an investment in your company as a whole.

Surviving Long Days Working at Your Desk

21st December 2017 How To's, Learn, Tips

Working at a desk all day long does not seem physically taxing at first. You are only sitting, right? Yes, but sitting for hours at a stretch comes with its own share of drawbacks. And we all know, being sedentary is far more dangerous than being active. It eventually leads to our bodies being incapable of performing important physical tasks.

 

With virtual offices on the rise and an increasing number of people choosing to work from home, a vast majority of employed people now spend their days hunched over a desk in front of a monitor. The result? Nearly 80 percent of Americans suffer from lower back pain, stiff neck, and other joint pain because of a sedentary lifestyle. Even when you exercise every day for an hour or two, the long hours spent at a desk can still be detrimental.

According to a study, spending eight to 12 hours sitting down daily can lead to high rates of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Considering there are millions of people who go through decades of their life in this scenario, the findings are alarming.

But all is not hopeless. It is possible to survive long hours working at a desk if one is willing to add a little change in the routine. These following tips help counteract the negative effects of a sedentary job.

Pick the right chair

More often than not, the reason for lower back pain is using the wrong chair. The chair that you use at home or the office may be either too low or too high, causing you to strain your neck as you look at the monitor. The remedy? An ergonomically designed chair that’s just the right height to the desk.

You might need to try out a few different chairs to find the perfect one, but once you do, it may be the answer to your aches and pains.

2. The right desk and monitor height

Once you have found the right chair, it will be time to adjust the height of your desk and the monitor. Most of the time, a desk that is either too low or too high, can cause aches and pains. Make sure you are looking straight at the monitor and not bending or hunching over the desk.

You don’t need any fancy equipment; just placing your computer atop a few books should do the job.

3. Use a standing desk

Counter the debilitating effects of prolonged sitting by getting a standing desk. Research shows that you can burn up to fifty extra calories every hour just by working at a standing desk, instead of sitting down. Although it doesn’t seem like a big deal, standing actually helps improve your posture and strengthens your legs.

Considering the amount of time we spend sitting, using the same time to stand will burn so many more calories. Adjusting the height of your monitor is all you need to do.

4. Get up and walk

While sitting and working at a desk for long hours, we often lose track of time. We forget to get up and walk at frequent intervals, leading to stiff neck, joint pain, and backache. Whether you work from home or from an office, it is important to get up and walk around to avoid muscle stiffness.

To make sure of this, implement the use of regular reminders via apps on your phone or computer that will remind you every couple of hours to leave the chair and walk around. Going for a walk during your lunch break is also a good way to keep active and loosen your muscles.

5. Walk or cycle to work

Cars ruin our health more than we realize. If you commute to and from work daily, you may spend more than two or three hours sitting down every day. If possible, walk or try to bicycle to work sometimes to counteract the negative effects of sitting down. Both cycling and walking are great exercises for the body, and if your office is close by, ditching your car for your bike is a great way to save gas and incorporate a workout into the routine.

6. Exercise while watching TV

Instead of sitting and watching TV on a sofa, bring your treadmill out of retirement and place it in front of the television so you can use that time more constructively (and enjoyably) while watching a fantastic show. This will make sure that you get to watch TV only when you are walking, maximizing your time while taking care of your body.

If you don’t have exercise equipment, walk around the room or march in place while watching TV. Not being a couch potato will not only keep you active but also reduce your chances of cardiac problems.

7. Schedule a weekly walk or hike

After working at a desk the whole week, schedule a family walk or hike during the weekend. This is a fantastic way to keep yourself active and help your muscles relax after a sedentary week. It’s also an ideal way to spend some quality time with your family.

The average American is highly accustomed to sitting down. In fact, our bodies are trained to be seated – while eating, watching TV, and working. Even if you exercise every day, sitting long hours at a desk can negate all the benefits of exercise. For some perspective, there is a rural village in China known as the Longevity Village where people live up to a hundred years on average because of their lifelong active habits.

You don’t have to go to great lengths to be able to lead an active lifestyle. You can incorporate subtle changes in your life to balance out the harmful effects of a sedentary job. You may not be able to change the nature of your work, but you can always change the way you work.

Adjusting your desk and chair, walking around every half hour, and incorporating regular exercise into your work week and weekends are excellent ways to survive long hours working at a desk.

7 Ways to Keep Employees Motivated

21st December 2017 How To's, Learn, Tips

Did you know that 3 million employees in the U.S. quit their job voluntarily every single month?

It’s not too surprising when you think about it. Many employers are unaware, or too busy to notice there are often company-wide bad habits that drive good employees to their competitor’s front door.

When workers don’t feel comfortable in a certain setting or are unhappy with their position, costly mistakes are more likely to happen. Instead, the focus needs to be placed on motivating employees at all levels, from interns to middle management and beyond. A truly successful enterprise is one that recognizes the importance of their workers and actively works to keep them. Not just for their talents and hard work, but their personal health and happiness.

Here are 7 different opportunities you can take advantage of to motivate your people in a positive work environment.

  1. Rewards and Incentives

If your workers have accomplished something worthy of a “job well done,” then say so with a reward. Recognition is one of the best ways to keep employees satisfied with their job. This is especially true if they’re recognized in front of coworkers. Here are some ideas of things you can reward them with to get started:

  • Gift cards to a nearby restaurant or coffee shop
  • Catered lunch for your team
  • VIP parking spot for a week
  • A “work from home” day
  • A trophy or framed certificate
  1. Recognize and Address Problems

When employees speak up about a certain issue, it’s best to listen. This has to do with good communication. If your company communicates well, then workers feel listened to and cared for.

For instance, let’s say that one of your teams is asking for more training or tools to help them with tasks. Instead of saying “we don’t have a budget for this,” schedule a meeting with everyone involved to come up with an alternative solution. While it may be difficult to resolve every single problem they face, you must at least recognize their concern.

This is because even “small” problems can snowball into bigger ones in the future, so try not to ignore them for too long. This could result in a top employee leaving your company.

  1. Get Their Input

According to a 2005 study, “84% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively impact the quality of their company’s products.”

Have you ever gotten an employee’s opinion on a process? When workers are more involved and offer input, they are naturally motivated to see a project succeed.

So create a culture where employees are encouraged to participate. Ask them how they feel about certain policies and how things can be improved. You would be surprised how many of them have smart ideas already. Try to set up a monthly meeting where everyone can get together and spitball ideas.

Remember, be sure to do more than just listen. Support their ideas, allow them to implement them and have ownership of them as well.

  1. Create a “Trust” Environment

How often have you worked in an office where, if something went wrong, everyone would start pointing fingers? This is a direct reflection of upper management. When employees make a mistake, they become anxious about getting reprimanded and are less likely to be open about it.

Instead, hire managers and team leaders who are willing to foster trust. They should encourage values such as respect, honesty, and teamwork on a regular basis. This way, when a mistake is made, workers can feel confident about going to their leaders for support. They can also work together on a plan for preventing that mistake in the future.

  1. Give Them Room to Grow

When a person walks into a company interview, chances are you are going to ask the question, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Well, how are you helping them get there?

Most people enter the workforce with a goal. Complacent or “bored” employees have short attention spans and are more likely to leave if their goals aren’t met. Regular training, new challenges, and bigger projects are just a few of the ways to support employees professionally.

Offer top workers a chance at real development in your company. Send them to a career fair or conference where they can grow their skills. Have a quarterly review where they can make their own recommendations for how they will grow over the next few months. As they develop into their roles, you are more likely to retain them.

  1. Celebrate With Them

This is more than just a birthday cake in the conference room. Recognize the importance of personal and professional achievement from upper management and C-level executives. Here are a few reasons to celebrate with your employees:

  • A glowing customer review on your website as a result of service well done
  • A new and successful product release
  • Promotions and new hires
  • Professional milestones, such as years of service

Additionally, acknowledging personal and professional milestones can be enhanced by offering thoughtful employee gratitude gift ideas, turning routine recognitions into memorable moments.

According to the TINYpulse Employee Engagement and Organizational Culture Report, “Nearly two-thirds of all employees report working at organizations that lack a strong work culture.” Being able to sit regularly with workers in a casual setting will go a long way in developing a culture they enjoy.

Not only that, celebrations enable employees to want to reach new milestones on their own.

  1. Be Flexible

Offices will have many strict rules about when employees can take breaks, how many days they can have off, and may even dictate acceptable times to use the restroom.

While having office “rules” to a certain extent is actually very healthy, workers should never have to feel worried or anxious about when they can leave their desk. This kind of burden does not offer them a chance to attend to their personal lives. And as a result, they end up quitting. Instead, work with them and put into place a flexible work schedule that meets their needs.

For example, you can explain that if certain deadlines are met, a team can work from home every other Friday. According to studies, “Companies that support remote employees“ have 25 percent lower employee turnover than companies that don’t.”

Why Team Building Exercises Work

21st December 2017 Learn, Tips

Time and again you read about the many benefits of team building and why it matters in the modern workplace. These may seem like frivolous activities, but there is actual data to prove otherwise. In fact, when team building exercises are regularly incorporated into an office environment, especially ones that include problem-solving, communication, and decision making, you create truly engaged employees and teams who find purpose in their work.

These are the employees who contribute to your ultimate success and end up boosting employers’ bottom line. And this isn’t just because they’re more productive. From a recent Gallup poll, “Teams that work together well (teams in the top 25%) incur lower healthcare costs.” This is likely connected with other studies that show how sitting in a chair for more than 8 hours a day has a direct negative impact on health.

Instead, separating long working hours with team building exercises can give employees a chance to take the breaks they need and “refresh.” If you want to reap some of these amazing benefits for your team, here’s how to get started with team building exercises at work.

When (and How) to Start

When: We’ll start by saying that every employee has their own work schedule and personal priorities. It’s best if you, as a manager, try to work around their time and not cause unneeded interruptions in workflow. That being said, try to get a majority to agree to a time and day that works best for them, and try to schedule activities in advance so no productivity is lost. For example:

 

  • Every Wednesday during lunch
  • Every other Friday at 1 pm
  • Every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 am

 

How: To set up team building exercises, you can assign individuals to groups. Every time the group meets, you can choose to “switch it up” by dividing them a different way. For instance, splitting up groups by department or floor. Switching groups or partners frequently and randomly helps you avoid office “cliques” afterward.  

Finally, make the time enjoyable. Your office space may allow for couches and more comfortable seating than desk chairs. Bring food and beverages. Share a meal or even a small snack. The success of this project is entirely dependant on the participants, and if they’d rather be at their desks working, then everyone is missing the point.

Workplace Clubs and Sponsored Teams

This isn’t so much a team building “exercise” as it is a weekly gathering for discussion. Clubs and teams are a great way to promote team building, however, especially since they are voluntary and all participants want to be there. Employees can choose a club by interest (books, photography, Yoga, knitting, volunteering, etc.) or by sport.

If your company chooses to sponsor a league by paying their registration fee, your brand can be advertised on team t-shirts or sweaters. Popular sports include basketball, bowling, soccer, or running. Partner with local charities for marathons and half marathons to raise money or awareness for a cause they feel close to.

Egg Drop

This is a team competition and a fun icebreaker for groups just getting to know each other. First, you will need at least two teams of people. Each team is given one raw egg and random office supplies to work with.

Office supplies could be anything, including paper, tape, utensils from the break room, straws, pens, or rubber bands. Once the supplies are distributed, start a timer for 20 minutes. The teams have that much time to build a contraption or package that would help protect the egg from an 8-foot drop. When the timer goes off, take all of the packages and one by one, drop them 8 feet from the ground. Teams with unbroken eggs will be declared the winner!

Two Truths and a Lie

This game allows co-workers to know each other better on a more personal level. First, the entire group starts out by sitting in a circle. Each person will take turns telling two true facts about themselves and one lie, in any random order. However, they cannot reveal which is a lie.

After sharing, everyone else must “vote” on which statement they believe is a lie. If they are right, they can have one point. After every person in the circle has had a turn, the person(s) with the highest number of correct guesses, or points, wins.

There is also another version of the game Two Truths and a Lie in which the statements are written down on pieces of paper. Once they are all written down, everyone in the group must “mingle” for 20 minutes while to try to figure out who is lying. Or they can spend time convincing others of their own lie. When the conversations are over, then the voting can begin.

Scavenger Hunt

This can be an individual or team challenge. While it is possible to conduct a scavenger hunt in the office, it’s best to try this outdoors since there may be some running involved. Make a list of tasks for each person or team to complete within a limited time frame. They should remember to bring their smartphones because they must snap a photo of someone from their team completing the task. The tasks could be as silly as you want, such as “Give a stranger a high five!”

Once the list is checked off, everyone can meet back at the office to view the photos if they wish. Points are awarded for each list item, so the more difficult the task, the more likely they are to win.

Drawing Back to Back

This is an interesting game of interpretation. Have two people sitting back to back in their office chairs. One person will be given an image or picture, and the other person will have to draw it with a pencil and paper. They can’t look at the image, though – their teammate in the other chair must describe it for them. Set up a timer to keep the game moving fast. At the end of the round, it’s interesting to see how the picture has been interpreted.

How Well do you Communicate with Others?

12th December 2017 Learn, Tips

We started with grunts, moved onto crude paintings, took the leap into spoken language, then written language was born, and now we speak roughly 6,900 languages. Most of us like to think we are at the pinnacle of sophistication in our ability to communicate with other people. Then Elon Musk proposes the concept of direct brain-to-brain transmission… what can’t this guy do? The purpose of communicating is to share ideas, feelings, emotions, thoughts, etc. Aside from creating differing avenues through which we can communicate (phone calls, texting, emailing), the way we communicate hasn’t changed much since speech first came to be.

And if we think about it, we aren’t always that great at it. Try having an argument with your significant other, or reason with your boss about why their new plan is awful. We aren’t always in touch with exactly how we feel or think, and then when we try to communicate these vague or confusing concepts, we choose which words (sometimes correctly, sometimes not) to convey the message to somebody else. Then, the other person hears those words from their point of view, with their own feelings and thoughts influencing the meaning of these words. And we go back and forth in what we call a conversation.

Musk wants to eliminate the guesswork and bias that goes into communication to allow us to literally wire our thoughts and feelings to another person. Obviously, we aren’t there yet, so it’s worth talking about how we can improve our current methods and modes of communication to eliminate professional mistakes and personal flounders.

Effective Communication is Key to your Success and Happiness

As a highly social species, we rely on relationships for our happiness and survival. Everything from the clothes we wear to the words that come out of our mouth communicates who we are to other people. It’s crucial to our success in business to be able to communicate effectively, and it’s definitely necessary to foster strong relationships.

An excellent communicator is self-aware and can easily identify and label their emotions and motivations. Having the insight required to self-reflect leads to an increased ability to convey how you are feeling, and why you are feeling a certain way. When you can do this, it becomes possible to enlist someone’s help in finding a solution. This is beneficial in both professional and personal settings. When you let emotions exist inside of you without seeking to identify their source or define their purpose, they can have control over you.

For example, it is difficult to act rationally when you are angry. Having the capacity to feel your anger, sit with it for a moment, and then tell your partner why it makes you angry that they constantly leave dishes in the sink will come across much more effectively than yelling at them for the 7th time this week to “PUT YOUR DISHES AWAY!”

Word choice, tone, volume, and body language all serve to help or hinder us in our ability to communicate effectively with another person. Try it now. Think of a sentence, maybe something you’ve been wanting to say but haven’t had the courage to.

First, say it softly and without confidence, then say the same sentence with hand movements and a loud voice. Try it again with an angry tone, then say it with a smile on your face. You’ll be able to see, even without an audience, the different effect the words can have on the meaning and effectiveness of your message. But remember, the first step in communicating well is developing a strong sense of self-awareness and a willingness to be introspective to better understand yourself before you toss words out into the universe.

Communication Made Simple

There is a saying that goes, “I’m sorry for the long email, I didn’t have time to write a short one.” It’s time-consuming and frankly, an art, to convey meaning in fewer words. In our very digital age, the rules of communication are more complex. Much of what we say is sent through text or email, and the spoken word still requires attention to tone and volume. Here are some communication “musts” that will take you far in your business interactions.

Texting

Even though texting has become the go-to for a quick message, the casual tone you use to find out which bar your friends are at does not convey professionalism. Make sure you stick with proper capitalization and punctuation.

Email

Email communication is a large part of business communication, especially if you work remotely. The key here is to put in the extra effort to send a short concise message that gets your message across in as few words as possible. The longer it is, and the more you try to dress it up with big words, the more you risk muddling your message. Try sticking to the Five W’s: Who, What, When, Where, Why. This can also be applied to texts and spoken communication.

Danger of Assumptions

Never assume. Don’t assume your reader knows how you feel or where you are coming from. Be direct, clear, and polite about your position. Don’t over-explain, but make sure whoever is reading your email will not be forced to fill in any blanks. It could create an uncomfortable or even expensive situation in the future. If you are unclear, the reader is given the freedom to infer. They may infer incorrectly.

Saying Too Much

Since we’re talking about communication here, for the most part that involves speaking or writing. But sometimes, a well-placed pause is far more powerful than the impact of any statement. Additionally, let the others do all the talking; too much talking can confuse the message. If you can sit in on a meeting and stay out of the gossip and emotional excitement of a passionate debate, so that when you do finally speak, it will carry more weight and value. You will be known as somebody who contributes value instead of just noise.

How to Call 1800 Numbers from Canada

6th December 2017 How To's, Learn, Tips

Are you interested in learning how to call 1800 numbers from Canada? If so, we can offer some assistance. The following article will offer the steps to take to make a 1800 call from Canada. Read on to learn more.

What are Canada 1800 Numbers?

Canada 1800 numbers are just like toll free numbers in the US, or anywhere else. These numbers do not have a specific, location-centric area code. They can be used nationally, or in the case of Canada 1800 numbers, throughout Canada and the US as well. As the name states, these numbers start with the “1800” prefix with seven digits following.

How do Canada 1800 Numbers Work?

They are toll free numbers, which means that the numbers are free for callers to dial. The owner of the number pays for all calls that are received. In the age of mobile and VoIP calling, having a toll free number has a different meaning than in the past, when callers used landlines to make calls. Even though most callers don’t necessarily need calls to be “toll free” because they inherently won’t be charged, toll free numbers are significant because they indicate business establishment. Therefore, when you have one, it indicates to your clients or potential customers that you are a well-established business.

It’s important to note, however, that you typically cannot make calls to toll free numbers outside of the country they are intended for. So for instance, if you are in Australia and you want to call a Canada 1800 toll free number, it will not work. However, if you’re in the US, it will be no different than calling any other toll free number in the US. Similarly, if you want to call the US from Canada, on a standard phone number (not a toll free number) you will just have to dial 1 + the area code, then the phone number.

How to Call 1800 Numbers from Canada

Here are the steps you can follow to make a call to a 1800 number in Canada.

Step 1: Using the dial pad your phone, enter the exact digits of the 1800 Canada number you want to call.
Step 2: Press the “Call” button for the call to be made.
Step 3: Hang up or press “End” when the call is complete.

1800 Toll Free Canada Numbers for Your Business

If your business is considering using toll free numbers to communicate with clients or potential clients in Canada, here is some more info on why they are an excellent option.

    • Professional Appeal: Toll free numbers are great when used in marketing because they are an instant symbol of being an “established” business.
    • Widespread National & Continental Reach: They give your business the ability to be reached by people anywhere in all of Canada (and the US). So, if you’re aiming to create a national or continental presence, an 800 toll free number in Canada will be great for your callers.
    • A Distinct Business Number: If you need to purchase a designated business phone number for your business and you do business in Canada or the US, a 1800 toll free number is ideal. This ensures your customers will know they are dialing a business number. While local numbers are perfect for creating a “local” presence, a toll free number indicates your company is national/ continental.

About Canada 1800 Toll Free Phone Numbers

When you purchase a 1800 number for Canada, it can be used ubiquitously in the US as well. This is because phone numbers for Canada and the United States are determined by the North American Numbering Plan, also known as the NANP, which is the governing body for the assignment of phone numbers in North America. Therefore, toll free numbers in the US and Canada are used the same way.

Conclusion

If you were interested in learning how to call 1800 numbers from Canada, hopefully, this article shed some light on the process. It’s important to remember that if you’re in North America, dialing Canada toll free numbers will be a simple process, however, if you’re elsewhere, they may not work at all. If you would like to get a Canada 1800 number for your business, contact Global Call Forwarding today to do so.

6 Reasons to Get a Virtual Phone System

6th December 2017 Learn, Tech, Tips

Virtual phone systems are becoming increasingly popular for business communications. This is because they present a way to reduce communication costs while allowing you to expand your business’ reach. Learn more about why you should choose a virtual phone system for your enterprise needs below.

Why You Should Get a Virtual Phone System

Virtual phone systems are business phone systems that come equipped with enhanced communication features to help you organize and manage calls better. With virtual or cloud phone systems, you can cut out landlines and expensive hardware upgrades. And, you can make room for global expansion, inexpensive international calling, and extended call forwarding capabilities.

This type of phone system is growing in popularity and takes your business communications to the next level. So why does your business need a virtual phone system?

Related: How to Set Up a Virtual Phone System?

1. Global Coverage

A virtual phone system gives you access to virtual numbers not only for your city and country but for other countries as well. You can get a local or toll free number for a different country and offer customer service to an international clientele.

Additionally, you can work from any place that has a reliable internet connection. This is mainly what separates a virtual system from other options. And since most public places now have easy WiFi access, you don’t have to worry about missing the next big conference call while traveling for work.

Calls can be routed to your smartphone, home office, and more so you can answer calls while on-the-go or while working from home. This kind of flexibility means you can stay completely connected to your network no matter what’s going on, or where you happen to be.

2. Flexibility and Scalability

An ideal phone system is both flexible and scalable, so you can grow as much as you need. A virtual phone system has unlimited capabilities. For example, you can add phone numbers, SIP lines, and update routing information as you go. Virtual phone systems work for small companies just as well as large ones. Therefore, there is no pressure to find a new system for communicating with customers if your company expands overnight.

More than that, many startups and midsize companies don’t necessarily want their clients to know just how small their business is. A virtual phone system gives you the tools that display the appearance of a company with vast resources at your disposal. You will be able to use toll free numbers and vanity numbers to improve professionalism and credibility.

3. Cost-Effective Communication

When your business relies heavily on new revenue, you need to have the right resources to cut down on costs. Cloud phone systems help you cut down on communication costs by reducing your monthly local and international calling bills.

Additionally, everything you need to run the system is online and stored on the cloud. This means you do not need to buy additional software or hardware or worry about its maintenance. Plus, since the system is easy to manage and use, you are also cutting down on training costs. A new employee can get started using a virtual phone system almost right away.

4. Keep Work and Personal Calls Separate

New and solo-business owners often make the mistake of using a personal cell phone or home number when they first set up a line for communications. This can get your work and personal calls mixed up, blurring the line between personal and professional time. For example, you might get interrupted by customer service complaints while spending time with your family.

Instead, a virtual phone system will still allow you to use the same cell phone or landline (device), but offer you different phone numbers, different outgoing messages, and different forwarding rules. For example, a 1-800 toll free number and your local area code number can both be directed to your smartphone. However, you can also control when you receive incoming calls from each. So no matter where you spend your time, you can be free from distractions, keeping work and personal lives separate.

5. Use Automation

Virtual phone systems also come with automation features that help cut down time spent on menial tasks. A common example of telephone automation is an efficient and well-designed IVR system. An interactive voice response system answers incoming calls and interacts with the customer through pre-recorded messages and rules.

With such a system, callers can get answers to simple questions such as business hours or location information without the need of an employee. Advanced IVR technology can even process payments, register complaints, activate accounts, etc., on its own. Instead of having an employee answer the same question multiple times a day, the IVR will explain these points through a pre-recorded menu. This will save time and free your employees up to handle more complicated tasks.

6. Block Spammers

Finally, you can block out potential spam and fraud calls. You are less inclined to answer calls from unfamiliar numbers or area codes. These calls may present new sales opportunities or telemarketing hassles. In other words, one is a valuable opportunity, the other a waste of time.

Virtual phone systems offer call screening and black and white lists for this reason entirely. You can prioritize or block certain numbers. Or, you can automatically redirect a caller to a different number. This feature is also useful if you would rather have sales calls go directly to the sales department instead of your office line. Callers won’t know if they are put on certain lists or being redirected.

Get Your Virtual Phone System Now!

In light of these benefits, if you are in the market to purchase a virtual phone system, we at Global Call Forwarding can help. Speak with our experts or sign up for a virtual number and start building your phone system today.

Options for Sprint Wireline International Toll-Free Number Customers

6th December 2017 Learn, Tech, Tips

In September 2017, Sprint ceased operations of its wireline consumer long-distance service and all the service’s associated features. The discontinuance need not have detrimental results for Sprint customers, because they can easily turn to modern alternatives that will allow for cost effective long distance calling. One solution is to obtain international toll-free numbers from alternative carriers.

What is a Virtual Phone Number?

A virtual number is one that is programmed strictly for the purpose of forwarding calls to another number. Virtual numbers do not require any dedicated hardware. Calls can be forwarded to existing landlines, call centers, mobile phones, or to a voicemail box. Virtual international numbers allow your company to have a virtual presence in many countries throughout the world. Your clients, colleagues, and competitors will not ever need to know that you do not have a local physical presence.

Virtual numbers don’t have to be international. You can even take advantage of them if you are in the United States. For example, let’s say you have a real estate business that is headquartered in New York, but you want to attract customers in Philadelphia. You could get a virtual phone number with a Philly area code. These calls will be transferred instantly and seamlessly to your main business line, without any caller realizing you may not actually be in Philadelphia, enabling you to have a local presence that can propel your business in this new market.

Which Replacement Carrier Should I choose?

You should consider a carrier that provides virtual international toll-free numbers, such as Global Call Forwarding. This type of service has a number of advantages.

  • Cost efficiency: Because regional and international calls to your virtual business numbers can be redirected via toll-free Internet links, the call is answered without any additional cost to the customer.
  • Local business presence: Marketing surveys show that current and potential clients prefer to deal with local customer service providers. Having virtual business numbers allows you to establish a local presence without having to relocate or send staff to a different area. Virtual numbers also permit you to provide more personalized customer service.
  • Business image: Having a professional image is crucial, particularly if you are a start-up or small business. Virtual numbers can enhance your business profile by allowing you to create different business departments, functions or locations, even when you are working out of a non-traditional office space.
  • Consistency: When you sign up for virtual phone numbers, they are never tied to a specific device. In spite of this, your customers can always reach you by dialing the same number, wherever you are working from, without a concern over who is going to answer.
  • Security: When you use the virtual international number you can log all your calls, which enables you to easily keep track of your call costs. You can see who called, where they called from and when they called. You can also block unwanted numbers to set call limits and reduce your costs. Caller IDs can help you blacklist and whitelist numbers or redirect calls, so you don’t waste time or money.
  • Brand continuity: If you are juggling several products or services through different sources, a virtual number can help you maintain the integrity and continuity of your brand. Even if you have already established a client base who use certain numbers, emails and contact names, you can still port each of these channels to your new virtual communications system.

Advanced customizable features: Global Call Forwarding offers a suite of additional features including SMS email forwarding, black and white listing, rollover minutes, time of day routing, customized greeting, local ringback tone, and simultaneous ringing.

How International Toll-Free Numbers Can Help you Track Marketing Effectiveness

Tracking your phone calls can help you learn which of your marketing strategies are effective and which campaigns are not working. Right now, you may mistakenly think that several of your marketing plans are bringing in results. However, the only way to be sure is to actually verify your hunch with data. When you log and track your calls, you will be able to attribute your phone calls, which allows you to trace them directly to their sources.

Not only will this prevent you from wasting money on advertising, but it will also boost your return on investment. By tracking your calls you can see immediately which of your marketing efforts are converting leads to customers. This will help you better understand exactly how your customers are getting to you.

Call tracking also allows you to recapture dead leads and lost clients. You can gear follow-up calls to specific customer concerns. The extra information gleaned from call tracking enables you to know what a customer wants/ needs in order to complete an unfinished transaction.

If you are not able to clearly see what’s working for your company now, how can you make the right decisions for the future? One suggestion we can offer is to use call tracking with your virtual international toll free numbers. This can work in a number of ways to your advantage, and it can help you determine what the most effective marketing channels are. Then, you will be able to focus your efforts, and your budget accordingly to see the best results.

Can I Keep My Current Phone Number

Yes, you can retain your current number if you choose a virtual toll-free number. You also have the option to transfer your existing toll-free numbers to Global Call Forwarding. It’s a very user-friendly process, and you can complete it all in just a few easy steps. If you opt for our Value Service or higher, we will even waive the porting fees.

Do I Have to Add Onto or Replace My Current Phone System?

With Global Call Forwarding, this is not necessary. Virtual regional and international toll-free number services integrate with your existing phone system. They do not require additional equipment or software.

If you were a former Sprint Wireline International Toll-Free Number Customer, there’s no need to worry about this service being decommissioned. You can get everything you had from this service and more from a reliable virtual international call forwarding service such as Global Call Forwarding. This way you will be able to keep your international customers, allow them to call you toll—free wherever you are, and you won’t even have to change your current toll-free numbers. You get to save money, your customers will remain satisfied, and affordable communication will be available for all.

Call Center Regulations

28th November 2017 Learn, Tips

Customer call centers are the bedrock of large businesses’ customer service. Many businesses set up call centers to take incoming calls from customers who need help or have questions about their products or services. While some businesses only use their call center to receive calls, others also use it to make outbound calls for the purpose of soliciting new clients.

Call Center Laws

It is important to know that there are specific federal laws that affect the operation of call centers. These include the Telephone, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the Consumer Protection Act, and the U.S. Department of Labor Hourly Worker Requirements.

While some of these may seem surprising, it is important to know that many call center managers are not aware they can be in violation of call center regulations.

Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Call centers that are making outbound calls to solicit sales must follow the regulations mandated by the TCPA. This body regulates the times that telemarketers may call and their persons they may call.

  • Call centers must not call residential numbers before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
  • During each call, the customer service agent must tell the recipient which company he or she represents and must also give his or her name and phone number.
  • Call centers must abide by the regulations of the Do Not Call Registry.
  • Auto-dialed and automated or pre-recorded calls may not be made for telemarketing purposes without the recipient’s written consent.

The TCPA permits individuals to file lawsuits and claim damages if a call center violates the regulations.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

All the main U.S. health insurance companies utilize customer service call centers. Their purpose is to handle inquiries from current or prospective insurance policy subscribers as well as dealing with provider inquiries, verifications of eligibility, and claim authorizations. All call center workers dealing with patient information must at all times adhere to the regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA was passed in 1996 and mandates the privacy of each individual’s health information. The act is designed to protect patients and their medical information. Call center staff are not allowed to discuss the details of private patient information with anyone other than the patient or a person whom the patient has authorized. Any call center that violates HIPAA regulations is subject to legal action and penalties on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Contractual Requirements

Each individual client to whom a call center provides service is classed as a separate contract. Call centers must, at all times, follow federal mandates for these clients, as well as following the client’s specific requirements. For example, a contract may specify that calls are to be answered live instead of being routed through an automated system. Another contract may request that calls are answered within a specific time frame. If a call center is unionized, it is also required to meet union regulations as well. All specific contractual obligations must be followed at all times.

U.S. Department of Labor Hourly Worker Requirements

Usually, call center employees are paid at an hourly rate. For call centers in the United States, the U.S. Department of Labor administers the Fair Labor Standards Act, which states how workers who are paid hourly must be treated. The employer is required to pay at least the national minimum wage unless the state minimum wage is higher. Furthermore, hourly employees who work more than 40 hours per week must be paid an overtime rate, the amount of which should be of one and a half times their normal hourly wage.

It is up to the call center manager to ensure that there are enough people in the call center to handle the expected call volume at any given time. Call center managers often use virtual software to predict how many call center agents will be needed to handle the projected volume in half-hour increments. This helps ensure that workers get their required break times.

Regulations Regarding Recording Customer Calls

If you record customer calls and you are taking information about the customer’s credit cards, then you need to know that this is against PCI-DSS standards, which prohibits the storage of the CVV2 number (the three- or four-digit number listed on the back of the card). This number may not be stored at any time or in any form even at a high level of encryption. If your company is recording calls and you are not stopping call recording when the customer gives out the CVV2 number, then you are violating PCI-DSS regulations. The simple solution to this problem is to pause the voice recording when the customer is inputting their credit card details so that the call center agent can enter it manually and it will not be stored in the recording.

Regulations Regarding Outbound Calls

Many companies have a recorded announcement stating that incoming calls may be recorded for the improvement of customer services.

However, few organizations provide this information when making outgoing calls to customers. And even fewer take into consideration that they are recording their employee’s conversations as well as those of their customers. At this point, it should be noted that if you are going to record a telephone conversation, all parties must be notified before you commence recording. To avoid legal action, your call center must advise all parties that they will be recorded, and give them the opportunity to opt out if they so desire. It must also be clear that in order to opt out they should hang up. In order to avoid any legal complications with this issue, the easiest option is to ask your employees and contractors to sign a notice of consent form agreeing that their calls may be monitored and recorded.

Network Regulations

You also need to ensure that your call center network system is secure enough to be compliant with PCI guidelines. This means not only having an effective firewall and router but also implementing internal processes that will provide additional layers of protection. You should impose restrictions on all traffic from networks which are considered to be unsafe and never permit direct access between network components containing customer data and the internet.

To make sure your call center agents are aware of security protocols and call center regulations, you should add these issues to the employee training program, and make sure to update your team regularly so that they do not forget to keep all calls 100 percent compliant.