Once you’ve decided to switch to VoIP phone systems, the next step is determining your need for VoIP features and determining which will benefit your company the most. They may all seem helpful, but if you don’t utilize the feature regularly, it may not be within your best interests to pay the additional costs. A good VoIP provider should prioritize VoIP features that satisfy everyday needs for your business first and then move on to the more costly other VoIP features.
It would be best to remember that high-speed internet is generally required when using VoIP phone systems. Some of the features listed here may not work as intended if you don't have the proper bandwidth available.
Here is a list of some advanced VoIP features and their benefits to help you determine your VoIP feature needs. These VoIP features for your phone systems are bound to satisfy the everyday needs of your business.
Advanced VoIP Features and Benefits
- Conference Calls
Conference calls are one of the most used VoIP features guaranteed to satisfy your business’s everyday communication needs. This allows you to have between four and ten callers in one phone conversation. Employees can participate in meetings on short notice and don’t have to be in the exact location. This may also be useful if some of the employees work from home or need to travel frequently.
- Virtual Phone Numbers
Virtual phone numbers are frequently used in VoIP features. You can use VoIP phone systems to create virtual phone numbers for area codes other than your own. This can benefit companies that receive phone calls from around the country. The customers dial a “local” number that automatically redirects to the phone system in your main office. They don’t have to dial a long-distance number, so the customer may be more inclined to call. You can even use your old phone on a VoIP system or port existing business numbers to streamline the transition and reduce interruptions to communications.
- Video Conferencing
Video conferencing is another widespread integration for VoIP features that ensures your business’s everyday communication needs are met more efficiently. This allows you to add a video to your conference calls. If your company wants to be able to make visual presentations to employees who cannot be present, this feature is a good choice. It is also generally inexpensive through VoIP features since it costs the same as a phone call.
- Auto-Attendants
Auto-attendant is one of the VoIP features that improve workflows and helps companies improve external communication with clients and customers. The auto-attendant provides phone users with a detailed menu that lets them dial by name or extension. This can help to free up the operator since they no longer have to connect each phone call directly. If your customers are regularly experiencing long waits over the phone, you can potentially improve your quality of service by adding this feature. Moreover, most providers provide VoIP features for advanced call management. This feature helps you in handling incoming calls. You can prioritize your calls to maintain call quantity.
- Automatic Rejection of Anonymous Numbers
Another of the VoIP features that some providers provide is an automatic rejection of calls from unknown numbers. It is a handy feature as it allows spam calls and unknown numbers to be blocked, preventing you from unnecessary distractions.
- Automatic Service Failover
Some providers have the VoIP feature of switching your service to 4G when your primary network is not working correctly. Many providers are providing so many VoIP features that it is up to you to determine your VoIP feature needs.
- Phone Number Portability
This means you keep the same phone number regardless of location. The feature is handy for companies who move around frequently since they don’t have to send out their new phone numbers to their customers repeatedly.
- Auto Dialers
Another of the most popular VoIP features in businesses that call customers or clients frequently is an auto-dialer. You can look into this, among other VoIP features, when determining if your business needs to streamline outbound calling as you make the move to VoIP. This is one of the most time-effective VoIP features for companies with busy outbound activity, as it automates calls to a pre-set list.
- Busy Lamp Field
When determining which VoIP features you need most, look into Busy Lamp Field (BLF). It uses SIP to locate if a line is busy and then uses a busy light on your IP phone systems for that line. Although most users have this VoIP feature by default, you may have to manually check with your provider to set it up.
- Call Barge
Call Barge is one of the more frequently used VoIP features in call centers. Among other crucial VoIP features, call barge can help if your teams have problems during customer calls. The call center supervisor can ‘barge’ between the agent and the customer. Most providers have this and other VoIP features available by default, but you can always ask them to set it up manually if unavailable.
- Call Flip
Call flip is another of the VoIP features usually present by default. It allows you to transfer calls from one phone to the next.
- Call Forwarding
It is one of the essential VoIP features to consider when determining your VoIP feature needs. Most providers have this as a default VoIP feature. It allows the forwarding of calls to available agents’ desks. It is essential for daily communication.
- Call Recording
You can use VoIP features like call recording to keep a permanent record of all phone conversations. This can help protect the company from lawsuits since you will have proof of what happened during a phone call if a customer claims otherwise. Recorded phone calls can also be used to improve customer service since you can listen to previous calls and observe how your employees interact with the public.
- Call Hold
Call hold is another standard in VoIP features provided by most providers. It allows agents to put callers on hold for a short period.
- Call Park
Call park is a few other VoIP features used to put calls on hold. It allows team members to set calls on hold until a specific person can join the call. Most providers like Nextiva, 8 x 8, already have this as a default VoIP feature.
- Call Tracking
Call tracking is another of the most common VoIP features that can benefit your business. It can help you determine how customers approach you. It can significantly benefit your business by allowing successful campaigns or ads and in which area.
- Extra Voicemail Add-On
Adding additional features like extra voicemail boxes can help you grow your VoIP system as you scale your teams. You can add additional voicemail boxes beyond the number provided by the package. Many companies prefer to get one for each employee, but this might not be necessary for temp workers.
- Voicemail-to-Email Transcription
Voicemail to email transcription is one of the most popular VoIP features. Many VoIP systems offer the possibility of transcribing voicemail for you. If you have someone in the office performing this task regularly, this feature can free up their time for other duties or eliminate the need for the position.
One final matter to consider are the special packages that may be available, and it's worth the time to compare the best VoIP providers and see which offers the critical VoIP features you need in your business. If the hosting service has a package that includes most of the features you want, choosing it can save you more money than purchasing the options à la carte.
