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You know when you get a new stereo, and then months later, you figure out things that you didn’t even know it could do? It’s a lot better to know those tricks beforehand, which is why this article contains a variety of tricks and shortcuts that you can use with a virtual phone system to save yourself time, and unnecessary frustration. Route Multiple Menu Options to the Same Phone Not every business has a huge staff of people who are answering phones, wherein the standard structure of each department routing to a different person’s phone line does not apply. You may be the only person answering your phones, in fact, which means you will need a way to offer multiple options for different departments, using only one forwarding phone. All you have to do is simply set your single phone number as the forwarding number for all of the menu …

According to their official mission statement, the Federal Communications Commission is the government agency which “regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.” The FCC, established in 1934, is subject to Congressional oversight and is “responsible for implementing and enforcing America’s communications law and regulations.” What does the FCC actually do? So that’s the official background of the agency; now, what is it that the FCC actually does—and how does it affect our phone service today? As you’ll see in this article, it is actually working behind the scenes of a number of different aspects of our daily communications. The FCC is the governing body that primarily makes sure that U.S. communications, including phone service of all types, meet a specific set of standards as it applies to various interests such as regulation, policing, infrastructure, …

To set up a great phone system means adding brief audio messages in the right places for your callers to provide information, direct them to the correct person, and even hold their attention so the caller doesn’t hang up before they reach you. These messages come in the form of greetings and announcements that make your business sound and function like a professional phone system. Educate yourself on what each kind of message is called and how it is used, with this quick reference guide of phone system audio sections. 1. Welcome Greeting The Welcome Greeting is an optional greeting that you would place as an initial message for callers which they hear as soon as your system picks up. This audio section is where you can include a basic, “Hello. Thank you for calling,” and a quick identification of your company if you like. The Welcome Greeting is not …

Out of all the trending buzzwords in phone system technology, these are some of the most discussed among businesses. The buzz surrounding professional phone systems is, admittedly, not the most exciting buzz, but if you are a business, the following features and terms are good to be aware of. Virtual Phone Number Phone numbers are prevalent in all of our daily lives, and we have a good understanding of how they work. Virtual phone numbers, though basically no different from normal phone numbers, have only recently become commonly recognized. A virtual phone number is simply a phone number that is not assigned to a specific phone or device but that you can register and own in the same way as a conventional one, as well as dial it to reach someone. Further explanation of virtual phone numbers can be found in this post: https://talkroute.com/is-a-virtual-phone-number-the-same-as-a-standard-number/ On-Premises Phone System This is something …

SMS is quickly becoming a pervasive tool used by businesses, and that’s not only for company to client, but also for employees to message each other. With all these messages flying around, it’s good to give yourself some personal guidelines as to what is acceptable to send in a work text, and what you should never, ever send to a colleague or client. There are no written rules for this (unless your company has its own stated rules for work texting), so these are only common sense suggestions, and some of these may actually be acceptable for you, depending on the situation. It’s good to have some rules. It’s just like when you meet a new romantic interest. Even if you don’t intend to say anything off-color to this person you’ve just met, you may inadvertently send a text that is construed as inappropriate. Most of us have found ourselves …

    The easiest way to understand a virtual phone system is to think of it as a traditional office phone system, with all the features, but without all the equipment. Virtual phone systems have been around for a while now, but many people still have some trepidation about them because they don’t really understand what it is. To clear this up, what follows are a variety of features you find with any professional phone system and how they are handled in traditional vs. virtual systems.   Multiple Live Call Management   Traditional System: A local PBX system is required to facilitate multiple lines, or otherwise a phone for each line. These are connected by hard lines and linked together within an on-site network, normally installed and maintained by an outside contractor.   Virtual System: Talkroute provides a unique “call stacking” feature not available with most virtual phone service providers. …

When a technical issue arises with your phone system, it can be scary. Your phones are something that you don’t really expect to stop working. Maybe it’s because the landlines we had in our homes growing up almost never went down, even when the power was out (landlines have an independent power source); or maybe it’s because we don’t even want to think about missing important business calls. It’s natural to feel anxiety when something isn’t working quite right with your virtual phone system, but there is no need to worry and this is why: Around 95% of the issues that Talkroute users experience with their phone system are due to errors in the setup configuration or user error, which are easily and quickly remedied. The rare cases when there is an actual system issue are typically solved in less than an hour or even in a few minutes, with …

Though we all know that our phone number is private and important to us, as an individual or a business, there is something seemingly arbitrary about giving it out to someone, especially in the unassuming environment of the Internet. It’s getting more and more difficult to keep our personal phone number to ourselves, but with a few key steps, you can protect it from the spammers and scammers. Don’t give out your phone number. This is rule #1. We’re all on the defense against unwanted calls, but where are they coming from? How did they get your phone number? Somewhere along the line, you gave it to some organization or business, whether consciously or unbeknownst to you. When you are filling out a web form for anything online, just don’t include your phone number unless it’s for a reputable organization that actually needs it. Even then, be sure to read …

They used to start with letters. Up until about the 1950s, phone numbers were alphanumeric, eventually settling on a 2-letter, 5-number system that usually identified the region of the phone number and also aimed to make it more memorable. This system had to be done away with for a few reasons, one of which was due to the confusion that arose from telling someone letters that sounded like other letters, causing people to get the wrong number. Another reason was simply because you just couldn’t make as many combinations using the letters, as you could by using digits—then they had to add even more digits with the introduction of area codes. The most expensive phone number. (866) 666-6666 currently belongs to a limousine service in New York City, and to register this sought-after number must not have been any small feat. Not long ago, the cellphone number 666-6666 (area code …

For most of us, there’s not much science to it; we pick up the phone, we start talking. Even if you have a naturally soothing voice that reassures and delights everyone who hears it, you can still benefit from the techniques and suggestions below, for not only the tone that you use, but also for your choice of words—and even your timing. Tone Even & Calm If you can manage to keep your voice calm, clear, and even at all times, this is at the core of achieving a professional tone and attitude. It’s what people expect from someone who is representing a business. Additionally, keeping an even tone of voice is one of your best weapons for handling a customer who is upset. Polite & Patient, yet Confident It’s basically the Holy Grail for a customer support representative: The ability to be always polite to the customer, no matter …