As businesses continue to transition to hybrid/remote work environments, it has become extremely important for companies to have a reliable form of communication. The standard route that many businesses take is to issue company phones to their employees. This way, every staff member has phone and a reliable form of communication. However, we have found that using phone apps or softphones is an innovative way for businesses to work around the typical office phone. In this article we will give you five reasons why.
Easily accessible
A softphone is a type of software program installed on an employee’s device of choice used for making phone calls over the internet rather than using a physical phone. These applications have the ability to function on different devices such as tablet, smartphone, and laptop as long as they are connected to the internet. Softphones allow you to communicate from any location with stable internet connection and allows employees the opportunity to make handsfree calls through the use of a headset. A cool feature we like about softphones is the ability to turn your personal phone into a business-level communication tool by simply downloading and installing the softphone program.
Cost effective
The largest and possibly most attractive benefit to using softphones is that they cost far less than a standard business phone. Many businesses spend a lot of money to have office phone equipment installed and just as much money to maintain it. With a softphone you only need to pay the monthly subscription and your provider will deal with all the costs associated with server and system maintenance. Since softphones work over the internet, they eliminate the expenses associated with local and long-distance rates and some providers even offer free international calls.
Interactive user interface
Softphones use a friendly user interface that is simple for your team to learn. For example, if you need to transfer a call to a coworker, you simply drag and drop the call to their name, eliminating the need to dial an extension. If you need to make a phone call, simply navigate to the search bar, type their name in, and just tap their name to initiate the call. If there is a period of time where you know you can’t be disturbed, turn on the “do not disturb” feature and set if for a specific time frame to redirect incoming calls to your voicemail or a fellow colleague. To top it off, they provide caller ID and other profile information when there is an incoming call to see exactly who is calling you.
Hold high quality video meetings
If you would like to meet face to face instead of a phone call, softphones permit you to create a multiparty video meeting. This allows businesses to conduct better meetings even if their employees are working remote. Video conferences also allow the team members to read body language, making it easier to read and understand what the other person is saying. Some of the softphone service companies come with the cool feature of screen sharing, making it easier to conduct in-depth meetings out of office.
Simple integration with enterprise software
Another great feature of softphones is their ability to work with your company’s existing system. If you use a customer relationship management platform then you’re in luck because you can integrate your softphone to work directly with your CRM. This will allow you to compile previous call logs and relevant customer data prior to making a call. This is ideal for those employees working in the customer service or sales fields who need to have contextual information to provide better services to your clients.
Overall, softphones can be a great fit for any business that would like to explore other options outside of the traditional office phone. They’re intuitive, cost-effective, and feature-rich. So if you are a company that needs a better form of communication, turn to softphones for a cheaper alternative. Check out SkyCom for more information on hosted phone systems perfect for your business needs! Contact your managed services provider like RJ2 Technologies to learn how they can help with your communication needs.
