9 Ways VoIP Helps Improve Customer Service Quality

It may sound cliché, but customers are your business’s #1 priority. So, how can you make sure they receive the very best service? 

This post will look at how VoIP services boost customer satisfaction as well as the benefits of sound quality, reduced waiting times, clever call routing and more. 

Are you still using a traditional telephone for communications? If so, read this post to learn how VoIP can transform a business’s customer experience. 

What Is Customer Service and Why Is It Important?

Customer service is a customer’s experience through the entire sales process. Essentially, how the customer is treated pre-sale, during and after. A business can interact with a customer in several ways:

• Face to face 
• Telephone Calls
• Email
• Social Media
• Messenger 
• Advertising     

So, why is customer experience (CX) so important? 

Good CX bolsters a business’ bottom line. Great calls improve customer satisfaction to enhance sales and retention. Great CX can even turn detractors into brand ambassadors. 

How Does Bad Customer Service Impact a Business?

The fallout from a bad customer experience is very damaging to business success. A bad customer experience can be any of the following. 

• Long Wait Times
• Unprofessional Representatives
• Un-knowledgeable Staff
• Multiple Transfers
• Poor Self-Service Options

After more than one bad experience, around 80% of consumers say they would instead do business with a competitor. – Zendesk

Just one negative experience can mean the loss of a customer or sale to your business. Losing customers is a lot more than just that. Fewer customers mean a loss in revenue. 

Low retention can lead to a negative business reputation. Worse still, it can cultivate bad public reviews. CX is a vital part of Blueface’s service. Our Trustpilot score (4.7/5.0) highlights this commitment.

Poor CX also has a knock-on effect on employee motivation. If your customer service team is constantly trying to put out fires, then your CX needs a rethink.

How Important Is Customer Service to a Business?

At a high level, CX ensures business growth, revenue and reputation.

When a prospect contacts your business, you can convert them into a lead. Or better yet, a sale. If a customer calls, you can solve their issue quickly and court a positive review.

For 86%, good customer service turns one-time clients into long-term brand champions. – Khoros

As 62% of customers prefer phone calls, your phone system matters. A traditional phone system may not offer the call quality needed. This could be due to long wait times, damaged lines or a dated on-site PBX.

Furthermore, traditional phone systems can struggle with high call volumes. VoIP systems come with IVRs for a self-service option that routes calls to the correct department. More transfers lead to irritated callers. 

What Are VoIP Calls?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. To put it simply, VoIP is a phone system that works over the internet. VoIP can either be hybrid telephony (with a PBX) or fully hosted cloud telephony. 

How do VoIP Calls Work?

VoIP calls can be made through a desk phone, desktop computer or mobile (cell phone). Most importantly, they must have access to an internet connection. Unlike traditional phone systems (PSTN), VoIP needs no wiring or line rental. That is if your provider has a fully hosted model.

Soon, PSTN will be obsolete and this will only increase VoIP demand. VoIP technology is a virtual phone with no geographical limits. That means VoIP systems are very cost-effective, easily installed and scalable. 

When it comes to customer call quality, VoIP leads the way. Internet upload and download speeds are getting faster. That means that your customers get the highest call concurrency and quality. Quality is key. Here are 9 ways VoIP improves customer service quality overall.

9 Ways VoIP Can Improve Customer Service Quality

The first step is understanding the importance of excellent customer service. The next step is understanding how to provide it. Your phone system is the link between you and your customer base. VoIP can provide all the call quality that your business needs. As well as a ton of extra CX boosting features. 

1. 24/7 Availability – No Calls Go Unanswered

60% of customers prefer to call small businesses on the phone. If you miss four calls per week, 156 opportunities are missed per year. – My PA

The days of only being available 9 – 5 are gone (if they ever existed!). 

Customers expect immediate responses to their queries. This usually results in a direct call. Catching every call and employee query shouldn’t mean employing 24-hours staff. 

VoIP systems have features that ensure that every call gets answered. 

• Voicemail to Email: 85% of missed callers don’t call back. So, capturing their message is critical. Unified Voicemail ensures your team receives customer messages with quick responses. 
• Call Forwarding: Do you have to leave the office but don’t want to miss a customer’s call? Or maybe you are working on the road. Forward calls to your mobile or a colleague.
• Time of Day Routing: A global business can mean different teams in different time zones. Time of Day Routing is an effective way to catch all calls. Once one office closes, route your calls to the open branches.  

2. Better Call Quality at a Lower Price

Is there anything worse than lousy call quality? Have you ever hung up on a support call due to poor audio? A recent survey revealed that 68% said this had led them to hang up as a result.

VoIP technology offers HD voice call quality. As we mentioned, calls are supported through an internet connection. So, the amount of VoIP call bandwidth is important. Therefore, your calls will be crystal clear once you have a strong wired or wifi network connection. Check out our top tips on getting the most out of your VoIP call quality. 

On top of excellent call quality, VoIP calls can be made at a much lower cost. Maybe you are still using a traditional landline phone. There’s no comparison when it comes to VoIP vs. landline sound quality or cost. 

Some providers offer WiFi calling or voice over broadband (VOB). Private VoIP vs. WiFi calling is very different. VoIP providers also offer way more features that improve call handling times.

3. Reduced Waiting Times

Long call waiting times can seriously impact CX. Customers expect rapid responses. Time of day no longer matters! 

(64%) of people said they were frustrated at the length of time it took a customer service agent at a company to resolve a problem. – My Customer 

Thankfully, VoIP phone systems have features to combat just that. 

• Group Hunting: Group Hunting distributes calls from one phone number to a group of numbers or a team. Setting up call groups can help disperse call volumes. It also reduces call handling and transfers.
• Custom Music on Hold: Sometimes, your customer will be on-hold. So why not make this time worthwhile. Custom Music on Hold offers a marketing opportunity. Play pre-recorded promotions or business updates. You can also fill silences with music to make sure they hold on. Be sure the chosen tracks are license-free though!

4. More Efficient Call Interactions

Poor call handling drastically impacts customer loyalty. Leading to loss of customers and revenue. 

A customer is four times more likely to buy from a competitor if the problem is service-related.– Bain & Company

So what is an excellent call experience? Firstly, getting calls answered. Next, speaking to a knowledgeable agent. Finally, getting that response as quickly as possible. In CX terms, closing the ticket as soon as possible.

VoIP phone systems like Blueface provide an all-in-one platform to oversee all the above. 

• Switchboard/Console: While managing your business communications, visibility is vital. Oversee who is on calls. Gain real-time oversight and add users to call groups as needed. A simple click to forward or intercept ensures customers get to the correct department, every time. 
• Call History: Measure the effectiveness of your call handling times. Check on busier periods and make sure agents are reaching their targets. Reports can be downloaded from Blueface’s UC Portal.

5. Local and Toll-Free Numbers for Your Business

Your business number should never be underestimated. Robo and spam calls are on the rise – with nearly 2,700 robocalls made per second. Senior staffers also receive a lot of unsolicited sales calls from international numbers. As a result, phone call trust is down. 

VoIP phone numbers are virtual, with no geographical barriers. So you can pick the number that’s right for your business needs. 

• Localised Numbers: Localised numbers provide a global connection for your business as customers are four times more likely to answer a local number. Regardless of whether you have office space, you can gain access to a local number. 
• Toll-Free Numbers: Looking for a sure-fire way to increase customer calls? Toll-free numbers give your customer a free calling option. It helps your business seem more significant and professional. 

6. Easy for Employees Working Remotely

Excellent customer service doesn’t just happen in the office anymore. The rise in remote working has meant CX teams take calls from any location. This gives employees the freedom to take calls from their homes. Well, once you have the right tools in place!

• Desktop App: Providing expert customer care has never been easier. Calls can be made and received through your desktop and laptop. Simple features like click to voice call, forwarding and more. 
• Softphone App: The Softphone App is a business landline in your pocket. Make calls from your work landline on your mobile phone. Your customer care team can take calls from anywhere!  
• Microsoft Teams Phone Integration: Want to unlock MS Teams’ calling but don’t want complex billing? MS Teams Phone System Integration is the answer. Call landlines and mobiles from your Microsoft Teams desktop or mobile app. Reduce clutter and boost cost clarity, all under a single-pane.

Additionally, features like the UC Console and Call History help you measure performance. Remote access to call recording means you can ensure high call quality from anywhere.

7. Smart Routing with Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

IVR VoIP stands for Interactive Voice Response. It is an automated, self-service technology. Incoming callers are greeted with a pre-recorded list of choices. The customer can choose their next steps using their dial pad. All without speaking to a customer service agent. 

77% view organisations more positively if they offer self-service options for customers looking for support. -Vanilla 

The true benefit of IVR systems is their clever routing ability. Better business efficiency in an instant. IVRs route calls to the right departments. Blueface’s drag and drop interface allows you to set up complex call flows with ease. Simply use the wide range of elements:

• Ring Strategies
• Call Flow Menus
• Call Paging
• Voicemail Mailbox
• Play Custom Music on Hold
• Video Conferencing
• Call Conferencing
• Whitelist (for important clients)
• Echo Testing
• Call Flow Switching

Customers can save time on hold or transfer to the wrong agent. Calls are more productive and call flows are rigorously tested before going live.

8. Empower Employees with Direct Numbers and Extensions

VoIP works as a virtual phone system. This means you business can enjoy several phone number options. An extension number is a short internal phone number. This number can be linked to an employee or department. 

77% of consumers consider the difficulty of reaching an agent to be the biggest issue. – Help Scout

Short and sweet extension numbers make life easy for the caller. Firstly, they have a short number to dial. Secondly, they have a direct number for the department they want.  

9. Measure Effectiveness and Improve Performance

Measuring performance with call data helps your teams and customers. Call reporting for quantitative data and recording for qualitative data. 

• Insights Into Agent Quality: Call Recording offers an in-depth insight into your employees. Listen back to customer calls for improvements. Also, call recordings can be used for training purposes for new CX staff. Worried about data handling? Check out our comprehensive guide on GDPR and Call Recording.
• Tracking Call Volumes and Identifying Gaps: Call Reporting provides the detailed data needed to make business decisions. Whether it’s understanding high call volume times or which department is getting the most traffic and why? Call data and history have the answers you need. 

These features provide business intelligence that can give you an edge. They will not only help your teams but also your customers. Let’s summarise why VoIP is the next step for your business evolution.

Why Your Customer Service Teams Should Be Using VoIP

VoIP empowers teams of every size to provide the best customer service. Helping customers get faster responses. Businesses can gain high-level VoIP voice quality and advanced features too. 

• Call Forwarding and Music on Hold for always-on support. 
• Group Hunting for a quick caller response. 
• UC Console for calling visability. 
• A range of Numbering Options for low-cost customer calls and simplified dialling.
• Remote support tools like the Softphone and Desktop App.
• Detailed Call Data for operational and customer needs. 

Enhancing Customer Experience with Blueface

Blueface, A Comcast Business Company delivers a market-leading VoIP solution. VoIP is a great fit for small businesses or large enterprises. Our global customers choose Blueface for many reasons. 

Customer service is at the core of what we do! So, that’s why we developed a phone system that backs our teams with VoIP technology. Call routing, hybrid working tools like the softphone, IVR and more will make your business stand out from the crowd. 

Interested in learning more about how a VoIP calls work and the business advantages? 

Contact the team today to arrange a communications demo. We are happy to talk to you through your phone system options and plans.