Acefone's Uncategorized Blogs Tue, 14 Oct 2025 11:48:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://www.acefone.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/favicon.png Acefone's Uncategorized Blogs 32 32 Top 8 Avaya Alternatives for Better Business Communication https://www.acefone.com/blog/top-avaya-alternatives-competitors/ Tue, 14 Oct 2025 07:18:09 +0000 https://www.acefone.com/blog/?p=24837 Your contact center shouldn’t hold your growth hostage. Yet that’s exactly what’s happening to businesses relying on Avaya’s increasingly restrictive platform.   Avaya filed for bankruptcy in 2023, which shook the market’s confidence in the platform. They now require a minimum of 200 seats to qualify for sales for their AXP Public Cloud service. Additionally, their […]

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Your contact center shouldn’t hold your growth hostage. Yet that’s exactly what’s happening to businesses relying on Avaya’s increasingly restrictive platform.  

Avaya filed for bankruptcy in 2023, which shook the market’s confidence in the platform. They now require a minimum of 200 seats to qualify for sales for their AXP Public Cloud service. Additionally, their heavy reliance on partnership integrations has made them more of a roadblock than an enabler for growing sales and support teams. 

If you’re a sales or support leader evaluating alternatives, you’re making the right move. This comprehensive guide examines eight cloud-native contact center platforms that deliver enterprise-grade capabilities without enterprise headaches. 

Read on. 

Why Consider Alternatives to Avaya?

Avaya has been a legacy platform serving customers globally since 2000. However, the platform’s limitations grew faster than its tech-stack could catch up. They struggled to update their products with modern technologies like conversation intelligence and AI-driven sales tools.  

Older systems like Avaya find innovation and feature rollouts more challenging unlike cloud-native platforms, which are generally more adaptable.  

Other than that, Avaya doesn’t offer a standalone UCaaS solution. RingCentral actually powers Avaya’s UCaaS. So, if you want a seamlessly integrated omnichannel communication platform at a lower price, you might find better top avaya alternatives like Acefone.  

But before diving into the alternatives, let’s understand more about the Avaya platfrom. 

Avaya Overview 

Avaya

G2 Rating: 4.1/5 stars 

Avaya Infinity Platform represents a veteran player in the contact center space. The offering includes both on-premises and cloud solutions through various products including Avaya Cloud Office, AXP Public Cloud, and AXP Private Cloud.  

Built on decades of telecommunications infrastructure, Avaya has attempted to modernize through strategic partnerships. Most notable is the integration with RingCentral’s UCaaS platform for its cloud offerings.  

The platform’s evolution reveals three major challenges legacy vendors face in the cloud-first era:  

  • Complex pricing structures 
  • Dependency on third-party integrations 
  • Business model that increasingly favors large enterprises over growing mid-market companies 

Top Features: 

  • Omnichannel Routing: Unified customer interactions across voice, email, and chat 
  • Workforce Optimization: Built-in quality management, recording, and performance analytics 
  • AI-Powered Self-Service: Automated IVR and virtual assistant capabilities for customer deflection 
  • CRM Integrations: Pre-built connectors for Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and ServiceNow 

Pricing:

Plans starting at $20 per user/month 

Best For: 

  • Large Enterprises: Organizations with 200+ agents and complex hybrid infrastructure needs 
  • Regulated Industries: Financial services and healthcare requiring stringent compliance frameworks 
  • Government Agencies: Public sector entities with on-premises security requirements 

The Challenge:  

Here’s the reality: Avaya’s new 200-seat minimum and add-on-heavy pricing model make it prohibitively expensive for growing teams. That’s why forward-thinking leaders are evaluating alternatives that offer flexibility, transparency, and modern cloud-native architecture. 

The Top 8 Avaya Alternatives: Your Comprehensive Guide 

Platform  Price  G2 Rating  Deployment  Best For  Key Differentiator 
Acefone  Custom pricing (pay-as-you-go)  4.7/5  Cloud-native, rapid deployment (hours)  BFSI, EdTech, Retail, Professional Services  AI-powered omnichannel platform with no minimum seat requirements and transparent pricing 
Exotel  $70/user/month (Essential)  4.3/5  Cloud-native; private/public/hybrid/on-prem  Emerging markets, startups to enterprises  Focus on emerging markets with multi-cloud deployment and regional integrations 
8×8 Contact Center  Custom  4.1/5  Cloud-based, global infrastructure  Healthcare, Retail, Professional Services  Unified communications + contact center with strong global presence and gen-AI self-service 
Dialpad  $60/user/month  4.4/5  Cloud-native  Tech Industries, Professional Services, EdTech  AI-native platform with strong voice intelligence but limited reporting and real-time monitoring 
Genesys Cloud CX  $75/user/month  4.4/5  Cloud-based  BFSI, Healthcare, Retail  Enterprise-grade platform with extensive workforce optimization and omnichannel orchestration 
Aircall  $30/user/month (Essentials)  4.4/5  Cloud-based, quick setup  Professional Services, EdTech, Retail  Simple, fast deployment VoIP focused on small-mid businesses with strong CRM integrations 
CallHippo  $18/user/month (Starter)  4.4/5  Cloud-based  Professional Services, Retail  Affordable international calling with global virtual numbers in 50+ countries 
Vonage  $19.99/user/month (Mobile)  4.3/5  Cloud-based  Technology, Healthcare  Strong CPaaS and developer-focused programmable communications APIs 

Here are the most top Avaya alternatives with better pricing and efficiency: 

1. Acefone

Acefone

G2 Rating:  4.7/5 stars 

Acefone delivers a comprehensive CXaaS (Customer Experience as a Service) platform purpose-built for small, medium, and large enterprise teams. The Ace X platform combines AI-powered automation, omnichannel communication, and deep analytics. This power combo has garnered the trust of over 5,000 businesses globally. 

Processing more than 2.5 billion calls annually, Acefone’s cloud-first architecture enables rapid deployment, often within hours. All this while delivering reliability and scale to mitigate the increasing demand.  

Unlike Avaya that bolts on features through acquisitions or partnerships, Acefone’s native-built technology stack ensures seamless integration across voice, SMS, WhatsApp, video, and email channels. 

Top Features: 

  • AI Post Call Analytics: Sentiment analysis, automated call summarization, call transcription, call score and more 
  • Multiple Dialing Modes: Progressive, predictive, preview, ratio and power dialing for outbound efficiency 
  • WhatsApp Interactions: Attend voice calls or customer chats over WhatsApp using your verified business number 
  • Omnichannel Platform: Unified dashboard for handling and viewing voice, chat, and WhatsApp, interactions 
  • Native Integrations: Pre-built connectors for 20+ CRM, helpdesk, and business tools 
  • Flexible Call Routing: Skills-based, time-based, and AI-driven intelligent routing 
  • Voice Streaming: Real-time two-way audio over the internet for AI tools, live listening, and smooth switch to a human agent if needed.

Key Benefits: 

  • No Minimum Seat Requirements: Scale from 5 agents to 5,000 without pricing penalties 
  • Rapid Deployment: Cloud-native platform goes live in hours, not months 
  • Transparent Pricing: Pay-as-you-go models with no hidden add-on fees 
  • Dedicated Support: Direct access to cloud experts and technical support teams 

Pricing: 

  • Flexible plans with pay-as-you-go options 
  • Custom pricing based on feature selection and user count 

Best For: 

  • BFSI: Secure, compliant platforms for banking, insurance, and financial advisory firms 
  • EdTech: Scalable solutions for enrollment teams, student support, and alumni engagement 
  • Retail: Omnichannel customer service for e-commerce and brick-and-mortar operations 
  • Healthcare: Cloud-based solutions for patient engagement and telehealth support 
  • Professional Services: Flexible contact center solutions for consulting, legal, and accounting firms 

Why Acefone Beats Avaya:  

Where Avaya forces you to commit to 200 seats and navigate complex add-on pricing, Acefone lets you start small and scale strategically. You get enterprise features like AI assistance, omnichannel interactions, and advanced analytics.

2. Exotel

exotel

G2 Rating: 4.5/5 stars 

Exotel stands out as one of India’s leading cloud-based communication platforms, serving over 7,000+ businesses and processing billions of customer interactions annually.  

Founded in 2011, Exotel has established itself as a reliable lik top Avaya alternatives, particularly for organizations operating in Asia-Pacific markets. The platform delivers a comprehensive suite including contact center solutions, CPaaS (Communication Platform as a Service), and conversation intelligence. All this, built on a cloud-native architecture. 

Top Features: 

  • Omnichannel Communication: Unified platform for voice, SMS, WhatsApp, and email 
  • Smart Universal Routing: Skills-based, time-based, and AI-driven intelligent routing 
  • Universal Agent Desktop: Single interface for handling all customer interactions 
  • Powerful Dialers: Progressive, predictive, preview, and power dialing modes 
  • Quality Management: Automated QM with call recording and monitoring 
  • Custom Integrations: Standard CRM integrations plus in-house system connectivity 

Key Benefits: 

  • 99.99% Uptime Guarantee: Patented monitoring system with backup routes for reliability 
  • Flexible Deployment: Options for private cloud, public cloud, hybrid, or on-premises 
  • 24/7 Direct Support: No third-party dependencies for technical assistance 
  • Scalable Pricing: Slab-based pricing for different sized teams 

Pricing: 

  • Essential Plan: Starting from $70/user/month 
  • Advanced Plan: Starting from $100/user/month 
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing 

Best For: 

  • Emerging Markets: Companies operating primarily in the Asia-Pacific regions 
  • Regional Operations: Businesses requiring local language support and regional integrations 
  • Flexible Deployment Needs: Organizations wanting choice between cloud and on-premises solutions 

3. 8×8 Contact Center 

8x8

G2 Rating: 4.1/5 stars 

8×8 provides a cloud-based customer interaction management platform combining voice, video, chat, and contact center capabilities under one roof. As a publicly traded company with global infrastructure, 8×8 offers enterprise reliability with built-in redundancy and carrier-grade voice quality. 

Top Features: 

  • Real-Time Analytics Dashboard: Monitor agent productivity and customer satisfaction metrics 
  • Gen-AI Self-Service: Automated chatbots and virtual agent technology 
  • Native Integrations: Salesforce, Zendesk, Microsoft Teams 
  • IVR and ACD: Intelligent routing to match customers with best-fit agents 

Key Benefits: 

  • Strong global presence with data centers across six continents 
  • Unified communications and contact center in single platform 
  • Quality video conferencing capabilities 

Pricing:

Custom pricing (contact for quote) 

Best For: 

  • Healthcare: Telehealth integration and patient engagement 
  • Retail: Omnichannel customer support for e-commerce 
  • Professional Services: Integrated communication for remote teams

4. Dialpad

dialpad

G2 Rating:  4.4/5 stars 

Dialpad positions itself as an AI-native communications platform with proprietary Voice Intelligence technology built on billions of minutes of business conversations. The platform combines business phones, video meetings, and contact center functionality with AI-powered conversation analytics. 

However, Dialpad’s reporting is limited, requiring dedicated analysts to decode the data. Real-time agent monitoring is delayed and cumbersome. With slow retrieval of transcripts and recordings causing call delays and queue backups.  

The system’s unique structure complicates skill-based oversight and KPI tracking. Additionally, Dialpad lacks PCI compliance for IVRs and has no reporting for email or chat. 

Top Features: 

  • AI CSAT: Infers customer satisfaction scores from 100% of calls using sentiment analysis 
  • Real-Time Assist Cards: Dynamic suggestions and knowledge base prompts during live calls 
  • Voice Intelligence: Automated transcription, call summaries, and action item extraction 
  • CRM Screen Pops: AI-powered caller information displays in Salesforce and HubSpot 

Key Benefits: 

  • Cloud-native architecture with rapid feature releases 
  • Excellent AI capabilities for coaching and quality assurance 
  • User-friendly interface with minimal training required 

Pricing:

UCaaS starts at $60/user/month 

Best For: 

  • Tech Industries: Developer-friendly APIs and integrations 
  • Professional Services: Sales and support team collaboration 
  • EdTech: Remote learning support and student services 

5. Genesys Cloud CX 

Genesys

G2 Rating:  4.4/5 stars 

Genesys Cloud CX represents a mature, feature-rich contact center solution designed for large enterprises. With strong AI investments and extensive customization options, Genesys serves teams with complex operational requirements. 

Top Features: 

  • Omnichannel Orchestration: Seamless customer journey across channels 
  • Workforce Engagement: Forecasting, scheduling, and quality management suite 
  • AI-Powered Automation: Predictive routing and chatbot builder 
  • Open APIs: Extensive customization and integration capabilities 

Key Benefits: 

  • Robust enterprise-grade platform with proven scalability 
  • Strong analytics and reporting capabilities 
  • Comprehensive workforce optimization tools 

Pricing:

Starting at $75/user/month 

Best For: 

  • BFSI: Large financial institutions with complex compliance needs 
  • Healthcare: Multi-location health systems 
  • Retail: Large-scale e-commerce operations 

6. Aircall

aircall auto dialer

G2 Rating:  4.4/5 stars 

Aircall offers a cloud-based VoIP phone system with all the basic contact center features.  It is designed primarily for sales and support teams in small to mid-sized businesses. The platform emphasizes simplicity and quick deployment over advanced enterprise features. 

Top Features: 

  • Shared Call Inbox: Team-based call management and commenting 
  • 100+ Integrations: Connects with Salesforce, Slack, HubSpot, Intercom 
  • Call Recording and Transcription: AI-generated summaries and sentiment analysis 
  • Mobile Responsiveness: Full feature access on smartphone devices 

Key Benefits: 

  • Quick setup (under 24 hours for most deployments) 
  • Intuitive interface requiring minimal training 
  • Strong CRM integration ecosystem 

Pricing: 

  • Essentials: $30/user/month 
  • Professional: $50/user/month 

Best For: 

  • Professional Services: Small consulting and agency teams 
  • EdTech: Student admissions and support teams 
  • Retail: SMB customer service operations 

7. CallHippo

callhippo

G2 Rating:  4.4/5 stars 

CallHippo provides cloud-based VoIP services with virtual phone numbers in 50+ countries, focusing on ease of use and international calling capabilities for distributed teams. 

Top Features: 

  • Global Virtual Numbers: Local presence in 50+ countries 
  • IVR and Call Routing: Basic automated attendant capabilities 
  • Call Analytics: Performance dashboards and agent productivity metrics 
  • Browser-Based Calling: Chrome extension for click-to-call 

Key Benefits: 

  • Affordable international calling rates 
  • No hardware requirements 
  • Quick deployment for remote teams 

Pricing: 

  • Starter plan: $18/user/month 
  • Professional plan: $30/user/month 
  • Ultimate plan: $42/user/month 

Best For: 

  • Professional Services: International consulting firms 
  • Retail: Cross-border e-commerce support 

8. Vonage (Now a part of Ericsson)

vonage

G2 Rating:  4.3/5 stars 

Vonage, now owned by Ericsson, combines unified communications with Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) capabilities, allowing businesses to embed voice, video, and messaging into custom applications. 

Top Features: 

  • Unified Communications: Voice, video, messaging, and collaboration 
  • CPaaS APIs: Programmable communications for developers 
  • Video Conferencing: Support for up to 200 participants 
  • Auto-Routing: Intelligent call distribution based on availability 

Key Benefits: 

  • Strong API capabilities for custom development 
  • Flexibility for businesses building proprietary solutions 
  • Enterprise-grade security and compliance 

Pricing: 

  • Mobile plan: $19.99/user/month 
  • Premium plan: $20.99/user/month 
  • Advanced: $34.99/user/month 
  • Contact center pricing requires custom quote 

Best For: 

  • Technology: Companies building custom communication experiences 
  • Healthcare: Developers integrating telehealth into existing platforms 

Which Avaya Alternative is Right for You?   

Before selecting a solution provider, ask yourself these three critical questions: 

  1. Can we afford to wait 3-6 months for deployment? Every day on a legacy platform costs you in agent productivity and customer satisfaction. 
  2. Do we want to commit to hundreds of seats we might not need? Your contact center should scale with your business, not force artificial growth targets. 
  3. Are we willing to accept a platform built on partnerships rather than native technology? Integrated solutions outperform bolted-together partnerships every time. 

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, it’s time to consider Acefone. 

When comparing Acefone directly to the competitive landscape, several differentiators emerge that make it the superior choice for sales and support leaders: 

The Competitive Advantage 

Factor  Avaya  Exotel  Genesys  Acefone 
Seat Minimum  200 seats  None  None  None ✅ 
Starting Price  $60+/month  $70/month  $75/month  Custom (Lower) ✅ 
G2 Rating  4.1/5  4.3/5  4.4/5  4.7/5 ✅
Deployment Speed  3-6 months  Days-Weeks  Weeks-Months  Hours-Days ✅ 
AI Features  Limited  Yes  Yes  Advanced ✅
Global Infrastructure  Legacy  Regional  Global  Global ✅ 

Versus Exotel: While Exotel excels in Asia-Pacific markets, Acefone offers superior global reach and more competitive pricing. Exotel’s $70-100/user/month pricing makes it expensive for growing teams, while Acefone’s flexible pay-as-you-go model scales with your needs. 

Versus Premium Players (Genesys, 8×8): These platforms offer robust features but at premium prices ($75+/month). Acefone delivers comparable enterprise capabilities like omnichannel communication, advanced analytics, and AI-powered automation. All this, without the enterprise price tag. 

Versus AI Leaders (Dialpad): While Dialpad scores high for AI capabilities, its limited reporting, delayed real-time monitoring, and lack of PCI compliance for IVRs create operational challenges. Acefone provides comprehensive AI features plus the reporting depth and compliance standards that enterprise teams require. 

Versus Budget Options (CallHippo, Vonage): These platforms offer attractive pricing but lack the sophisticated contact center features like real-time voice streaming and WhatsApp Business calling. Acefone provides all these features and more at competitive prices. 

The Bottom Line 

The future of contact center technology isn’t about legacy infrastructure and enterprise minimums. Instead, it’s about cloud-native platforms that scale with your ambition, not against it. Acefone represents that future: powerful, flexible, and built for teams that refuse to compromise. 

Whether you’re a 10-person support team or a 1,000-agent operation, Acefone provides the tools, flexibility, and support you need to deliver exceptional customer experiences. 

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Acefone making headway with recognitions as an industry leader https://www.acefone.com/blog/acefone-making-headway-with-recognitions-as-an-industry-leader/ Mon, 03 Feb 2025 07:23:06 +0000 https://www.acefone.com/blog/?p=21947 Acefone has once again proven its leadership in cloud communication by winning not just one, but two prestigious awards. Acefone has been honored with the coveted CX Innovation Leadership Award by Gainskills Media, reinforcing its commitment to revolutionizing customer experience (CX) with cutting-edge technology.   Additionally, Acefone was recognized as the Most Scalable CPaaS Platform […]

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Acefone has once again proven its leadership in cloud communication by winning not just one, but two prestigious awards. Acefone has been honored with the coveted CX Innovation Leadership Award by Gainskills Media, reinforcing its commitment to revolutionizing customer experience (CX) with cutting-edge technology.  

Additionally, Acefone was recognized as the Most Scalable CPaaS Platform at the Insurance Innovation Summit & Awards 2025. Shella Seth, Chief Business Officer of Acefone, received the award on behalf of the company at the event. 

The Award-Winning AceX Platform: Transforming CX 

Acefone’s CXaaS platform, AceX, has been designed with the latest CX trends and market evolution in mind.  

Here’s what sets it apart: 

  • True Omnichannel Communication: AceX integrates multiple communication channels—voice, video, messaging, and email—into a single, unified solution, ensuring seamless customer engagement across platforms. 
  • Scalability and Flexibility: Built on a robust cloud infrastructure, AceX scales effortlessly to meet business demands, providing uninterrupted service even during peak periods. 
  • Advanced Analytics: AceX’s real-time analytics offer actionable insights, helping businesses monitor performance, identify bottlenecks, and optimize CX strategies. 
  • Security and Compliance: Acefone adheres to the highest data security and regulatory compliance standards, ensuring customer trust and satisfaction. 

Acefone’s CPaaS Excellence 

Acefone received the Most Scalable CPaaS Platform at the Insurance Innovation Summit 2025, for empowering businesses with agile and cost-effective cloud communication solutions.

This award validates the relentless pursuit of excellence in providing businesses with highly adaptable and robust communication infrastructure. AceX enables enterprises across industries to streamline communication, enhance engagement, and drive growth at scale.

Leadership’s Message 

Ashish—This recognition reflects our dedication to empowering businesses with the tools they need to deliver exceptional customer experiences. As CX continues to evolve, Acefone remains committed to innovation and excellence, helping our clients build lasting relationships with their customers. 

Shella Seth—While Acefone believes in scaling its solutions to meet customer expectations, it also fosters scalable teams. We have formed new team structures, bringing in enterprise-level experts in the operations and tech teams. This new hierarchy creates space for dynamic growth at all levels.  

A Vision for the Future of CX and Cloud Communication 

As businesses evolve, Acefone remains committed to delivering industry-leading solutions that empower them to build meaningful and lasting relationships with their customers. Acefone is focused on driving further advancements in CX and CPaaS technologies, ensuring businesses stay ahead in an evolving market. 

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How Voice Broadcasting can help You have a Memorable Wedding https://www.acefone.com/blog/voice-broadcasting-for-wedding/ Thu, 30 Dec 2021 14:33:25 +0000 https://www.acefone.com/blog/?p=14530 First things first: Weddings are exclusive affairs that everyone enjoys to the fullest. But planning a wedding? Not an easy task! From curating a guest list to looking after decor, there are several elements that need to be taken care of. In fact, Zig Zigler, one of the most successful American authors, once said, “Many people […]

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First things first: Weddings are exclusive affairs that everyone enjoys to the fullest.

But planning a wedding? Not an easy task! From curating a guest list to looking after decor, there are several elements that need to be taken care of.

In fact, Zig Zigler, one of the most successful American authors, once said, “Many people spend more time in planning their wedding than they do in planning the marriage,” which is absolutely true in today’s context.

Weddings are extremely exciting, but they require meticulous planning as well as execution to make them unique and memorable in different ways. And not to forget, the COVID-19 restrictions make the planning process more difficult.

So, how do you follow all the protocols and still prepare for your wedding day?

It’s simple! Use cloud telephony’s voice broadcasting feature.

Now before you wonder, ‘How voice broadcasting can help me plan a wedding’, let us understand a bit more about this cloud solution.

Effortless and hassle-free, voice broadcasting enables you to deliver messages on a large scale, instantly and across distances.  All you have to do is—record a message, select recipients, choose a time, and let the software do the rest.

Furthermore, there are multiple advantages of using voice broadcasting during wedding seasons. Let’s have a look at them.

Benefits of voice broadcasting in planning a wedding 

1. Send personalised wedding invitations

Foil or letterpress? Bright or pastel? The questions around wedding invitations can quickly add up. However, one of the easiest and unique ways of inviting guests to your wedding ceremonies is via voice broadcasting!

Record a personalised invitation in your own voice and send it to your guests with just a click, regardless of their geography. Not to mention, it helps you set the tone for the wedding and convey other essential details with a personal touch.

And, given the current Omicron situation, this is one of the safest ways to invite your guests!

Moreover, invites are probably not the category where you’d want to spend the most significant portion of your wedding budget. Therefore, voice broadcasting lets you personalise and send across memorable, yet economical invites.

2. Schedule reminders and alerts for your loved ones

With automated technology taking the reins, you don’t have to worry about your loved ones missing your special occasions.

Voice broadcasting allows you to schedule reminders and send personalised alerts to your guests about different wedding ceremonies, venues, dress code and much more.

And the best part is that you can easily customise the time you want your reminder to get delivered to the recipient. This helps you ensure that your message reaches your family and friends at a suitable time, irrespective of the different time zones. Better than printing out a multi-page invite, isn’t it?

Lastly, these frequent reminders and alerts help your guests prepare and plan accordingly.

3. Convey details about your wedding functions like never before

Talk about unique—these personalised voice invites are certain to be unlike anything your guests have ever seen.

And that’s not all. You can also use voice broadcasting to share details about commuting arrangements, travel routes, guest accommodations, timing, the theme of specific events and most importantly, any last-minute changes to the programme.

Put simply, a top-notch voice broadcasting service benefits and helps you:

  • Inform loved ones about your special day details without any errors
  • Keep wedding details private with cloud-based security
  • Save money and take an environment-friendly approach
  • Inform of any last-minute changes without creating panic

4. Express gratitude

When you begin your wedding gala with a personalised voice invitation to the guests, you must end it with a personalised thank you note too. Let your loved ones know how thankful you are for their presence as you begin a new chapter in your life.

Moreover, a thank you note in your voice can have a more profound effect on your guests than a traditional paper note. Perhaps share some fun and hilarious moments from the rituals that they can relate to and express your gratitude.

You can also use the text-to-speech feature and convert a typed-out thank you message into a voice note.

And, when integrated with the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, your guests can also revert to your broadcast voice message. Sounds like a dream solution, right?

In a nutshell

Dream weddings don’t just happen. You make them happen.

And voice broadcasting is the perfect solution to ensure your big day is filled with grandeur!

First and foremost, it helps you make a lasting first impression on your guests by sending personalised voice invites like never before. You can even send different voice notes for various ceremonies to your guests, and rest assured that a big part of your wedding has been taken care of.

Furthermore, you can pre-schedule reminders, send updates without hassle, and swiftly communicate with your guests. Truly, wedding preparations and planning becomes a breeze with voice broadcasting.

So, don’t wait. Make the most of your wedding day with the help of voice broadcasting, and communicate effectively, even in the middle of the pandemic.

Acefone is one of the leading cloud telephony providers in India. You can make your big day even bigger by opting for a seamless voice broadcasting solution from them.

To know more, contact us.

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Virtual Phone System and Why Freelancers Need One! https://www.acefone.com/blog/why-freelancers-need-virtual-phone-system/ Wed, 20 Oct 2021 10:57:17 +0000 https://www.acefone.com/blog/?p=14624 As the world continues to fight its way out of the global pandemic, one of the fastest emerging trends that many people are willing to venture into is that of freelancing. Freelancing offers people a much greater level of flexibility and comfort as they get to work from wherever they like, whenever they like. According […]

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As the world continues to fight its way out of the global pandemic, one of the fastest emerging trends that many people are willing to venture into is that of freelancing. Freelancing offers people a much greater level of flexibility and comfort as they get to work from wherever they like, whenever they like.

According to Upwork, about 36% of the US’s entire workforce chose freelancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Web developers, interior designers, content creators can all work on a freelance basis as long as their ideas, ethics and work quality distinguish them from others of their kind in the market.

A proper freelance work base, however, requires the same tools and resources that any small business would, for setting up. One of the areas that demand effective tools for communication in order to ascertain the professionalism of a freelancer is that of call management.

This is where a virtual phone system acts as the ultimate game-changer. A virtual phone system, also known as a hosted or a cloud-based phone system, runs over the Internet. And all one needs for it is a stable Internet connection and a smart device.

So, whether a freelancer works out of a traditional office space or even their bedroom, a virtual or hosted phone system can be of immense help to ensure that they’re able to maintain efficient, professional communication.

Additionally, a virtual phone system demands minimum financial commitment apart from the expenditure on basic tools and equipment.

Explained below are four ways in which freelancers can step ahead in their game by using a hosted phone system while tackling some of the most common issues:

1. Missing out on important calls, voicemails and texts

Modern-day small businesses and freelancers use only their personal cell phones to respond to potential customers and clients reaching out to them. Failing to have a system that efficiently tracks all incoming calls, voicemails and texts can lead to them missing out on some meaningful leads.

It may seem like the approach of simply sticking to personal communication devices is working; however, once a freelancer’s clientele gets bigger, the need for a virtual phone system also will.

Using a personal contact system in professional settings can lead to different problems such as:

  • Multiple people trying to reach you at the same time and none of them are able to get through. A hosted phone system can prevent this situation by playing hold music or professional messages to stacked-up calls until you can receive them.
  • The capacity of a personal voice mailbox is not designed to accommodate business messages. Personal voice mailboxes have limited capacity and are insufficient for someone trying to run their own business.
  • Personal smartphone voice mailboxes can auto-delete messages once they hit their storage level. If you are careless, this can lead to you losing some important messages permanently, thus, leading to the loss of some potential clients.

In the case of a hosted business phone systems, the storage space is extensive, and you do not have to worry about losing any messages. These phone systems offer multiple business-oriented features like call menus, business voicemails, on-hold music, extended hours of operation, etc.

2. Offering a professional call menu to callers

No matter how big or small, every business is a business at the end of the day. And so, equal energy investment should go into carrying it out.

No matter what kind of freelancer you are, your enterprise qualifies as a business if you offer your services on a transactional basis.

There is an excellent chance that it is not that difficult for a small business to respond to calls right away with effective call management. But, enabling a greeting message on a hosted phone system gives you an edge of professionalism and tells the client that you are putting in the extra effort.

The primary purpose of a call menu is to make you appear as professional as possible. But for this, you must set up a hosted phone system.

A call menu also offers multiple additional benefits for you as a professional:

  • It helps you offer a list of options to your callers that they can choose from. Clients can be given a choice to either get directly on the call with you or simply leave you a message in your voice mailbox.
  • Cloud-based phone systems that offer call menus also bring in other features. You can direct callers to your personal phone, record a message that explains your services and have it play each time a new caller dials you, set your hours of availability, and much more.

3. Setting up a unified system connected to multiple phones

If you are not a solo freelancer and usually have a team of co-workers taking up projects with you, a way to stay in touch with them during work hours is highly necessary.

Combining the team’s phones into a unified virtual phone system, you can also seamlessly collaborate with other small businesses. This helps increase the overall productivity of a business and does not even require any additional equipment or expenditure.

A unified cloud phone system also enables equal access to client calls and messages to all members of the freelancing team. This means, no team member is required to spend extra time ensuring everyone is on the same page.

A unified system helps simplify everything while also giving clients a very professional impression. Voicemails, text messages, and call history can also be accessed remotely, thus allowing freelancers to handle work from anywhere even when they’re on the move.

With advanced features such as live call transferring, one person of the team can transfer an ongoing call with a client to another, more suitable member of the team without having to disconnect the call.

Specific phone numbers can also be left out in case certain team members are not needed to handle clients directly.

4. Keeping track of all message and call details 

On some rare occasions, personal smart devices may freeze or malfunction in a way that all call and text-based data may get lost. While it is undoubtedly a frustrating ordeal, what makes it worse is that nobody can be held accountable for it.

With cloud-powered phone systems, an easy-to-use control panel helps keep track of all data that is being routinely collected. A cloud phone system stores the entire call, voicemail and message-based information in the account linked to it. This data can be accessed anytime and anywhere.

In addition to the dates and times of every inbound and outbound call, virtual phone systems also provide complete call details for tracking. These include call paths that show which option was selected by a caller on the call menu, whether a call was received or missed, and transfer details if there are any.

Such control panels also let you check storage space taken up by voicemails and how to free it up if need be. You’re also able to listen to existing call greetings and change them if you like, or view mailboxes and the messages that they store.

No business is too small for a cloud phone system

The thought that a cloud phone system is necessary only for big corporations and well-established businesses is way too old-school for today’s advancing times.

You do not have to be a tycoon to benefit from modern-day technologies, and cloud phone system for small business or virtual phone systems are certainly a change every professional needs to embrace.

These numbers promise a brighter, more prosperous future for every business. By deploying a hosted phone system, a freelance business also has greater chances of expanding into a full-fledged service provider.

Additionally, all the benefits of hosted phone systems can be subscribed to through traditional office phone systems as well as on personal cell phone numbers. You won’t even need any expensive tools or resources.

Times are changing faster than ever. The ever-evolving technology of hosted phone systems offers more capabilities and features to freelancers than ever before.

The post Virtual Phone System and Why Freelancers Need One! appeared first on Blog | Acefone.

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11 Ways to Integrate a Virtual Phone Number System into your E-Commerce Business https://www.acefone.com/blog/integrate-virtual-phone-number-into-ecommerce-business/ Wed, 06 Oct 2021 11:25:16 +0000 https://www.acefone.com/blog/?p=14796 As the e-commerce industry flourishes, e-retail revenues are expected to rise to a figure as steep as 5.4 trillion US dollars in the year 2022. Although presently Indian businesses use centralized virtual numbers for managing huge volumes of incoming calls, now there are providers that also help businesses procure Indian virtual numbers. Even today, a phone call continues to […]

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As the e-commerce industry flourishes, e-retail revenues are expected to rise to a figure as steep as 5.4 trillion US dollars in the year 2022.

Although presently Indian businesses use centralized virtual numbers for managing huge volumes of incoming calls, now there are providers that also help businesses procure Indian virtual numbers.

Even today, a phone call continues to be one of the most preferred ways of interaction that customers choose in order to connect with a company.

Virtual numbers provide refined customer service without any geographic bounds. They increase business efficiency and positively impact the overall productivity of every workspace.

In a world where e-commerce looks like the only way forward, there are multiple ways in which a virtual phone number can help an organization with its operations.

Below are some of the explanations of how a virtual phone number system can help businesses today.

1. Trust generation in the customer base

As soon as a potential buyer sees a phone number listed on a company website’s contact section, their faith in the brand deepens. If the process of getting information about a product or a service seems taxing or frustrating, the buyer may change their mind and move on to a different brand.

If reaching out to a company is a cumbersome process, nobody would be expected to have many purchase-related interactions. When a person decides to invest in a new product, the company producing that product should be present for the buyer at every step of their journey.

Today’s customers demand interaction before they invest time and money in a brand. If a company’s communication system is discrepant, it is unfair to expect customers to stay loyal to it.

2. Enhanced user experience

Virtual phone numbers provide a human-support system that buyers seek during their physical shopping experiences right on their phone screens. A virtual number enables a human-driven approach even towards buyers that are shopping online.

According to BigCommerce, 67% of the millennial population and 56% of Gen Xers prefer online shopping as opposed to in-person shopping today.

For securing customer relationships and building better customer loyalty, switching to a virtual phone number is the need of the hour.

 3. Automated greetings & attendants 

Modern-day consumers are more likely to purchase from a seller that remembers them by their personal details and makes recommendations based on their purchase history with the brand.

It is evident that personalization continues to be a game-changer in today’s market for both, the service provider as well as the service recipient.

To offer services that are not time-bound, the e-commerce industry can benefit hugely from a personalized virtual phone number. The induction of an Interactive Voice Response system (IVR) with the use of the cloud technology can help to imitate human support during off-hours of work.

Virtual number systems can also be trained to greet each caller with a customized greeting. Small additions such as playing music during call waiting times, carefully placed promotional messages etc., contribute greatly to the betterment of the customer experience a company provides.

 4. Remote access & access to mobility

As a direct consequence of the coronavirus, alternative work options have triggered trends such as working from home or remote locations. In such scenarios, attending customer calls while physically being present in the office premises is not an option anymore.

Virtual phone numbers allow customers to connect with the company from anywhere by using cloud technology. In order to attain the facilitation of remote sales and have well-functioning support teams, e-commerce requires virtual numbers.

Setting up call support apparatus can prove to be a big hassle, leading to a cluttered workspace. It requires physical infrastructure like servers, hard drives, computer systems, cables, call routers etc. that may take up a lot of time and money to assemble.

A virtual phone number system, on the other hand, is completely based on the cloud. There is no need for any physical setup but only a device of your preference. It can have all employee contact details mapped onto its portal within a few minutes.

Once phone numbers are mapped, the virtual number distributes all incoming calls according to which employees can deal with what set of problems, thereby, performing efficient call routing.

 5. No time constraints

Missing important phone calls from customers may be a deal-breaker for an organization’s progress in the longer run. Agents cannot be expected to work 24×7 and infrastructural issues can lead to downtown as well.

A virtual phone number provides for call logging and call recording. It also gives you the feature to receive all your voicemails as emails. This helps a company trace back all the important calls that it may have missed. Recorded calls can also be used to dig out and analyze useful customer data.

 6. Improved CRM integration & call management solutions

The simplest definition of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is that it is a process through which a business administers its interactions with the customers base by using data collected over time for analysis.

Today, with how quickly and consistently technology is evolving, the data stored and recorded on a CRM can be integrated with any virtual phone system. So, when a customer reaches out for enquiry and better service, their information can be displayed on the CRM portal right on the agents’ screen.

This not only garnishes the interaction with a layer of personalization but also cuts down on the time that a support agent may spend skimming through multiple screens trying to find appropriate information.

7. Toll free calling

When your customers are located in a different country, they might hesitate to call your business because of how expensive international calling is. In fact, many might also prefer to connect with a local business rather than an international one.

Virtual phone numbers allow you to get a local number in multiple countries and help you create a local presence. You can even get a toll-free number in other countries to encourage customers to call you more often.

 8. Call routing & call forwarding

Virtual phone numbers can also facilitate call routing and call forwarding.

Call Routing on virtual numbers, directs calls from customers specifically to agents or departments who can best address their queries. This helps with the first call resolution rates as calls are redirected only to agents who are capable of solving a particular kind of problem.

They can even play a pre-defined message in times of holidays and special occasions when agents are not available.

It also helps in employees not having to engage in repetitive calls that can be a threat to their daily productivity.

As far as missing out on calls that could have proven to be important and beneficial is concerned, virtual phone numbers are capable of call forwarding. This means that calls made to the company’s virtual number will automatically be forwarded to agents on their personal numbers for immediate assistance without any delays.

This helps in strengthening the company’s relationship with its customers due to round-the-clock assistance, thereby also paving the way for seamless customer engagement.

 9. Order management with virtual numbers

Virtual phone numbers can maintain an inventory of all customer orders when integrated with CRM software which can be accessed by employees to provide real-time updates to customers about the status of the purchases that they are making.

 10. Simple setup

In cases of traditional systems as compared to cloud telephony, a technician is needed to help layout wires and make other physical arrangements to set up and run an on-premises phone system.

Unlike traditional setups with difficult configurations and a lot of physical hardware, a virtual phone number doesn’t require any hardware and can work on your preferred device. All you need is a reliable internet connection, and you are good to go.

 11. Increased room for teamwork

Without remote teams in place, organizations might struggle to keep up with customer expectations during tough times, say, like a global pandemic. If remote teams fail to maintain consistency and a unified approach simply due to communication breakdowns within the organization, customers cannot be expected to stick to a brand.

Business call answering service and other virtual workspace solutions help in remote training and endorse a collective approach to seamless business communication

Narrowing down multiple different communication channels and applications to just one platform helps with promptness in customer solutions.

With virtual numbers, conferencing with other members of the teams also becomes a very simple process. Conference lines are not limited only to employees but can also be enabled for clients in order to assure they receive the kind of hands-on engagement that they seek.

Conclusion

It is essential to understand that to have customers choose a company for making purchases, a very high level of trust is necessary. A customer will never pick a brand they cannot completely rely upon. With the incorporation of virtual phone numbers, customers can reach out to the brand of their choice 24×7.

Not just this, they can also be reached out to in innovative ways and offered personalized services in turn for placing their faith in a particular company. To sum up, it is important to remember that virtual phone systems are not only beneficial for the customers, but also extremely cost-effective for the business and healthy for its support agents.

Given how dynamically today’s market situations are transforming, virtual number systems certainly are meant to be a big part of tomorrow’s markets!

The post 11 Ways to Integrate a Virtual Phone Number System into your E-Commerce Business appeared first on Blog | Acefone.

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Food Aggregators: Refining Customer Experience with Call Center Solutions https://www.acefone.com/blog/benefits-of-call-centre-solutions-for-food-aggregators/ Thu, 29 Jul 2021 14:33:45 +0000 https://www.acefone.com/blog/?p=14804 The food delivery business in India has taken off in the last few years. Brands like Zomato and Swiggy have started to offer quick and easy methods for customers to enjoy delicious food from the comfort of their own homes.  Zomato’s impressive listing at their recent IPO affirms that food aggregators in India have come […]

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The food delivery business in India has taken off in the last few years. Brands like Zomato and Swiggy have started to offer quick and easy methods for customers to enjoy delicious food from the comfort of their own homes. 

Zomato’s impressive listing at their recent IPO affirms that food aggregators in India have come a long way. Oversubscribed 38 times, Zomato listed at a stellar 66 per cent above the issue price, leaving the markets cheering and the investors happy. In fact, experts opine that this is also an indication that India’s start-up ecosystem is thriving as a whole

According to a report published in April 2021, online food delivery is one of the few industries in India registering double-digit CAGR—28.94% expected in the 2020-2026 period—and will be worth $21.41 billion by 2026. 

A call center staffed with seasoned customer service agents can change that for the better. 

Online food delivery has two primary models—cloud kitchen and aggregator. Cloud kitchens are commercial facilities created specifically with the purpose of producing food for delivery. In the aggregator model, consumers are able to compare and order dishes from third-party restaurants, including cloud kitchens, through a single app.

Owing to the rising penetration of the Internet and the widespread use of smartphones, the food aggregator model has turned out to be quite profitable for businesses. The pandemic-induced lockdowns have only magnified the demand for online food deliveries. 

Challenges for food aggregators

The online food delivery business has four essential stakeholders—aggregators, restaurants, customers and the delivery staff. Managing them can be quite a balancing act. 

After a customer places an order, there is very little the aggregator can do to improve the customer experience. It’s really up to the restaurant and food delivery staff to fulfil the order satisfactorily and treat the customer courteously. 

Remember, these apps are run by humans too. There’s a lot that can go wrong. 

Here are some customer service challenges faced by the food delivery industry today:

  • Providing quick and easy access to customer services, especially phone support
  • Staffing issues due to unpredictable demand resulting in unhappy customers 
  • Lack of clarity about the order fulfilment process, resulting in confusion over delivery timelines
  • Competitors offering better deals and lower fees 
  • Communicating delivery delays due to issues like vehicle breakdown to customers
  • Maintaining up-to-date information on restaurant prices, operating hours, out of stock or seasonal items, specials, etc. 

One might ask—in the era of automation, why do we need a call center solution? 

A lot of non-techies have hopped on these platforms. Therefore, these applications need to be as user-friendly as possible. 

Sometimes all the customer wants is some reassurance. In case of an issue with the order, agents can connect consumers and restaurants in a three-way call to resolve the matter quickly. Live help supported by call center software can also enhance the customer experience. 

If you are a rapidly growing food aggregator business, a call center solution may be the right thing for you. In a survey of 501 people, Clutch, a leading B2B research, ratings and reviews firm, found that 88% of people preferred to speak to a live customer service representative rather than navigate a phone menu. 

How can call center solutions help

Customers want quick resolutions. Thus, they prefer to contact an agent if they face a complex issue. Adding a cloud-based call center solution to your operations will make for happier, more loyal customers. Here’s how: 

  • Ease of use: 

Offering a toll-free number is one of the best ways to invite customers to reach out to you. All they have to do is dial a number instead of trawling through complex menus. A one-to-one conversation makes it easy to understand menu offerings as well as any specials that may be available.

A toll-free number encourages customers to call and order, since there is no additional cost burden for them. By deploying anonymous calling, the customer’s privacy is also maintained.

A call center software also makes it easy to integrate the toll-free number with a hi-tech, intuitive Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. With an effective IVR system, the call may not even need to be attended by a live agent. 

  • Speedy resolution: 

If an irate customer calls you because of a delayed delivery or an issue with the order, an agent can resolve the issue on the spot. This can be done by offering a discount voucher for the next order, or by waiving off delivery charges. 

Such gestures need to be spontaneous and speedy, which is possible on a call. Through other channels, the resolution is often too slow, a case of too little, too late. 

  • Enhance brand image: 

Adding a call center kiosk reassures customers that their issues are being addressed by call center agents who have the requisite know-how. For example, if the food is not up to the mark, the representative can get in touch with the kitchen staff to have the order replaced. This shows your customer that you, as a brand, care about their experience. 

  • The tech advantage: 

Cutting-edge call center software will put you well above your competition with tracking and monitoring capabilities. These provide important insights into the performance of food delivery operations and enable you to identify areas of improvement. Services like call recordings can also allow for better monitoring of agent performance. 

  • Cost-effective: 

Cloud-based systems allow you to save on infrastructure, operational as well as maintenance costs, as compared to on-premise solutions. These systems also make it easy to scale your operations, allowing you to easily add new lines for new locations. 

  • Ease of integration: 

With call center solutions, an entire bouquet of customer service options is available in one place. Call center kiosks allow CRM systems to be integrated, allowing agents access to useful customer data and interaction history on the same screen. This way they can serve them faster and more intuitively. 

  • The power of bulk SMSs: 

Bulk SMSs are another handy tool to achieve marketing goals. Call center solutions come equipped with the technology to trigger automated messages to customers from the database. These leave the agents free to focus on core tasks. 

Call center software also allows individual campaigns to be monitored and assessed. Bulk SMSs are extremely popular with food delivery platforms since they are cost-effective and provide a great ROI.

  • Scalability:

Call center solutions are scalable. Cloud-based call center solutions allow you to scale your workforce up or down as required based on your insights. They also make it possible to add additional lines for a short period, based on a pay-as-you-use model. 

  • Host of services: 

Call center solutions don’t exist only to deal with customers. They can be used to onboard vendors as well as address their grievances. These include technical support and help desk, and restaurant account management—including analyzing order trends and customer feedback. 

Apart from this, they can provide, text, chat, email and social media customer support; sales and new client accounts onboarding; community and content moderation; as well as delivery staff support. 

Consider call center solutions today!

We live in an era of instant gratification and communication. So, it is only natural for the customer to expect instant access to customer service. As partnerships between restaurants and food delivery agents get stronger, smooth operations are the need of the hour. 

Thus, in the age of automation, let us not forget the importance of the human touch. No automated chats can calm an ‘angry’ customer. A call center solution, backed by the latest technologies, can be a game-changer for food aggregators.

The post Food Aggregators: Refining Customer Experience with Call Center Solutions appeared first on Blog | Acefone.

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Everything You Need to Know About First Call Resolution https://www.acefone.com/blog/first-call-resolution/ Sat, 19 Jun 2021 06:46:43 +0000 https://www.acefone.com/blog/?p=14654 Customer satisfaction is—or at least should be—the ultimate goal of every business. Certainly, it is one of the keys to success and, therefore, it makes business sense to focus on improving it. Imagine a scenario where a customer calls your call centre to resolve an issue. Often they have to navigate a robotic IVR system […]

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Customer satisfaction is—or at least should be—the ultimate goal of every business. Certainly, it is one of the keys to success and, therefore, it makes business sense to focus on improving it.

Imagine a scenario where a customer calls your call centre to resolve an issue. Often they have to navigate a robotic IVR system and wait to get connected to a service representative. After travelling through several rabbit holes, when the customer finally gets through, the agent is unable to solve the problem. 

Not only does this make your costs go up, (more calls will be required to solve the problem now), there is a possibility you might lose the customer altogether. 

How efficiently your call centre functions is critical in this scenario. In a customer-centric business, which relies on seamless service, the rate of first call resolution is a key measure of success. The cloud telephony solutions can help with this by maximising agent productivity. Not only will this help you retain existing customers, you will be able to reach out to new ones as well.

Let us learn more about one such metric. 

What is the first call resolution rate?

Among call centre metrics, first call resolution is perhaps the most important. 

Quite simply, it is addressing and resolving a customer issue within the first call, without the need for a follow-up. It is also referred to as first contact resolution. 

Talk time is another metric that can be used in tandem to make a holistic assessment of performance. Generally, fast talk time averages are desirable, but not if this results in a drop in call resolution rates.  

Assessed as a percentage, the first call resolution rate is the percentage of total calls that are resolved in the first shot. Research by MetricNet shows that the industry standard for first call resolution rate is around 74%. 

Of course, this varies from industry to industry. Generally, rates of 90% are considered high, while 40% is the bottom end of the spectrum and may be seen as a red flag. 

Call centres at the higher end of the range usually have highly trained agents with access to sophisticated systems, better management styles and remote diagnostic capabilities.    

So, how does one arrive at the first call resolution rate? How does one even know if the call was resolved satisfactorily, both from the customer’s point of view and against your own benchmarks? And how do you fix things if the metric is not up to the mark? 

Well, tighten your seat belts. We’re about to tell you how. 

How is first call resolution measured? 

An excellent practice to measure first call resolution is to employ both internal and external measurement approaches. 

While the internal approach uses institutional memory, the external measurement approach is largely based on feedback from customers. These can be collected in a variety of ways—website surveys, phone calls or through smart IVRs.  

External data tends to be more unbiased and is, therefore, more useful in making a fair assessment.  

Below are some of the popular methods to measure first call resolution externally, in which the customer determines if first call resolution has been achieved:

1.) Phone survey:

The customer completes a survey after the call. This is one of the most popular methods of assessing first call resolution and provides excellent insights on CSAT (customer satisfaction)

2.) Email Survey:

Another method is to collect customer feedback through an email that is sent out after the call. Besides being cost-effective, it’s a popular method since most businesses have customer emails on record.

 3.) Outbound IVR surveys:

In this method, the customer is asked to complete an IVR survey. This is usually immediately after the call. This is a popular survey method owing to its low cost

4.) Inbound IVR surveys:

An inbound IVR survey is where the customer is asked to remain on the line immediately after the call

5.) Agent asks customers directly:

In this method, the agent asks the customer if the call was resolved to their satisfaction. This is considered an external method because it is ultimately the customer who determines if the call was resolved or not

Here are some of the popular methods to measure first call resolution internally, in which the organisation itself determines if first call resolution has been achieved:

a) Repeat call telephony technology: Cloud telephony technology is employed to determine first call resolution based on whether the customer had to call back regarding the same issue. 

b) Quality assurance call monitoring: The quality assurance evaluator at the call centre decides if the customer’s concern was resolved on the first call. Call centres can routinely include the call resolution metric in their QA forms and processes. 

c) Case management/CRM: An agent can also use the company’s case management or CRM software to document whether the customer’s call was resolved in the first instance. This is one of the biggest benefits of having a CRM system in place. 

Ways to improve first call resolution

Once you know how to measure first call resolution, the next step is to improve it. After all, it is the hallmark of exceptional customer service. Here are some pointers on how to go about it:

Good Interactive Voice Response systems (IVR)

There are a number of reasons why IVR is important for a business. A good IVR will either resolve the problem on its own or direct the call to the concerned department. It is important that you must keep the self-service options precise and unambiguous, otherwise, customers may abandon the call mid-way. 

Anticipating customer needs

The more you know your customers, the better it is for your business. If you know why your customer is calling beforehand, you can ensure your support team is ready to address their needs. 

If you can anticipate the issues that might come up even before they even occur, it will improve customer satisfaction. For this, you need to capture and analyse customer feedback constantly. This data will provide valuable insights into the common issues encountered by your customers. You can then anticipate their needs in the first call itself.  

Call whispering

This is a great cloud telephony feature that comes in handy to improve first call resolution. The call whispering is a feature that lets call centre managers monitor calls while agents are assisting customers. Managers are able to do two things with this tool—track the performance of older agents and coach and assist new recruits. Rest assured, only the agents hear the whisper and callers never come to know about it.

Effective call monitoring

Effective call monitoring is a great way to improve the first call resolution metric. You can do this by using smart technology. For example, you can deploy a remote dashboard that leading cloud telephony providers like Servetel offer (as a bonus, it supports work from home as well)

It allows you to monitor your staff’s activities on the dashboard in real-time. You can also consider setting up a call monitoring task force consisting of people in leadership positions who can analyse the data collected.   

Effective call centre scripts

As is well known, call centres rely on scripts to communicate with their customers. These create consistent and professional responses. With the call monitoring solutions suggested above, you can analyse your script and see how customers are reacting to it. You can then tweak them to create effective scripts.     

Encourage employee self-assessment

Usually call recordings are studied by the management in order to improve the overall performance. But it’s important for call agents to have access to them for self-evaluation. If they can rectify their own mistakes, it will motivate them to deliver better service. 

This, in turn, will increase agent autonomy. Remember, you just don’t need happy customers. You need happy employees too. Adding reward programs for achievers will motivate agents to improve these metrics. 

Minimise customer effort

Every customer expects a fast and easy resolution to their concerns. Ensuring customers don’t have to go out of the way to get support when they need it is critical to the success of your customer service operation. 

According to a study, 93% of customers are more likely to make repeat purchases from a company that offers extraordinary customer service. That’s why it’s important to resolve issues in the first call itself.   

Invest in the right technology 

With the right cloud telephony tools, you can create an informative knowledge base for your customers. Then, you can encourage them to refer to it in times of need. 

Challenges in first call resolution

You are likely to face some challenges when implementing first call resolution strategies. A lot of these challenges simply boil down to technology issues. 

Here are a few key concerns:

  • IVR menus that are needlessly complex
  • Information that is insufficient or inaccessible
  • Long waiting times 
  • Insufficient agent knowledge or experience 
  • High attrition rates
  • No call analytics or assessment
  • Lack of agent authority 

How cloud telephony can help with first call resolution 

Cloud telephony empowers you with a number of tools to improve the first call resolution rates. To sum up, these include:

  • An IVR that allows you to customise the caller experience, identifying what they’re calling about and routing them to the right place
  • Call monitoring, including recording and call whispering
  • Automated Call Distribution (ACD) to direct calls to the next available agent, including skills-based and schedule-based routing. 
  • Customise the customer’s waiting experience, and add features like estimated wait time announcements, custom announcements with helpful information about your services, and a timeout destination (call queues do time out eventually but instead of the call ending abruptly, it can be directed to a voicemail). You can also add queue call-back if call volumes are high  
  • With APIs, you can do CRM integrations, like adding a phone widget to your ticketing system rather than adding yet another tool or screen for the agent to grapple with
  • Other useful tools include adding a click-to-call widget to your website or integrating it into your mobile app. You can also benefit from the efficiencies of Computer Telephony Integration (CTI).
  • A knowledge base that is integrated makes issue resolution easy for both customers and agents
  • Built-in quality assurance and speech analytics are other tools at your disposal

Conclusion

The key to running a successful call centre operation is to maximise customer satisfaction and minimise operating costs. A low first call resolution rate brings up your costs, while a high rate drives up revenue. It’s as simple as that. 

A higher first call resolution rate leads to a positive customer experience as well as higher customer lifetime value (CLTV). Cloud telephony plays a crucial role in making this happen.

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7 Tips to Keep Your Virtual Number Spam-Free https://www.acefone.com/blog/filter-spam-calls-on-virtual-number/ Tue, 09 Mar 2021 14:01:42 +0000 https://www.acefone.com/blog/?p=15144 When you run a business, you should expect phone lines to keep buzzing throughout the day. A ringing phone is often the sign of a prospective customer, but that’s not always the case.  At times, you may get swarmed with spam calls—the last thing any agent would want to encounter.  In fact, spam calls are […]

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When you run a business, you should expect phone lines to keep buzzing throughout the day. A ringing phone is often the sign of a prospective customer, but that’s not always the case. 

At times, you may get swarmed with spam calls—the last thing any agent would want to encounter. 

In fact, spam calls are more common than you’d imagine. According to TechCrunch, spam calls witnessed an 18% growth in 2020 despite the global pandemic. You can well imagine the chances of getting them on your virtual phone number, thereby disrupting an agent’s work and productivity. It makes sense to have a preventive strategy in place so that agents can focus on genuine prospects and stay on top of their tasks.

Fortunately, some easy measures can help you keep your business virtual assistants spam-free. Even if you cannot prevent spammers altogether, it is still possible to curb them and let your agents focus on critical work. Let’s explore how:

Dealing with Spam Calls on your Virtual Phone Number 

A spam call refers to any type of unwanted call that your system receives. While they may seem insignificant at first, they can build up to become a real nuisance or even harmful. Your agents will end up attending to them for a good part of the day and struggle to deal with the stress they add on. Here are the tactics you can implement to keep them at bay. 

Consider Using an Auto-attendant 

The first line of defense against solicitation bots is an auto-attendant. The best approach is to look for virtual number services that bundle up this feature within their offerings. When your auto-attendant receives a spam call, it will automatically disconnect since the bot won’t be able to navigate the call menu. Therefore, your agents don’t have to inconvenience themselves with such callers and can rely on the system to filter them out. 

Want to understand the key differences between a call center vs contact center and how they impact your customer service strategy?

Leverage DNC Registry

An obvious way to steer away from spam calls is by leveraging the ‘Do Not Call’ list. You simply need to register with the NDNC, and voila—there won’t be calls from pesky solicitors and telemarketers disturbing your agents anymore. While the DNC registry may not completely stop the calls, it can reduce them to a minimum. Alternatively, you can use a service like ‘Do Not Disturb’, which will stop the notifications for incoming calls from specific numbers. You only have to add the unwanted numbers to the list once and you’re all set.

Block Spam Numbers

While using the ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature has you covered to a considerable extent, blocking spam numbers takes you a step ahead and safeguards your phone system entirely. Just block suspicious numbers when you first come in contact with them, and your system takes care of the rest. Alternatively, you may have to invest time go through the call history and manually block each number from where you got unwanted calls.

This step may take some effort, but it is a full-proof damage control measure that even an omnichannel contact center platform can support effectively.

Switch Numbers if Possible

Perhaps the most effective measure to eliminate the possibility of spam to your virtual number is by getting a new number. But this isn’t feasible for businesses that have established phone numbers in use, since this would alienate or confuse their long-standing customers. You cannot risk losing prospects and existing customers just because they don’t recall your new contact. However, switching phone numbers may be a viable option for new businesses or businesses with numbers that haven’t been in use for pretty long. In such cases, implementing a hosted contact center solution can help manage communications more efficiently while the transition is made.

Contact your Virtual Number Provider 

A more drastic measure to deal with spam calls is to connect with your virtual number provider and escalate the issue. This can act as a last resort if you have tried everything else but are still struggling with a growing number of unwanted calls. Your provider can help you block calls from specific numbers that you do not want to connect with. Besides blocking specific phone numbers, you can even blacklist calls from specific area codes, which give you broader protection against spamming.

Go the Extra Mile with Tracking

Making conscious efforts to safeguard your business phone number against spam calls is worthwhile, with many benefits in store. You can go the extra mile by integrating call tracking with spam control measures. Beyond enhancing agents’ productivity, it can also protect your call tracking data from being skewed. It is easy to fall prey to advertising companies that guarantee a specific number of calls or leads by collaborating with them. However, you’ll often end up getting fake calls that can mess up your data. Utilizing a call tracking feature lets you understand the actual performance of the ads as well as identify spam calls and provide insights on quality leads. 

Conclusion

Spam calls on your virtual phone number can be a real pain in the neck, so it is vital to deal with them with stringent measures. The best approach is to collaborate with a virtual number provider that can help you handle the issue with the right features and add-on assistance. 

Acefone is a name you can trust as it offers dependable services and high-end features, including call blocking and blacklisting. You can rely on top-notch service to ensure seamless connectivity with genuine callers and avoid spammers effectively. 

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Virtual Numbers: The Perfect Virtual Assistants for your Business https://www.acefone.com/blog/virtual-numbers-for-businesses/ Mon, 25 Jan 2021 10:41:22 +0000 https://www.acefone.com/blog/?p=15072 We’ve come a long way from being a society of phone operators, or even landlines—the so-called ‘dark ages’ when people were glued to their landlines and could not attend calls on the go. Virtual numbers, powered by the cloud, have been a game-changer for the business communication arena. Perhaps the term seems ambiguous to you. […]

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We’ve come a long way from being a society of phone operators, or even landlines—the so-called ‘dark ages’ when people were glued to their landlines and could not attend calls on the go. Virtual numbers, powered by the cloud, have been a game-changer for the business communication arena.

Perhaps the term seems ambiguous to you. Where and how can a number exist virtually? However, as complex as the term might seem, the working of a virtual number is rather simple and beneficial for all types of businesses.

A Brief Explanation

Virtual numbers are geographical numbers hosted on cloud servers with no physical presence. More commonly known as Direct Inward Dialling (DID) numbers, they redirect calls to a dedicated service number without being tied to a physical set-up.

In traditional telephony, the call recipient needs to be around their station to attend calls. If they’re away, there is no way to reach them in time. 

However, virtual numbers do not require access to a cell tower or a specific device. Instead of relying on such infrastructures, these numbers make use of an Internet connection and cloud technology to intelligently route calls and voicemails. So, it is easier to reach people even if they’re on the move.

Not just that, with the help of IVR solutions, these numbers can easily be converted into virtual assistants to take care of all your communication needs. 

So, How Does This Work?

A caller’s experience with a virtual number is identical to a usual phone call—albeit with background processes that go unnoticed. When a call lands on a virtual number, it automatically gets routed to a specific extension or multiple devices, depending on the configuration.

These numbers, then, can greet callers, inform them about the availability of agents, and even guide them during off-hours with FAQs combined with dedicated virtual assistant services. One can also schedule calls, add reminders and attend to multiple customers at the same time. Isn’t that everything a virtual assistant does?

Therefore, virtual numbers can act as virtual assistants and facilitate efficient remote working. The icing on the cake? These devices need not be in the same area, and one can even modify them. 

So, you can receive calls on your office device in the morning, and the same call can be redirected to your personal number during off-hours. 

The difference between working with traditional and virtual phone numbers also lies in the uniqueness offered by cloud technology. Instead of using local storage options, the cloud allows businesses to access, retrieve and control data from online servers—enabling better control over confidential information.

Businesses are also able to enjoy increased access to caller information with the help of online databases. 

Who Needs to use Virtual Numbers?

Any business that relies on telephonic conversations will require a virtual number—namely, every business. And this solution is definitely a must-have if you require a social presence.

Accompanied by click-to-call technology, virtual numbers work best for paid ads. They let you closely track your paid campaign with features like scheduled reports, real-time monitoring, detailed call logs and recordings, and more.

 

What are its Capabilities?

Whether you’re worried about expanding your operations to new locations or shifting to a remote work culture, virtual numbers have you covered. Here’s how.

  • For Businesses

Empower your business with virtual numbers, magnify your reach and improve credibility—all without burning a hole in your pocket. These numbers replace bulky and expensive hardware with minimal infrastructure. So, you don’t even need physical servers at your office; just use your cloud-compatible device. 

Additionally, these numbers do not have a fixed geographical location, so you can establish a local presence for your business by using any area code.

According to Software Advice, customers are four times more likely to attend calls from a local virtual number than a number with unfamiliar digits. Thus, a virtual number can help you connect to a larger audience without much effort. 

In addition to establishing a local presence for your business, the solution also helps customers get in touch with the right person quickly and saves time. How, you ask? The smart call routing feature directs calls to the best-suited agent or department according to time, type of query, agent preference, etc. 

This way, virtual assistants never let you miss important calls and, hence, you do not lose business. With power-packed features such as an auto-attendant and holiday routing, you can even keep callers informed about your whereabouts and get back to them conveniently.

Overall, your customers can connect with appropriate agents instantly and effortlessly—saving you costs, offering higher accessibility and eliminating geographical restrictions. 

  • For Marketing

Virtual numbers are capable of tracking marketing campaigns and ROIs for various channels. You can assign different numbers to various campaign and analyse the reports separately to design effective marketing strategies—from social media campaigns to online advertising.

When marketers use A/B testing to change their strategies in accordance with ongoing trends, they can use virtual numbers to track and monitor the performance. These numbers provide valuable insights about customer behaviour and preferences.

  • For Communication

Businesses that rely on call centres to manage their customer interactions can greatly benefit from this solution. These virtual assistants act as the first point of contact for, both, new and existing customers. And they provide callers with a human-like experience that makes support conversations an enhanced experience. 

The technology streamlines call flows and organises high call traffic, automatically routing callers to the next best available agent during peak hours. This ensures timely issue resolution and higher customer satisfaction.

It also protects customer and agent identities by masking their contact numbers for the interaction. Moreover, businesses are able to exercise better control over their business processes and, thus, enjoy improved performance.

Although virtual numbers are offered primarily to businesses in India, they can be highly beneficial for individuals as well. Imagine having to give out your personal number on sites like Quikr and Olx, and dealing with all those spam calls. Scary, isn’t it? 

Cloud telephony solutions combat this issue with ease.

Parting Words:

In the quest to stay ahead in a saturated market, business leaders often spend hefty sums of money and valuable time to find newer and easier ways to perform complex tasks. With the growing popularity and demand for the cloud, virtual numbers are also gaining popularity.

These solutions save time and money by eliminating the need for bulky hardware or additional agents, and allow you to always stay connected with your audience. Consequently, the credibility of your business is improved.

Virtual numbers also offer greater flexibility and easy scalability while increasing your revenue and streamlining your business processes.

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3 Ways Cloud Kitchens are Set to Revamp the Food Industry https://www.acefone.com/blog/how-cloud-kitchens-revolutionise-food-industry/ Mon, 21 Dec 2020 15:22:41 +0000 https://www.acefone.com/blog/?p=15138 The new normal has changed every industry, and the F&B (Food and Beverage) segment is not an exception. Thanks to social distancing, dining out is not an option anymore. Those who love eating out, unfortunately, have to make do with getting food delivered to their homes. This, of course, has led to an upsurge in […]

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The new normal has changed every industry, and the F&B (Food and Beverage) segment is not an exception. Thanks to social distancing, dining out is not an option anymore. Those who love eating out, unfortunately, have to make do with getting food delivered to their homes. This, of course, has led to an upsurge in the popularity of the concept of cloud kitchens. And the trend is not only here to stay but is all set to get bigger in the coming times. 

Even before COVID-19 set in, commercial cooking facilities that lacked a physical dining space were already in. According to RedSeer Management Consulting, cloud kitchens are poised to cross the $2 billion mark by 2024

As per a research survey conducted during the lockdown, 21% of the respondents said that they were likely to increase online food ordering after the restrictions were lifted, while only 9% would have wanted to visit restaurants more often. With businesses re-opening, these estimates are becoming a reality. 

If you are planning to enter the restaurant segment or already run one, embracing a cloud kitchen seems to be the best move right now. However, before doing so, it is vital to understand the technology that keeps them up and running

Remember, when it comes to cloud kitchens, the tech infrastructure is just as important as the products and services. 

Let us first answer a few questions about cloud kitchens to cover some basics.  

What is a Cloud Kitchen?

Essentially, a cloud kitchen refers to a delivery-only restaurant which does not offer a dine-in facility to the patrons. These are known as cloud kitchens as they depend on cloud services that leverage the Internet to take online orders. 

More often than not, the food outlet functions from a small kitchen space without any investment in the dining space or restaurant. Businesses can save even more by sharing the same space with other catering services. 

How can you Start a Cloud Kitchen in India?

Starting up a cloud kitchen business in India is amazingly easyboth in terms of investment and effort, as it does not involve huge infrastructural costs. Instead, all you need is a basic cloud phone system and a kitchen space where you can cook quality food and deliver it to your consumers. 


Considering the simplicity and minimal investment requirements of this business model, it becomes an attractive option for new entrepreneurs. At the same time, existing restaurants can easily switch to this model. This will help them counteract the impact of the pandemic and keep operations running while cutting down on various costs. 

Are Cloud Kitchens Profitable? 

Pandemic or no pandemic, there is no doubt that cloud kitchens are a profitable business model for budding and established restaurateurs. Here are some reasons why you should consider them today and, in the future, as well. 

Minimal Investment 

This one is a no brainer. You need not buy or rent an expensive place in a prime location, so there are big savings in terms of real-estate cost. You can even start a business from home and expand to a commercial space as the business grows. 

Additionally, you can save on wait staff, fancy interiors, and all regular maintenance work. Comparatively, cloud-based solutions cost only a fraction but let you start a full-fledged business.

Scaling Opportunities

With a cloud kitchen, scaling operations are simpler and quicker than you expect. Since the investment is smaller, you can open several outlets around the same time even with a limited budget. 

Shared spaces and operator-managed kitchens play an important role in helping these businesses achieve scale. The model is ideal for a restaurant trying to enter new markets or expand operations as they only need a small space and can start operations without any delay and hassles.

Easy Experimentation

Another reason why cloud kitchen is profitable is that it offers the ease of experimentation with multiple concepts without burning a hole in your pocket. You can run multiple brands or offer a range of cuisines from the same space while using the same resources. 

To start a brand, you only need to get it listed among the food aggregators, and you are good to go. The best part is that the listing is free, and you start getting orders right away. If the new brand or scheme does not match your expectations, you have the freedom to remove it from the food aggregator list.

Why do we have Cloud Kitchens?

There are several reasons why cloud kitchens are gaining popularity in India. Although services were temporarily shut down during the pandemic-induced lockdowns, these businesses are back with a bang. 

And now, it’s food quality over the dining experience as people are more confident about staying indoors and avoiding any exposure. Moreover, the convenience of having food delivered quickly at a reasonable price right to your doorstep is unmatched. 

At the end of the day, it is this convenience that working professionals look for, rather than having to cook themselves.

As the demand for cloud kitchens surge, they present a huge business opportunity for startups and even established brands. There are several online aggregators expanding operations across the Indian cities, and this has led to immense growth in the market size.  Reimagining kitchens to prioritize delivery and flexibility also means rethinking the technology that powers them. A modern POS setup—like Gloria Food POS—bridges the gap between order flow and fulfillment by combining cloud-based order intake, commission-free online ordering, kitchen routing, and real-time reporting into one streamlined system. In cloud kitchens, this cohesive platform replaces fragmented tools, helping teams stay agile while handling high volumes across multiple brands or delivery channels.

COVID-19 has also contributed to make cloud kitchens an in-demand business model, even for the restaurants that were flourishing in the pre-pandemic era. Hence, it is an opportunity that no business would want to miss.

Get Started

Although you may want to capitalize on the cloud kitchen boom in the COVID era, doing so requires an initial infrastructural investment. Beyond a kitchen space to prepare the food and an aggregator collaboration to receive and deliver orders, you will also need some technology solutions in place. 

Furthermore, you will require cloud-based solutions to get the operations going. 

While your needs may vary depending on the size and scale of the business, a basic setup is a must. Everything boils down to collaborating with a reliable cloud service provider who is capable enough to address all the needs of your virtual kitchen. 

Acefone is a name you can rely on because it has diverse experience with clients from various industries, including the food and beverage segment. Getting your cloud kitchen up and running can be easier than you think!

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