Why Zoom Phone (VoIP) has killed voicemail forever

Incredibly, VoIP, video conferencing, or Zoom Phone usage has surged by over 210% during the pandemic. 

I mean, at one stage, everyone was on Zoom Phone calls or talking about how they had another Zoom call coming up.

As you walk around Melbourne now, catch up with your mates for weekend barbie or walk the dog along Elwood foreshore, it’s hard to believe we were trying to do all these things on Zoom.

Remember in 2020 when you had to watch the Grand Final from Brisbane huddled around the TV at home? 

Watching Geelong and Richmond go head-to-head in the Sunshine State didn’t make sense.

Let alone the TV networks crossing to fan zones powered by Zoom phone calls across Melbourne. 

It was just plain weird. 

All around the ‘burbs as the week kicked off after the Tigers won, Melbourians shuffled into their home offices or dining room tables. 

You’d switch on the laptop and dial up Zoom for the day’s work. 

Of course, after endless talk of whether Dusty did dominate and deserved the Norm Smith.

In those days of endless Zoom phone calls, most Melbourne businesses operated remotely. But now, as our recovery continues, many workplaces offer both remote and hybrid work. 

And to adjust to this, many businesses have switched to VoIP as it helps improve call handling. 

Most business owners have found using a Zoom phone has significantly reduced their costs compared to a traditional landline phone. In fact, VoIP call plans are often cheaper, and you can scale your communication systems more efficiently.

So how do you take advantage of Zoom Phone calls to drive productivity, improve efficiency and offer your employee’s a better experience?

Here’s how a Zoom Phone (VoIP) helps your business

Offer a seamless and consistent greeting. 

You know, the person answering the phone in many small companies is usually a jack (or jill) of all trades. They run between the reception desk, welcome clients, and attend to many admin tasks. 

By investing in a Zoom Phone, your business can lean into that person’s expertise and allow them to complete more enriching tasks.

And you give the caller a better introduction to your business with an automated attendant. 

Zoom phone (VoIP) can act as your company’s directory. It’s able to forward calls to the correct department or team member. 

It’s as simple and easy as recording a welcoming greeting and then asking the caller a few questions. Such as, “press one for the service department, press two for customer service…”

The caller’s phone call connects to the right person who can help and avoids them having to repeat themselves. 

This feature will transform productivity.

Most employees will stop and smile if you ask what their favourite Zoom phone user feature is.

Then with a sense of satisfaction, say, “Find Me/Follow Me”.

77% of surveyed employees absolutely love the “Find Me/Follow Me” feature. It allows the user to switch their calls from one device to another.

So, if you start a call on your laptop and then need to rush to another meeting, you can easily switch the call to your smartphone. 

And you only have to remember one number for your Zoom phone.

You can use the same number for people to phone you or set up a video conference; it doesn’t matter what device you use. 

Does anyone listen to the hold music?

Like most people, you probably think the hold music on a call seems insignificant.

But studies have shown that playing hold music impacts customer satisfaction and lead generation. 

The study found that when people were on hold for 1 minute:

• Over 50% of the callers ended the call when left in silence
• But 87% of callers stayed on hold when music was played 

Interestingly, 45% of the group in silence believed they had been on hold for over 3 minutes. 

And 56% of people with the hold music felt the experience was less than 1 minute.

So, your business benefits from happier customers with fewer lost leads as your callers are more likely to wait until the call is answered with music. 

Goodbye voicemail

Listen, the most frustrating thing about being in a meeting is checking voicemail once you leave. 

Often you can leave a meeting with half a dozen missed calls and many voicemails and texts. 

It can be overwhelming.

But with VoIP, you can unlock a feature that allows Zoom phone to email you recorded voicemails with a transcript. So you can quickly glance at your emails and prioritise who you need to call back. 

And saving time but not listening to endless voicemails.

Hello, anyone there?

Sometimes customers find it hard to get their calls answered. But with ring groups, you can have a group of phone numbers ring simultaneously until one of the team answers. 

It’s beneficial if one of your team members can solve the customer’s issue without leaving a message to have someone call back. 

Many Melbourne businesses set up ring groups for sales, accounting or customer support teams.

Plan your workforce to pick up

Do you know when the busiest time for your business to handle call volumes is?

Are your calls getting answered within SLA?

With Zoom phone, you can get real-time call reporting to keep track of customer service delivery. You can stay across your business by regularly reviewing these reports and automating the ones you frequently use. 

Stay connected with Zoom Phone.

When choosing to hire a VoIP company to help you set up your Zoom Phone, you should select a local IT partner. That way, you can ensure the service works for your business, including training and setting up ring groups. 

We’d love to help your Melbourne business with VoIP. 

Contact us for more information.