Satisfying your customers is very important when you are running a company. The success of the company doesn't always depend on how much satisfied your customers, So you need to make sure that your customers get every facility they need and they get every chance to reach you. If you run a small business or you are a market giant, what you need to have is the correct view to your business and the correct and timely approach towards your customers. Do you have a toll-free number for your business? If you do not have, then go for one!
It is thus important to know how it can enhance your business!
Availability:
You will be available for your customers day and night with the help of this number. If you are running a small company then you may not afford a telephone operator. But when you are a big guy, you can easily have an operator for your help! So through this facility you will be there for your clients 24*7. This will help you to enhance your business as well! So go for a number that can make you available for your customers.
Dedication:
Customers like serious business persons and those people who are available at the hour of need. Suppose someone needs you for a particular purpose and you are not available at that moment! You can lose the customer if the marketing sense of your rival is better than you. It allows you to stay in touch with your customer no matter where you are, no matter which time is this and no matter what you are doing! Your dedication will pay you at the end of the day.
Portability:
Suppose you are going to leave your previous office space and you are going for a bigger place or shifting somewhere else. You can easily bring your toll-free number along with you. When you buy a number from an operator, the number is yours for the rest of your life! So you can easily take the number along with you wherever you go and your customer will not even know from where you are operating! You only need to divert the call to your present area or to your mobile and you are done!
Easy to remember:
It is true that we are losing the power of remembering numbers with the advent of mobile phones. We do not require remembering the number, so we do not do that even! But if you logically think, then the initial numbers of a toll-free number is fixed. So you need to remember the extensions only and it is quite easy to remember the extension numbers.
If there are so many features available that makes a toll-free number a must buy for the small concerns and the giant players too, then why don't you do it? Go for such a wonderful number and use that for the marketing of your company!
Showing posts with label Phone Company. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phone Company. Show all posts
Amazon Cloud to Back Up Your Phone System?
Did you every think that your company would be physically unavailable, the building not accessible and the phone system unmanned? The issue of business continuity and disaster recovery is on your 'to do' list and hopefully you can get to it before it gets to you. Recently, we had the experience of having to resuscitate a client from near death when their physical facility became unavailable. Clearly, the phone system was very high on the list of "must have" operational now.
Here is the solution we employed with amazing results. First, we signed in and created a brand new account at the Amazon EC2 cloud offering. This itself was an amazing experience. Once your account is open, which can take a couple of hours if you do not already have an Amazon account (is that possible?), you can create and access a server with the OS of your choice within minutes. We already had an Amazon account so adding the AWS functionality took less than 30 minutes. We then created a Microsoft 2008 SP2 32 Bit Server and provision RDP access in less time than it is taking to tell this story. The AWS service provisions and assigns a DNS public IP address, creates a security instance ('firewall") and candidly, that took more time to make operational then it took to build an "instance" of our Windows based HQ server!
Once the sever was provisioned, we were able to make "firewall" changes to meet our security requirements. This is all accomplished through the AWS management console. Then the fun started, we downloaded our favorite PBX system! All of this is taking place in the cloud and under a time constraint, but we were able to provision our PBX and get in a configuration mode very quickly. Using our preexisting ITSP SIP account we were able to provision a multi-channel SIP "peer", obtain a DID number and have dial tone in and out of the system within 15 minutes!
From then on it became near Childs play and basically the same as any other deployment. We brought up the most urgent User profiles first, established remote call forwarding and even enabled several SIP softphones. We were able to get the phone company to call forward the clients main BTN to the newly provisioned DID number and we had this client back to worrying about business issues that had nothing to do with phone service pronto quick. The entire process from account setup, to first phone call took two and a half hours to commission!
Clearly, not the carefully conceived business continuity and disaster recovery plan that should have been in place, but a success story none the less. We keep a pre-paid ITSP account available at all times which enables us to bring up 4 channel SIP peers in a heart beat. It seems we never know when we are going to need a new DID and Peer. The Amazon AWS is mind boggling in terms of what you can do and you are billed on a metered basis. Currently they have a program that bundles some 750 hours of usage a month for free. They also have some canned AMI's (Amazon Machine Images) that cost literally penny's an hour to operate.
Not that we needed another reason to have a software based VOIP iPBX but this is an example of just how powerful these tools can be to create and deliver viable telecommunications solutions on demand! AskDrVoIP and we will provide you the list of software solutions we used to accomplish this emergency deployment and we are planning to recreate the entire experience for a another DrVoIP video cheat sheet.
http://youtu.be/ZAB8wCg9MyE
Visit the DrvoIP.Com site for a wealth of information and video tips on VoIP! Find technical support or post your project for Free!
Here is the solution we employed with amazing results. First, we signed in and created a brand new account at the Amazon EC2 cloud offering. This itself was an amazing experience. Once your account is open, which can take a couple of hours if you do not already have an Amazon account (is that possible?), you can create and access a server with the OS of your choice within minutes. We already had an Amazon account so adding the AWS functionality took less than 30 minutes. We then created a Microsoft 2008 SP2 32 Bit Server and provision RDP access in less time than it is taking to tell this story. The AWS service provisions and assigns a DNS public IP address, creates a security instance ('firewall") and candidly, that took more time to make operational then it took to build an "instance" of our Windows based HQ server!
Once the sever was provisioned, we were able to make "firewall" changes to meet our security requirements. This is all accomplished through the AWS management console. Then the fun started, we downloaded our favorite PBX system! All of this is taking place in the cloud and under a time constraint, but we were able to provision our PBX and get in a configuration mode very quickly. Using our preexisting ITSP SIP account we were able to provision a multi-channel SIP "peer", obtain a DID number and have dial tone in and out of the system within 15 minutes!
From then on it became near Childs play and basically the same as any other deployment. We brought up the most urgent User profiles first, established remote call forwarding and even enabled several SIP softphones. We were able to get the phone company to call forward the clients main BTN to the newly provisioned DID number and we had this client back to worrying about business issues that had nothing to do with phone service pronto quick. The entire process from account setup, to first phone call took two and a half hours to commission!
Clearly, not the carefully conceived business continuity and disaster recovery plan that should have been in place, but a success story none the less. We keep a pre-paid ITSP account available at all times which enables us to bring up 4 channel SIP peers in a heart beat. It seems we never know when we are going to need a new DID and Peer. The Amazon AWS is mind boggling in terms of what you can do and you are billed on a metered basis. Currently they have a program that bundles some 750 hours of usage a month for free. They also have some canned AMI's (Amazon Machine Images) that cost literally penny's an hour to operate.
Not that we needed another reason to have a software based VOIP iPBX but this is an example of just how powerful these tools can be to create and deliver viable telecommunications solutions on demand! AskDrVoIP and we will provide you the list of software solutions we used to accomplish this emergency deployment and we are planning to recreate the entire experience for a another DrVoIP video cheat sheet.
http://youtu.be/ZAB8wCg9MyE
Visit the DrvoIP.Com site for a wealth of information and video tips on VoIP! Find technical support or post your project for Free!
History of the Telephone Number: All-Number Calling
As discussed in the first part ("History of the Telephone Number: Early Years") of this series, telephone numbers through the first half of the twentieth century used the 2L-5N system (two letters and five numbers). The two letters of the telephone numbers corresponded to a memorable word, such as BUtterfield or ANdrew. As demand grew following World War II, however, limitations in this system quickly became apparent. The numeral 1 was reserved for long-distance dialing, and 0 was reserved for the operator. Several combinations, such as 57 and 97, were unusable because it was impossible to make a corresponding word.
The Bell System split some area codes to allow reuse of numbers, which worked for a time - only two new area codes were added between 1962 and 1981. Nonetheless, in 1958, AT&T began the slow transition to all-number calling (ANC), gradually replacing the letters with numbers. All-number calling was first implemented in smaller communities; Wichita Falls, Texas, was the first to complete the conversion in 1958.
AT&T used a three-stage process to ease the transition. At first, telephone directories printed the full word associated with the exchange; e.g., BUtterfield 5-6861. In phase one, the letter exchange was printed without the associated word: BU 5-6861. In phase two, those still using five or fewer digits were brought up to seven. In the third, printed directories showed only the seven-digit number: 285-6861.
By 1965, all new phone numbers conformed to all-number calling, but the nationwide transition lasted well into the early 80s. Opposition was strong in some larger cities; groups, such as San Francisco's Anti Digit Dialing League, organized against the new system. Some people considered their ROckwell or WHitney letter exchange as part of their identity, or at the least useful in identifying where a caller was located. Newspaper editorials were written protesting the change, and at least one protest song was recorded, in 1966. New York City did not convert fully to ANC until 1978, and one Philadelphia directory still listed alphanumeric prefixes as late as 1983.
Interestingly, the use of the 555 prefix in movies and television began in this area, originally as KLondike 5. The 555 prefix was reserved for the telephone company, and generally used only for directory assistance (555-1212). Movie and television writers began using it as a way to avoid generating any unwanted calls to an existing number (as famously happened with the 1982 song, "867-5309/Jenny").
About the series: "History of the Telephone" is for those businesses and individuals who are interested in a vanity number and the benefits one may provide. A vanity number, such as the ones found at PhoneNumberGuy.com, makes it easy for potential and current clients to remember you. You can find the perfect vanity number for you in nearly every U.S. area code at PhoneNumberGuy.com.
The Bell System split some area codes to allow reuse of numbers, which worked for a time - only two new area codes were added between 1962 and 1981. Nonetheless, in 1958, AT&T began the slow transition to all-number calling (ANC), gradually replacing the letters with numbers. All-number calling was first implemented in smaller communities; Wichita Falls, Texas, was the first to complete the conversion in 1958.
AT&T used a three-stage process to ease the transition. At first, telephone directories printed the full word associated with the exchange; e.g., BUtterfield 5-6861. In phase one, the letter exchange was printed without the associated word: BU 5-6861. In phase two, those still using five or fewer digits were brought up to seven. In the third, printed directories showed only the seven-digit number: 285-6861.
By 1965, all new phone numbers conformed to all-number calling, but the nationwide transition lasted well into the early 80s. Opposition was strong in some larger cities; groups, such as San Francisco's Anti Digit Dialing League, organized against the new system. Some people considered their ROckwell or WHitney letter exchange as part of their identity, or at the least useful in identifying where a caller was located. Newspaper editorials were written protesting the change, and at least one protest song was recorded, in 1966. New York City did not convert fully to ANC until 1978, and one Philadelphia directory still listed alphanumeric prefixes as late as 1983.
Interestingly, the use of the 555 prefix in movies and television began in this area, originally as KLondike 5. The 555 prefix was reserved for the telephone company, and generally used only for directory assistance (555-1212). Movie and television writers began using it as a way to avoid generating any unwanted calls to an existing number (as famously happened with the 1982 song, "867-5309/Jenny").
About the series: "History of the Telephone" is for those businesses and individuals who are interested in a vanity number and the benefits one may provide. A vanity number, such as the ones found at PhoneNumberGuy.com, makes it easy for potential and current clients to remember you. You can find the perfect vanity number for you in nearly every U.S. area code at PhoneNumberGuy.com.
What Features Do You Get With VoIP?
The feature set included with your home VOIP phone varies greatly from carrier to carrier, so as you are comparing different offerings, make sure you are comparing apples to apples in terms of the feature set. Let's look at some of the standard features, then we can look at some of the features that some carriers are offering, which for your needs, may not amount to a hill of beans.
Unlimited calling
Almost all VOIP providers are offerings unlimited calling, but be sure you take this with a minor grain of salt. Unlimited does not really mean "unlimited" in the true Webster's Dictionary definition of the word. Almost all VOIP providers SAY unlimited, but for home VOIP use, what they really MEAN is "reasonably unlimited".
If you start using more than about 3000 to 4000 minutes per month of call time, that is thought to be unlike the typical residence and you may get a warning about it, or they may even shut you off. Using that many or more minutes for VOIP calling over the course of a month indicates to them that you are either a business that has a residential VOIP phone, or that you are using an automated auto-dialer to make telemarketing calls. The former is available for businesses at a higher price from many VOIP providers, and the latter is a definite no-no from ANY VOIP provider.
Even if you do not use that many minutes, make sure you understand what your calling area includes. Most VOIP providers only use the continental US for your unlimited calling. But SunRocket includes Canada and Alaska. Some VOIP providers also include Puerto Rico. Be sure you know what is included if you plan to call any of those places on a regular basis.
Caller ID
Caller ID is a standard feature of almost all VOIP carriers, and interestingly enough, it is almost always an "extra charge" item from your phone company. If this is important to you, be sure that the plan you are considering does indeed include it.
Call Blocking
With this feature, you can block certain calls from coming in. You can specify a number that you do not accept calls from, you can not accept calls from any callers who are blocking their caller ID, there are a wide variety of ways to do this. Again, this is usually also available from your phone company on your regular phone lines, but at extra charge.
Call Waiting
Most VOIP providers include a call waiting function. If you are talking on the phone and someone is trying to call, they will not get a busy signal, but you will hear some tones that alerts you about another call coming in. You can "flash" between the new caller and the person you were talking with to let them know that you will call them back shortly. Again, this is usually an extra charge item from your phone company on your traditional voice lines.
Call Return
Dialing a sequence of numbers like "*69" will return the call of the last person who called you, since the VOIP system will remember the number of the last person who called. With some services, it will remember that last 5 or 10 people who called.
In summary, VoIP features can vary greatly from carrier to carrier. Be sure you are comparing apples to apples in terms of the feature sets. DO YOUR HOMEWORK before buying a VoIP service.
For more information about getting the lowest price on a VoIP, MPLS or OCx Circuit, each with a Low Price Guarantee, please visit www.TryCards.com
Unlimited calling
Almost all VOIP providers are offerings unlimited calling, but be sure you take this with a minor grain of salt. Unlimited does not really mean "unlimited" in the true Webster's Dictionary definition of the word. Almost all VOIP providers SAY unlimited, but for home VOIP use, what they really MEAN is "reasonably unlimited".
If you start using more than about 3000 to 4000 minutes per month of call time, that is thought to be unlike the typical residence and you may get a warning about it, or they may even shut you off. Using that many or more minutes for VOIP calling over the course of a month indicates to them that you are either a business that has a residential VOIP phone, or that you are using an automated auto-dialer to make telemarketing calls. The former is available for businesses at a higher price from many VOIP providers, and the latter is a definite no-no from ANY VOIP provider.
Even if you do not use that many minutes, make sure you understand what your calling area includes. Most VOIP providers only use the continental US for your unlimited calling. But SunRocket includes Canada and Alaska. Some VOIP providers also include Puerto Rico. Be sure you know what is included if you plan to call any of those places on a regular basis.
Caller ID
Caller ID is a standard feature of almost all VOIP carriers, and interestingly enough, it is almost always an "extra charge" item from your phone company. If this is important to you, be sure that the plan you are considering does indeed include it.
Call Blocking
With this feature, you can block certain calls from coming in. You can specify a number that you do not accept calls from, you can not accept calls from any callers who are blocking their caller ID, there are a wide variety of ways to do this. Again, this is usually also available from your phone company on your regular phone lines, but at extra charge.
Call Waiting
Most VOIP providers include a call waiting function. If you are talking on the phone and someone is trying to call, they will not get a busy signal, but you will hear some tones that alerts you about another call coming in. You can "flash" between the new caller and the person you were talking with to let them know that you will call them back shortly. Again, this is usually an extra charge item from your phone company on your traditional voice lines.
Call Return
Dialing a sequence of numbers like "*69" will return the call of the last person who called you, since the VOIP system will remember the number of the last person who called. With some services, it will remember that last 5 or 10 people who called.
In summary, VoIP features can vary greatly from carrier to carrier. Be sure you are comparing apples to apples in terms of the feature sets. DO YOUR HOMEWORK before buying a VoIP service.
For more information about getting the lowest price on a VoIP, MPLS or OCx Circuit, each with a Low Price Guarantee, please visit www.TryCards.com
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