With the emergence of new technology in the last few years (social networking sites, cloud computing, VOIP) more and more companies are changing the way they communicate. The traditional perception of a phone system has changed. It's not just about making and receiving calls any more. "There is so much available from a phone system now and if you're not keeping up to date with the changes then your competitors are probably beating you to new business," says Daron Hutt, Chairman of Pioneer Business Systems. "We are living in a fast paced society where information is demanded almost immediately. This translates into business. If you leave your customer on hold for too long or don't handle the call as efficiently as they expect, you will miss out."

Statistics show that 90% of customers will hang up if they call a business and are confronted with silence. Even more worryingly is that a third of those customers will never call you back. Getting to a call quickly is crucial says Daron, "Handling call volumes efficiently and responding to customer queries quickly is vital. There is so much technology on offer that can help. Call Management can provide you with complete transparency of your telephone system and show you hundreds of vital statistics. From busiest times of day to marketing trends, it can really help you plan your business strategy. With Call Transfer you can eliminate the need for customers to wait. Calls that come into the office can be forwarded directly to any landline or mobile number so it means the correct colleague can pick up the call immediately."

KEEP IT PERSONAL

With more and more businesses competing for new clients it's crucial to stand out from the crowd. 4Sight CTI can integrate with your PC and display key information about your customers explains Daron, "This is a fantastic way to build customer rapport. CTI can show a customer's entire call history, who they last spoke to and any outstanding issues. It really means you can greet each caller in a personal way which is a great tool in retaining a loyal customer base." The function also enables businesses to have access to an entire extension list. The list is displayed on screen and shows who is engaged and who is away from the office – an effective time saving tool.

BE ACCURATE

As well as helping with efficiency, phone systems can now improve accuracy with voice recording. The feature records all incoming and outgoing calls so client and customer conversations are accessible at the click of a button. It can be used in a number of ways explains Daron, "Some businesses use this for message taking. A voice clip can be attached to an email and sent directly to a colleague. It eradicates the need to jot down notes and means you have more time to deal with new business calls. The key to all of these features is that they can be used in a variety of ways. Depending on your business, it's up to you how you use the system. But ultimately all businesses share the same overall goal – to improve productivity and generate revenue which a phone system can now do."