Get even more out of your online business telephony with integrations

If your company's phone is constantly ringing off the hook, a VoIP integration is the perfect solution for managing your business communication. It is extremely frustrating for customers to have to wait on the phone while you transfer them, noting their phone number and message and at the same time find a solution to their problem.

There is not only the risk of human error, which may cause you to miss a sale. But even more painful is having to put customers on hold to track down their order in another programme. Then, when another phone call comes in at the same time, you have two waiting, frustrated people.

Most companies use several apps and this does not improve efficiency. One such indispensable application is online business telephony. But to access the customer's details, you literally have to switch tabs or screens and type the data into the search box. All very enervating and time-consuming. But what if you could synchronise all this, allowing you to use all the functions of your online telephony from within your familiar software?

Meet automatisms, integrations and software.

Automatisms, integrations and software

The reality is that manual processes cost you a lot of time and money, and this is very stressful for both your employees and customers. The solution comes in the form of the magic word AIS: automatisms, integrations and software.

Specifically for your business telephony, this means linking your online phone platform to your current CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system or ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solution. The idea is, by integrating your online telephony with other business applications (software), to replace as many manual operations as possible with automatisms.

A VoIP integration allows you to link your online telephony to almost all possible business apps with the aim of automating and optimising the internal and external communication process.

And that translates not only into higher efficiency of your employees, but also into higher customer satisfaction. Better productivity and satisfied customers = higher sales, and in the end, that's what it's all about.

What does VoIP integration mean?

VoIP stands for voice over internet protocol, the technology for making calls online. So with a VoIP phone platform, you can make calls with any device that has an internet connection, smartphones, computers and tablets, and even with a fixed line. A VoIP integration ensures that you can smoothly integrate your online telephony with your other business apps. That way, you create a user-friendly, efficient and well-organised software ecosystem.

With such an online telephony integration, you no longer have to manually switch between your phone platform and the programme you use for your customer service (CRM) to fetch the caller's record.

But the possibilities of VoIP integrations are not limited to customer service. Online telephony can also be linked to other business applications, such as accounting programmes, productivity apps or inventory management tools, thanks to VoIP integrations.

How does VoIP integration work concretely?

Integrations ensure automatic synchronisation of data between two compatible software platforms of your choice. For example, you can use different VoIP integrations to synchronise your e-mail, business applications and your online telephony with each other.

Once your online telephony is linked to your CRM system, calls and messages are automatically stored in your CRM. This removes the need to look up customer details in both systems every time. When someone calls, you immediately see their name in your phone platform, giving you all the details at the click of a button.

Practical features you never want to miss again

Linking your online telephony with your favourite business apps offers some features you will never want to miss again.

An overview of the main functions:

Incoming calls

• When someone calls, a pop-up appears with the relevant customer data from your CRM.

• When there is no match with the CRM, the integration populates the info with the automatic Google Number Lookup.

• Standard recording of calls with the ability to add notes. So no more action is required to record calls.

• And so much more...

Outgoing calls

• Every phone number in your linked business app is accompanied by a click-and-call link, which you just need to click to make a call.

• In any programme, you can select and dial any phone number by simply pressing F7 (Windows).

• Thanks to a handy desktop phone app, you can easily type or paste a number to dial it directly.

• And so much more...

Benefits of VoIP integration

Linking your online telephony with your other business apps in the cloud not only benefits your customers, but also your colleagues and your company itself.

Advantages for customers

As a business leader, you have surely called another company before, who could then surface your details in an instant, answer all your questions quickly and solve the problem right away without having to put you on hold. The person you were on the line with was using a platform with VoIP integration.

The process is so smooth and flawless for consumers that customers do not even have a clue what is happening on the other end. All they know is that they got flawless customer service. And of course, as an ambitious company, that's what you want to offer.

Benefits for employees

Of course, your employees are already very happy that you switched to online telephony. But by integrating your VoIP platform with other apps, you've never seen so many beaming faces in the workplace. The main benefits of VoIP integrations for employees are:

• Multitasking

• Increases efficiency

• Access, use and share data

Benefits for your company itself

Your company itself also benefits from VoIP integrations. Some benefits for companies that should not be underestimated are:

• Employees can log in from anywhere

• Faultless internal and external communication

• Ideal for virtual call centres

• Straightforward installation and updates in the cloud

• More cost-efficient than analogue systems

• Unlimited addition of applications

• Easy to scale up

Which apps can you link with your online telephony?

VoIP integrations significantly increase the efficiency of your online business telephony system. Since it is easy and cheap to use these integrations, it is only up to you to decide which apps to link.

CRM

Most companies today use a CRM system: a programme that allows them to maintain relationships with their customers. These apps are indispensable for orderly customer management and sending e-mails. But rarely can you use them to make phone calls as well. By linking your CRM tool to your online phone platform, you save a lot of time retrieving customer details, order number and other information. When someone calls, you then immediately have all the info at a glance.

ERP

Online telephony can be linked to virtually any business app, not just customer relationship systems. The same exercise as with CRM can also be made for more specific business applications for sectors such as hospitals, call centres, accounting or law firms, supermarket chains, and so on.

Chat or SMS

Some people prefer to chat or to send a message. A VoIP integration then makes it possible to switch from calling to chatting or texting. With an app that supports SMS or chat, you can then speak to your customers from your usual CRM system via the means of communication they prefer.

AI and transcription

Sometimes taking notes during a phone call is not enough. With AI and transcription apps, you automatically get a transcribed version of the conversation after a call. These apps are useful to get a quick view of the content of previous phone conversations. It is also extremely useful for training new employees, as it allows them to learn how to deal with difficult customers.

The combination of online telephony and apps is different for every company. It is up to you as a business leader to choose the tools that will get the most return from your online business telephony. Within the Belfabriek app store, you will find a full overview of the numerous apps you can use to connect the telephony platform.

Belfabriek: customised software ecosystem and online telephony

Belfabriek, the specialist in online business telephony, links your online telephony to all your favourite apps. An extensive team of experts helps companies every day to automate their business processes and improve their communication through every conceivable channel: be it chat, phone, SMS, or e-mail.

Get even more out of your various business apps and online telephony thanks to Belfabriek's integrations!