How to get your staff on board with hosted voice

Introducing new technology into your business often sparks positive change, and hosted voice is no different. However, not all employees will immediately know of the practical benefits of implementing a new phone  system. Consider this a bit of a cheat sheet.

From its reliability and practicality through to the ways it supports remote working, we’ve detailed the positive impacts a hosted voice network will have on your staff in everyday use so you know how to communicate the benefits and get them on board.

We’ve also anticipated a few questions and issues you might be up against and given some suggested solutions.

Know how to answer ‘What is hosted voice?’

It’s easiest to explain hosted voice to employees as exactly like a normal phone system except everything happens over the internet. And the big benefit is they can make and receive calls easily across a range of devices: laptops, smartphones, desktop phones, and more. In short, they can answer and make calls far more flexibly.

We have a post that acts a quick introduction to hosted voice. You might want to circulate this to your colleagues.

Emphasise the benefits: It’ll make remote working easier

Whether working at home, on the road, or abroad, being contactable as if you were at the office makes working life simpler.

A hosted voice system only requires staff to have a working internet connection and something standard, like a laptop, to be reached. This simplifies home and remote working, meaning colleagues don’t have to be connected to a work landline to talk to each other or with clients.

Because communications are all connected to one network, employees can set incoming calls to be reconnected to their mobiles, avoiding the need for separate work and mobile phones. This means employees can manage their work directly from the same familiar device they use each day, so you rarely leave a client call unanswered again – and if they do, it’s possible to get an instant email notification.

Professionalism is highly important in business, and the system also has benefits for outgoing calls – hosted voice technology offers employees the option to display a desk phone number, giving the impression they’re in the office at their desk.

Let them know it’s a seamless switch

A big concern your staff might have with switching to a hosted voice system is losing their current number. However, with many hosted voice solutions, employees can transfer details over with ease, meaning there’s no need to inform clients of any contact detail changes. This removes any confusion from both sides and allows business to resume as normal.

Switching’s easy on a micro level too. Changing between devices can be done with ease throughout the day. By connecting phone, tablet, and computer to the same hosted voice cloud network, employees will find that they can communicate via whichever method is easiest for them at any given moment.

Out at lunch? Use a smartphone. Back in the office? The laptop might be most straightforward. Working from home on Fridays? Chat on the tablet in the kitchen while making a late breakfast.

Support and security issues: There’s always someone or something looking out for them

Businesses and employees are often wary when working with cloud- or internet-based technology. Remind staff they can rest easy knowing that all details and information are kept securely behind a highly resilient system, much safer than on-premise security.

As well as security, they can rely on their communication system to offer an incredible service. Any issues and the provider is always there to help. No risk of them being on holiday and unavailable to answer queries or fix problems.

Plus, it’ll all look as professional as possible, with a high-quality service guaranteed with every call. Not to mention call parking, forwarding, and holding included within packages. They can always maintain a professional relationship with whoever’s on the other end of the line.

Head over to our other posts to learn more about the benefits of hosted voice or how it can add value to your business.