How Business VoIP Helps You Manage Calls During Holidays

The Christmas season may be in the rear-view mirror for now, but that certainly does not mean that the holidays – at least as far as businesses are concerned – are over.

Indeed, whether the occasion is Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, or Veteran’s Day, there are Federal holidays on the calendar ahead; not to mention some that are observed by specific states, such as Rhode Island’s Independence Day (May 4), Patriot’s Day in Maine and Massachusetts (April 17), and the list goes on.

What does this mean for employees? Typically, it means they get the day off. But as managers and executives know, there are no days off on today’s business landscape – because there is always the possibility (if not in some marketplaces and industries the likelihood) that a prospect, customer or key supplier or vendor will need to get in touch. Fortunately, that is where business VoIP enters the picture and makes the difference between going dark and staying on-the-grid.

Below, we highlight the 3 key ways that business VoIP helps you manage calls during the holidays:

1. Customized Auto-Attendant

Business VoIP features built-in auto-attendant, which you can customize in a matter of seconds to announce your temporary open/close times, or any other details that you want your callers to know. For example, if due to a holiday closure you are temporarily not providing same-day shipping, you can note this in your auto-attendant greeting to keep customers in the loop. And of course, you can also add a special announcement as well wishing your customers a happy, safe holiday.

2. Set Time of Day Rules

With business VoIP, you can quickly and easily set (and re-set) time of day rules, which govern how incoming calls are handled during a specific period of time. This is ideal if you plan on having a partial closure during a holiday, or if you will have a limited staff contingency on hand (i.e. your sales people may be working, but your technical people may be taking the day off). You can route calls to voicemail, forward them to a call center, and so on.

3. Enable Employees to Work from Home

Some holidays are not work-free, but they create havoc for employees with school-aged kids at home who have the day off. Finding suitable childcare can be difficult and expensive; especially if it is just for one day. At the same time, employees are understandably unhappy about using a vacation day so they can watch Sponge Bob or avoid stepping on Lego pieces.

Business VoIP solves this problem by enabling employees to work from home, since all calls can be forwarded to their home phone or smartphone. They can also access the VoIP system through their computer (“soft phone”). As such, employees can stay productive, while you can demonstrate that you truly care about your most valuable asset: your people!