Today’s retail environment — both online and offline — is more competitive than ever. As such, retailers have to find smarter ways to drive efficiency and lower costs, while also enhancing customer service and enabling a positive “omnichannel” shopping experience. And that’s why a growing number of retailers are making the switch from a conventional landline phone system to an advanced hosted VoIP phone system.
Below are the 5 key reasons why VoIP for retail makes sense — and why, in fact, many new retailers are hitting the ground running with a VoIP system from day one:
VoIP for Retail Advantage #1: Dramatic Cost Savings
It doesn’t matter how state-of-the-art or leading-edge a business solution might be; retailers know that if it doesn’t dramatically improve the bottom-line, then it’s a nice-to-have rather than a fundamental requirement. A hosted VoIP phone system clearly falls into the latter category, since there’s no costly lines to rent, long distance bills to pay, or maintenance fees to cover. While each retail operation is unique, it’s not uncommon for the annual cost savings to reach — or even surpass — 50 percent compared to a conventional landline system.
VoIP for Retail Advantage #2: Extremely Easy Setup
Retailers know from plenty of bad experience that some business solutions touted as offering “easy setup” are anything but — which creates hassles, headaches and can lead to costly downtime.
Fortunately, hosted VoIP doesn’t over-promise and under-deliver when it comes to easy setup. That’s because there’s no hardware to install or configure, or software to download and setup. Everything runs on the retailer’s existing internet infrastructure.
VoIP for Retail Advantage #3: Advanced Calling Features
One of the biggest sources of frustration for retail customers — and what puts the biggest dent in their omnichannel experience — is when they’re bounced around from person to person. Even worse than that is when they can’t get hold of someone and are constantly sent to voicemail (which TIME suggests companies in all sectors should consider ditching entirely).
A hosted VoIP system features an array of integrated and advanced calling features that support exceptional customer experience. For example, retailers can set up both ring groups and hunt groups to increase the chances of call pick-up, easily customize auto attendant greetings to point customers on the right path (including to the website or other digital property), route incoming calls to smartphones via mobile apps, and so on.
VoIP for Retail Advantage #4: Advanced Call Management
Are customers more likely to call at certain times or certain days? Is a particular marketing or advertising campaign generating more engagement and traffic? Did publishing a FAQ, how-to video, or other educational asset reduce the amount of calls related that specific issue (e.g., return policies or product setup)?
The advanced call management features of a hosted VoIP system help managers and executives track data in real-time, so they can answer key questions like these. The end result is that they can make smarter and faster decisions on staffing assignments, marketing strategy, training, and more.
VoIP for Retail Advantage #5: CRM Integration
B2B enterprises aren’t the only organizations that need CRM systems to track and monitor opportunities as well as identify big picture trends and patterns. Retailers also need and use CRMs to ensure that they’re targeting the right customers with the right products and services, at the right time, and through the right channels and touch points.
A hosted VoIP system integrates seamlessly with existing CRM solutions in the environment (as well as others, such as billing, accounting, etc.), so that retailers streamline operations, improve data hygiene, and stay strong in a competitive marketplace.
Learn More
To learn more about how a hosted VoIP system can help your retail operation succeed and thrive, contact the Votacall team today. We will clearly answer your questions and provide insights that specifically address your needs while fitting your budget. Your consultation with us is free.
For more information on how to choose the right VoIP partner, download our free eBook now:
Today’s retail environment — both online and offline — is more competitive than ever. As such, retailers have to find smarter ways to drive efficiency and lower costs, while also enhancing customer service and enabling a positive “omnichannel” shopping experience. And that’s why a growing number of retailers are making the switch from a conventional landline phone system to an advanced hosted VoIP phone system.
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