Hey You, Get Off the Public Cloud
November 22, 2020
Find me/follow me is a very useful feature of VoIP phone systems and unified communications environments. It’s easy to set up, it runs seamlessly on any device or phone, and you may already have this feature on your existing phone system.
Simply put, find me/follow me is a calling feature that you can set up so that you will never again miss a phone call. It’s a digital auto-attendant that you set up through your VoIP dashboard. In it, you can assign various phone numbers to ring in case you don’t pick up on your usual number or extension. You can even configure it to ring your computer or tablet if you like, or configure it to ring several devices at once. Simply set the amount of time it should wait until it rings the next number in the lineup, and if you don’t pick up, it will move on to the next one, and so on. Once it has exhausted all possibilities, it will connect to voice mail. The voice mail is configurable as well, and with just a couple of clicks you can set it to transcribe your voice messages to email or text.
In this day and age, it seems like everybody is physically attached to their phone. However, this is not always the case, as many are becoming more sensitive to the distractions that smartphones imply. Increasingly, we see busy executives, sales people, and anybody who cares about having a meaningful exchange putting their devices away during important meetings and while they are on the go. The popularity of wearables is also a factor: when you can receive notifications on your wrist as to who is calling, emailing or texting, you’re less likely to keep your phone handy. This implies that there are even more devices to manage – and think of it – you’ve got a desk phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a desktop computer, a Bluetooth enabled smartwatch, and possibly even more. If you can be notified of incoming calls on any of these devices, nobody can ever say ‘we couldn’t find you.’
Even though your phone is probably close by, it may not always be possible to route calls through to it, and even then, you may not have it handy. The caller would have to call the main company number, the receptionist would put the call through to your office, your PA would then try to locate you and attempt to transfer the call, or take a message and have you call them back. Having multiple phone numbers can get a little confusing as well, and it would be a shame if a client was unable to reach you and then eventually gave up.Find me/follow me eliminates that confusion and lag time, ensuring that your calls are routed through the proper channels until they reach you. This is especially helpful for sales teams, who may normally receive incoming calls through various contact numbers. By eliminating missed calls and crossed signals, you can be confident that your reps are always available and ready to act on new or repeat business as it comes their way.
Find me/follow me doesn’t just route calls, though. You can configure it to do various different things as it’s going through its list of numbers: you can have your callers listen to ‘on hold’ music of your choice, or you can configure it with a voice greeting that you record, or an automated message letting the caller know that it is trying your next extension. You could send calls directly to voice mail, or, based on caller ID, you can have select numbers bypass all greetings and be routed directly to you – handy if you have very important customers or colleagues from whom you can’t miss a call. If you are in the middle of an important meeting, you can have your calls go directly to voicemail, where they will then be sent to your email or text.You can customize your call routing by the time of day, the time of year, or any date or time range that you choose – the point is, you will never miss a call again. The best part is, it’s probably already part of your phone system, so there is nothing to add and no additional money to shell out.
Greenlight ITC is a supplier of hosted IT support services in Melbourne and Sydney. We specialize in small business and SMBs, providing them with stress-free IT and customer service that is second to none. If you are thinking about switching to VoIP, or would like to get started with unified communications, call today. We would love to find out more about your company, and talk about how we can help.
