Applications

An automated attendant system allows callers to transfer to a user's extension, department or messaging service without the intervention of a receptionist. The automated attendant is a feature on most modern PBX and key phone systems. Although care must be taken to ensure the system is of benefit to the caller; many organisations utilise this technology to answer common questions/requests or to route callers to an appropriate user or department. The caller listens to a series of options and dials the corresponding number for the option they require.

The ability to record telephone conversations for later playback and analysis. This encompasses the recording of conversation on both ends of a telephone call for incoming, outgoing and conference call. Conversations are recorded to a storage medium, often a hard disc on a local PC, or network device. Key features would include a fast search facility to track down recordings for playback.

Many organisations record their calls following the direction or recommendation of their regulatory bodies. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) Ombudsman for example recommends that insurance and mortgage brokers record calls to ensure that when a complaint is made they can prove what they said to their customer.

As call recording has become more widely available the demand has grown amongst small and medium organisations and small offices or branches within large organisations. These include doctors where a Triage nurse gives advice over the phone, small local cement companies where delivery times are critical, people trading stocks and shares from home, home workers-the list and therefore the opportunities are endless.

Benefits

Call recording delivers peace of mind for users. The information recorded is valuable and may be used for training purposes as well as in dispute resolution of false claims. Not all users need full blown and sophisticated call recording systems. There is a case for more cost effective systems that archive calls for a set period of time.

Why invest in call Recording

• To prove ‘who said what’ thereby reducing or eliminating costly time consuming disputes.
• To promote positive changes in customer service levels through effective call handling
• To address training issues and ensure that the company ‘style’ is being adhered to.
• To ensure telephone orders are accurate and delivery instructions precise.
• To prove verbal contracts e.g. holiday companies, taxi firms, wholesalers, mobile phone resellers.
• To prove the levels of abuse aimed at staff and resolve staff conflicts.
• To comply with regulations and advice of statutory bodies.
• To capture evidence of wrongdoing or criminal activity.
• To assist market research and mystery shopping.
• To confirm and improve the ‘closing’ ability of sales people.
• To prove to outsourcing clients that calls are of a high standard.
• To enable supervisors to instigate a level of measurement.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is an automated telephony system that can provide the caller with basic information or route them to an appropriate office, department or individual without the need of an operator. An IVR system utilises a combination of voice prompts, voice input and touch-tone keypad selection.

Organisation utilising IVR must take care in ensuring their system is easy to use and meets the requirements of all callers. An IVR system that is complex and lacks thought can cause many problems.

Managing the customer experience is important to all businesses. A simple on-hold system can provide organisations with practical away of managing call volumes. How2 can provide two types of on-hold systems which integrate with all our solutions.

System 1 – Music On-Hold
Music on-hold systems that provides a calming environment whilst a caller is being transferred on is on hold.

System 1 – Messaging On-Hold
A messaging on-hold system that provides daily news, weather and your own personal messages/news whilst a caller is being transferred on is on hold.

Voice recording applications have become an important feature in many businesses communication solutions particularly those involved in finance, legal and call centre environments. All telephony transactions or specified extensions can be recorded and stored on a centralised hard drive for future reference. These recordings are encrypted and secure with access provision restricted to nominated parties.

Businesses primarily use voice recording for safety, quality assurance, and compliance and/or verification purposes.

Voicemail, a familiar tool in most businesses, is a system of managing telephone messages. Unlike an answering machine Voicemail systems are more sophisticated in their functionality.

• a voicemail system provides a mailbox for each employee
• all messages are stored and can be accessed only by the user of the mailbox
• mailbox users can store voicemail messages for future use
• mailbox users can forward voicemail messages to other mailboxes
• users can add an introduction to a forwarded message

Generally voicemail messages are recorded on hard disk drives. To retrieve messages user can access the voicemail system by using a standard pass code (e.g. 5555) they then enter their own numerical password and their messages can be retrieved. Many voicemail systems also offer an automated attendant facility.