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Are Desk Phones Still a Player in Today’s Business Communication Game?

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Are Desk Phones Still a Player in Today’s Business Communication Game?

In an era dominated by smartphones and digital communication tools, the question often arises: do desk phones still hold their ground in the modern business ecosystem? At Towner Communications, we believe the answer is a resounding yes. Desk phones, much like the classic vinyl record in the music industry, have evolved rather than become obsolete. Let’s delve into why and how desk phones continue to be an indispensable asset for businesses.

Key Takeaways:

  • Desk Phones Maintain Relevance: Despite the digital revolution, desk phones remain crucial in the business communication ecosystem for their reliability, clarity, and user-friendly features.
  • Unmatched Reliability and Clarity: Desk phones offer superior sound quality and fewer dropped calls, ensuring effective communication in critical business operations.
  • Simplicity and Efficiency: Desk phones ensure simplicity, boosting workplace efficiency and accessibility for everyone.
  • Advanced Features for Modern Businesses: Modern desk phones offer conference calls, CRM integration, and robust security, empowering businesses.
  • Security First: Desk phones provide unmatched security, safeguarding business communications from digital threats.
  • Towner Communications’ Innovative Solutions: Towner Communications delivers secure, reliable business phone solutions blending traditional and modern tech for dynamic enterprises.
  • The Future is Integrated: By leveraging the strengths of both desk phones and digital communication tools, businesses can enjoy a comprehensive, future-proof communication strategy with Towner Communications.

The Unwavering Value of Desk Phones

Despite mobile devices, desk phones excel in efficiency, reliability, and professionalism for businesses.

Reliability and Clarity

In the bustling environment of a business setting, clarity and reliability are non-negotiable. Desk phones ensure clearer, uninterrupted calls with superior sound and fewer drops than mobiles.

Ease of Use

For all the advancements in technology, simplicity remains king. Desk phones provide a straightforward, user-friendly interface that is accessible to all employees, regardless of their tech savviness. This ease of use is crucial in high-pressure situations where quick response times are vital.

Feature-Rich

Modern desk phones are not the clunky devices of the past. Equipped with advanced features like conference calls, call transfer, and CRM integration. These features enhance productivity and streamline various processes within a business.

Security

In today’s digital age, security cannot be taken for granted. Desk phones provide enhanced security over mobiles, making them safer for sensitive business talks.

Towner Communications: Pioneering Future-Proof Solutions

Towner Communications knows success means adapting with effective tools that deliver consistent results. We provide advanced business phone solutions blending classic reliability with modern features.

Our solutions prioritize your needs, ensuring unmatched reliability, clarity, and security for seamless, safe communications. Our options seamlessly integrate with current systems for a smooth upgrade in communication strategies

Embracing the Best of Both Worlds

Navigating future business communications shows desk phones and digital tools as allies, not foes. Towner Communications merges both strengths, offering comprehensive, future-proof solutions for business success and growth.

Despite evolution, desk phones remain reliable and effective, trusted by businesses. At Towner Communications, we’re here to ensure that your business harnesses the full potential of these invaluable assets.

Stay ahead of the curve with Towner Communications—where tradition meets innovation in business communication.

Contact Towner

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The Power of Auto Attendants in Modern Business Communications

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The Power of Auto Attendants in Modern Business Communications

As a dynamic professional navigating a bustling schedule, optimizing every moment and resource is paramount. Your clients echo this sentiment, seeking assurance that you value their time with swift and seamless interactions.

This is where the auto attendant emerges as an indispensable asset for forward-thinking businesses. Among the quarter of companies eager to amplify operational efficiency, investing in this technology is a strategic move.

Dive into the capabilities of auto attendants and discover why integrating one into your communication strategy is essential.

Key Points:

  • An auto attendant acts as a digital receptionist, efficiently managing and directing your company’s incoming calls.
  • An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system represents a sophisticated iteration of the auto attendant, designed specifically for contact center environments.
  • By integrating auto attendants, businesses can significantly reduce operational costs and enhance overall efficiency.

The Mechanics of Auto Attendants

An auto attendant serves as a virtual system designed to welcome callers and guide them to their intended destination within your organization’s phone system. This automated solution seamlessly directs calls to specific extensions, eliminating the need for a live operator. Aptly termed a “virtual receptionist,” it offers an efficient call management solution.

Upon calling, the auto attendant greets individuals with a menu of options, allowing them to directly dial their desired department or person.

A pivotal aspect of the auto attendant’s functionality is its capability to manage calls beyond regular office hours. It serves as a reliable alternative when direct human interaction isn’t available, during after-hours, or amidst peak calling periods.

Furthermore, the system plays a crucial role in maintaining call flow and preventing bottlenecks. If the caller does not respond or act within a specified timeframe, the auto attendant ensures to clear the line by terminating the call.

unite_auto_attendant-1

Auto Attendant vs. IVR: Understanding the Difference

Auto attendants and IVR systems streamline calls but serve distinct business needs. IVR emerges as an evolved form of auto attendant, tailored for contact centers grappling with a high volume of calls. It’s the go-to choice for organizations entrenched in continuous customer support or outbound sales activities.

Auto attendants fit smaller businesses with manageable call volumes, sans constant outbound efforts.

A notable capability of IVR is its ability to comprehend spoken commands from callers, in addition to recognizing keypad selections. Enables extensive self-service like transactions, appointments, and accessing info without human help.

For companies looking to streamline their communication technologies into a cohesive system, unified communications offer a solution. An auto attendant is part of the broader UCaaS platform, like Towner Cloud. For advanced IVR needs, platforms like Intermedia Contact Center with Easy-IVR blend sophistication with UCaaS benefits.

Essential Features of Auto Attendants for Progressive Businesses

Innovative businesses choose unified communications with auto attendants for superior service and team collaboration. Wondering which system to select? Consider these pivotal features.

Simplicity in Setup and Customization

The value of an auto attendant diminishes if the navigation menu becomes so convoluted that callers invariably require direct human assistance to reach their desired contact. This scenario not only aggravates customers but also burdens your staff.

It’s crucial to have the capability to effortlessly craft and refine your menus to suit your customers’ needs. For instance, placing the most frequently sought-after departments or personnel prominently can streamline the calling process. Furthermore, ensuring clarity in distinguishing between departments with overlapping roles is essential to direct callers accurately.

Moreover, the incorporation of intuitive administrative interfaces enables the tailoring of menus for specific operational hours or geographical considerations, allowing for the customization of caller experiences based on the time or location of the call.

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Managing High Call Volumes

It’s imperative to equip your auto attendant system and overall communications framework to manage the entirety of your incoming call traffic. A system that frequently disconnects callers can lead to customer attrition. Towner’s UCaaS offers unlimited calling capacity, ensuring all caller needs are met.

Directory Access via Name Dialing

A dial-by-name directory lets customers skip menus to quickly reach specific contacts. This feature enables callers to input the initial letters of an individual’s name, swiftly connecting them to the appropriate party.

Streamlining Communication with Multi-Format Message Delivery

Enhance efficiency for your team by enabling specific numbers to receive communications via text, email, or fax. This flexibility allows recipients to choose their preferred method of message delivery, facilitating quicker and more effective responses.

Spam Call Management

Configure your auto attendant to eliminate disruptive spam calls, enhancing productivity. You can achieve this by programming the system to automatically block calls from specific numbers or area codes. Alternatively, by requiring all callers to enter a basic keypad response upon connecting—a task spam bots cannot perform—you ensure that unauthorized calls are promptly disconnected, keeping your lines clear and your workflow uninterrupted.

Menus in Multiple Languages

Catering to a global audience? Offer multilingual menus to ensure easy access for all customers to appropriate contacts.

Start Today with Towner’s Auto Attendant

Use an auto attendant for 24/7 virtual reception, managing call flow with ease. Ready to leverage the comprehensive advantages of an auto attendant within a unified communications framework? Reach out to Towner to discover the steps to initiate your setup.

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Revolutionizing Healthcare Communications: Introducing AI For Healthcare Solutions

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Revolutionizing Healthcare Communications: Introducing AI For Healthcare Solutions

Thrilled to announce the launch of Intermedia AI For Healthcare Solutions, leading the way in intelligent cloud communications and collaboration. Our relentless innovation in cloud tech and AI revolutionizes healthcare communications and collaboration for seamless, comprehensive solutions.

At Intermedia and Towner, we understand the critical role effective communication plays in delivering quality healthcare. With Intermedia Healthcare Solutions, our goal is to empower healthcare providers to effortlessly navigate the complexities of patient care. By seamlessly integrating essential tools and leveraging AI technology to enhance solution performance. We dedicate ourselves to delivering exceptional patient care and fostering provider excellence, without compromise.

A key component of our AI For Healthcare Solutions is our seamless integration into leading electronic health records (EHR) systems, including Epic Systems, Oracle Cerner, MEDITECH, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, NextGen Healthcare, and Veradigm. Crafting EHR integrations for instant, simplified patient record retrieval during calls, offering tailored dashboards with essential patient information. This ensures medical staff and providers have the necessary data for effective patient interactions.

Intermedia Healthcare Solutions caters to the diverse needs of healthcare organizations of all sizes. Over 150,000 healthcare pros use our cloud solutions, from municipalities to hospitals to individual practices. Unified platform addresses patient care, outcomes, cost reduction, revenue growth, HIPAA compliance, reliability, ease of use, security, and access.

Key highlights of Intermedia Healthcare Solutions include:

Efficient Inbound Patient Communications:

Efficiently handling multichannel communication, leveraging EHR data for intelligent routing, ensuring swift interactions and easy access.

Streamlined Patient Call Management:

Integrating voice calls with EHR for rapid patient verification and record retrieval, enhancing staff productivity and response times.

Proactive Outbound Communications:

Engage patients through voice, SMS, and video, triggered by real-time EHR events like appointment reminders, billing notifications, and prescription refills.

Seamless Internal Collaboration:

AI-powered tools enable seamless staff collaboration via voice, chat, video, and file-sharing, boosting teamwork and efficiency across locations.

AI-Driven Conversation Insights:

Empowering supervisors with Intermedia SPARK AI™ tools for better issue identification and focus on crucial organizational and patient care conversations.

HIPAA-Compliant:

Encrypt and archive patient communications for up to 10 years, ensuring HIPAA compliance and data security standards adherence.

“With Intermedia Healthcare Solutions, we are committed to empowering healthcare providers to navigate patient care complexities effortlessly,” says Jonathan McCormick, COO and CRO at Intermedia. “Effective communication is fundamental to delivering quality healthcare, and our innovative platform is designed to streamline operations and enhance patient care outcomes.”

“Healthcare organizations require communication tools that positively impact the entire patient journey,” adds Zeus Kerravala, Founder and Principal Analyst at ZK Research. “Intermedia’s comprehensive communications offering tailored to their organization and patients’ needs is a game-changer.”

Explore Intermedia Healthcare Solutions further here.

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Towner: The Ideal Small Business Phone System Partner For Kansas City and Beyond

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small business phone system Kansas City

In the realm of small business communication, having the right partner can make all the difference. Towner emerges as the perfect ally, offering a comprehensive small business phone system tailored to your needs. Let’s explore why Towner stands out as the ideal choice for enhancing connectivity and driving success in your small business.

Tailored Solutions:

Towner understands that every small business is unique, with distinct communication requirements. As your partner, Towner provides personalized phone system solutions that align perfectly with your business objectives and operational workflows. Whether you’re a boutique shop or a burgeoning startup, Towner ensures that you have the right tools to communicate effectively and efficiently.

Seamless Integration:

Integration is key to maximizing productivity and minimizing disruptions in your business operations. Towner seamlessly integrates with existing software platforms and CRMs, enabling smooth data exchange and workflow automation. Say goodbye to siloed communication channels and hello to a unified communication ecosystem with Towner at the helm.

Exceptional Support:

As a small business owner, you need a partner you can rely on for ongoing support and assistance. Towner prides itself on delivering exceptional customer service, with dedicated support teams ready to address your queries and resolve any issues promptly. With Towner, you can rest assured that your communication infrastructure is in capable hands.

Future-Proof Technology:

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, future-proofing your business is essential for long-term success. Towner stays ahead of the curve by leveraging cutting-edge technologies and continually innovating its phone system solutions. With Towner, you can embrace the latest advancements in communication technology without fear of obsolescence.

Take your small business communication to new heights with Towner as your trusted partner. From scalable solutions and seamless integration to unparalleled support and future-proof technology, Towner has everything you need to thrive in today’s competitive market.

Ready to elevate your communication game? Contact Towner today to schedule a consultation and discover how our small business phone system can empower your business for success. Don’t settle for mediocrity – choose Towner and unlock the full potential of your small business.

Together, let’s revolutionize the way you communicate.

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IT’S NOT A SCAM CALL: How Companies Can Restore Trust in the Phone Call

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IT’S NOT A SCAM CALL: How Companies Can Restore Trust in the Phone Call

Companies are all too familiar with this harsh reality: Dial a customer’s number, only to hit a dead end. You might leave a voicemail, crossing your fingers for a callback, or persistently dial again, hoping for a response on the second (or third) attempt. It’s a colossal time drain and a source of immense frustration.

But why does this recurring ordeal unfold? The simple truth is, people harbor deep distrust towards phone calls, especially when they originate from unknown or anonymous numbers.

Customers Want You To Call:

Yes, it’s true—people still value phone calls. A staggering 75% of consumers express a preference for hearing from you when faced with complex issues or numerous questions.

However, despite your company’s genuine efforts, trust in phone calls remains severely lacking for two primary reasons: the absence of caller identification and the prevalence of scam callers.

It’s Not A YOU Problem well…maybe:

Here’s the plain truth—most individuals don’t utilize a caller ID service on their phones (less than 10 percent, to be precise). Consequently, when you make a call, your name doesn’t pop up unless the recipient has your contact information saved. Putting the onus on the customer to take proactive steps is risky, given the susceptibility of unknown numbers to spoofing. If your number falls victim to spoofing, it could tarnish perceptions of your company and brand.

When an anonymous number appears on the screen, people instinctively hesitate to answer. They’re left in the dark about the caller’s identity and intentions. Moreover, they’ve been conditioned to avoid answering calls altogether—a result of the pervasive presence of unscrupulous yet highly lucrative phone scammers.

SCAM CALLS are Big BIG Money:

Recent data from Truecaller reveals a staggering truth: from June 2020 to June 2021, Americans suffered losses nearing $30 billion due to scam calls. Remarkably, if amalgamated into a single entity, these scammers would secure the 100th spot on the prestigious Fortune 500 list—an astonishing feat.

Within the past year alone, over 59 million Americans fell victim to phone scams, enduring an average financial loss of $502 per incident. Shockingly, some individuals reported being bombarded with up to 25 scam calls daily.

Given these alarming statistics, it’s hardly surprising that people are hesitant to pick up their phones.

scam call

Trends In SCAM CALLS:

Based on insights from First Orion data, the top three prevalent scam calls in August 2021 were:

  1. Vehicle warranty scams
  2. Social Security scams
  3. Mobile carrier scams

Revitalizing Trust in Phone Calls: A Call to Action for Companies

Undoubtedly, scammers bear the brunt of responsibility for eroding consumer trust. Their intrusive tactics not only annoy but also inflict financial harm on unsuspecting individuals.

Nevertheless, businesses hold the power to mend this fractured trust. Embracing branded calling solutions enables companies to reclaim control over their caller ID and call messaging. By customizing and branding each call, they can communicate their identity and purpose clearly on the recipient’s screen, thereby encouraging more responses and meaningful interactions.

Moreover, branded calling solutions offer invaluable benefits such as brand protection and enhanced spoof mitigation. By dynamically adjusting call display names based on the recipient, companies can ensure precision and personalization in their communications. The dividends are manifold—beyond mitigating spoofing, businesses stand to gain a bolstered brand reputation, strengthened client relationships, and deeper customer engagement.

It’s time to reshape the narrative around phone interactions and instill confidence in consumers once again.

Click Here To See Branded Calling Options

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7 Clear Indicators Your Business is Ready for IVR

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7 Clear Indicators Your Business is Ready for IVR

For decades, interactive voice response (IVR) systems have been a cornerstone of contact center operations. Despite their proven track record in efficiently managing incoming calls for countless businesses, some have been hesitant to adopt this technology.

If you prioritize offering a personalized experience to your clientele, you might resist automating certain aspects of your business communications, including customer interactions. However, by overlooking IVR, you could be forfeiting valuable benefits and opportunities for both you and your customers.

Key Points:

  • Save money on operations and enhance customer analytics by implementing an IVR service.
  • Improve the customer experience and increase team productivity with an IVR system.
  • Elevate your company’s professionalism through the use of IVR software.

Recognizing 7 Telltale Signs for Implementing an IVR Service:

While there may be numerous reasons to consider implementing an IVR service, the following list highlights seven of the most compelling ones.

1. Seeking Solutions for Reducing Operational Expenses

Implementing an IVR service eliminates the necessity of hiring receptionists, a cost that can escalate significantly, especially for businesses operating round the clock to serve a global clientele. Unlike traditional setups, IVR systems are typically integrated into contact center as a service (CCaaS) software, offering standard features. Moreover, modern IVR platforms come with intuitive dashboards, simplifying setup and customization without the need for hiring additional programmers or technicians.

2. Your Team Needs Enhance Customer Analytics Capabilities

In today’s business landscape, data has emerged as one of the most prized assets, often surpassing the value of traditional commodities like oil, as famously stated by The Economist. Understanding your customers is paramount to delivering exceptional service. An IVR service serves as a potent tool for gathering valuable analytics, offering insights into both overall customer behavior and individual preferences.

For instance, with an IVR system, you can effortlessly monitor metrics such as customer satisfaction and abandonment rates. Additionally, you have the flexibility to design IVR surveys, enabling callers to provide direct feedback. Armed with these insights, you can optimize your operations and deliver enhanced value to your clients.

3. You seek to provide self-service options to ensure caller privacy during interactions

Ensuring data privacy and security is paramount for all individuals. Customers must feel confident that they can share or receive sensitive information without the risk of interception. An IVR service addresses this concern by enabling callers to input PINs or passwords manually or access confidential details through an automated system.

For instance, financial institutions utilize IVR to provide account information securely, while healthcare facilities deliver test results to patients discreetly. This approach fosters customer trust and encourages engagement with your services, subtly nurturing brand loyalty.

Despite initial reservations about interacting with automated systems, studies indicate that customers prefer seamless self-service options over cumbersome processes. By implementing a user-friendly IVR system with a clear menu structure, customers can efficiently access information and resolve issues independently, reducing time spent on the interaction.

Self-Service-Stats

4. You aim to enhance agent efficiency and engagement within your organization

By leveraging an IVR service to automate routine tasks like call forwarding and prioritization, you empower your agents to concentrate on addressing more intricate customer concerns. Through this automation, your IVR system can gather pertinent caller information and relay it to agents prior to call initiation.

For instance, callers can provide key details about their identity and issues before engaging with a human agent. This allows the agent to prepare adequately, potentially leading to a higher rate of first-contact issue resolution.

Enhanced efficiency also correlates with increased employee engagement. Focusing on higher-level tasks provides agents with a greater sense of achievement and facilitates opportunities for upskilling and cross-training. Consequently, your contact center benefits from stronger, more versatile teams, leading to improved retention rates and reduced hiring costs.

5. You want to give priority to your top-tier customers

An IVR service collaborates with automatic call distribution to expedite customer-agent connections. Moreover, you can configure the system to prioritize your VIP clients by assigning specific rules, ensuring they receive expedited service.

Integrating your customer relationship management software with your contact center enables agents to promptly retrieve customer details, allowing for personalized greetings and premium service. This tailored approach not only fosters customer loyalty but also creates opportunities for upselling and maximizing customer lifetime value.

ivr_flow-2

6. You need to minimize errors

As much as you and your team dislike transfer errors, your customers likely find them even more aggravating. Such frustrations may drive callers to seek alternatives with your competitors. Utilizing an IVR service significantly decreases the likelihood of callers being routed incorrectly or enduring prolonged hold times, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction and retention.

7. You want to enhance your professional image

Implementing an IVR service enhances your company’s professional image by enabling swift responsiveness and round-the-clock call handling. Unlike the impersonal automated systems of the past, you have the option to personally record messages or enlist a professional voice actor for a polished touch. Additionally, advancements in text-to-speech technology have made interactions more natural and pleasant.

Moreover, IVR services now leverage natural language processing, allowing for more conversational interactions with callers. Customers no longer need to restrict themselves to predefined words or phrases; instead, they can engage with the system naturally, simplifying query handling.

Towner Intermedia’s IVR Service Simplifies Onboarding

Are you ready to leverage a top-tier communications platform with exceptional IVR service capabilities? Explore why Towner’s Intermedia Contact Center offers all the essentials you require.

Contact Us!

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Shortel to Mitel Migration Planning and Training Session

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Shortel to Mitel Migration Planning and Training Session

Hey Mitel MiVoice Connect enthusiasts,

Ready to level up your communication game? Picture this: it’s 2029, and you’re still rocking your ShoreTel system. Sounds cool, right? Well, not quite. The clock is ticking, my friend. Mitel’s end-of-support is looming on the horizon, and it’s time to make moves!

But fret not! Towner Communications, your trusty ally in all things Mitel, is here to save the day. With years of expertise under our belt, we’re primed and ready to guide you through this transition.

Mark your calendars for April 4, 2024 – a day of enlightenment awaits! Join forces with Towner and Mitel as we unravel the mysteries of migration. Imagine Dan Nemechek, the VP of Americas Sales Engineering at Mitel, sharing his wisdom with you. It’s going to be epic!

Don’t miss out on this golden opportunity to future-proof your business. Secure your spot now and let’s embark on this exciting journey together. Time’s ticking, but with Towner by your side, success is guaranteed!

See you on April 4th, fellow Mitel aficionados! Let’s make history!

RSPV NOW

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Sourcewell or RFP: Which is Better for Buying a Phone System?

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Sourcewell or RFP: Which is Better for Buying a Phone System?

Thinking of upgrading your communications system for your government, education, or nonprofit agency? You’ve got two solid choices to meet your bidding needs:

  • Request for Proposal (RFP)
  • Sourcewell Contract Purchasing

What’s the Deal with Bid Requirements?

Bid requirements are essential for publicly funded agencies. They ensure fairness by giving companies an equal shot at winning agency business through a standardized bidding process. Additionally, bid requirements help agencies track and document their spending of allocated funds. While the traditional method has been an RFP, the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract might be a better fit depending on your needs.

The Classic RFP The Request for Proposal (RFP) process aims to foster fair competition among companies vying for available work. According to Investopedia:

An RFP tailored to a specific program may task companies with assessing bids for their feasibility, the bidder’s financial health, and their capability to execute proposed plans. While the RFP may offer detailed project or program information, it often leaves room for bidders to outline their approach to completing the project or running the program.

Although this process was crafted with noble intentions, it can pose procurement challenges for government, education, and nonprofit agencies. Brian Pullen of Playground, Inc., shared insights on the RFP’s efficacy, stating:

The RFP was originally devised to address various issues, with fairness, structure, clarity, and accessibility being key concerns. It aimed to level the playing field for all companies interested in pitching their proposals. Moreover, it establishes a standardized framework for crafting and submitting proposals. By enhancing upfront communication of essential requirements, the RFP aims to bring clarity to pitching agencies. Lastly, through a standardized document, agencies can widely distribute information, enabling numerous entities to obtain and pitch, thus fostering a broader range of options.

What are the Hurdles with RFPs for Government, Education, and Nonprofit Agencies?

Initially, RFPs may hinder the quality of responses received, albeit not necessarily the quantity. Given the time investment required to respond, agencies may encounter the following:

  • Premier agencies opt out of responding altogether.
  • Businesses are selective, responding only if they anticipate significant gains or high odds of success.
  • Respondents may allocate minimal effort to their proposals.

Moreover, the RFP process proves exceedingly time-consuming for agencies initiating bids. Typically, this entails:

  1. Identifying potential providers.
  2. Drafting equipment and service specifications.
  3. Crafting and publicizing the RFP.
  4. Reviewing received proposals.
  5. Assessing proposals.
  6. Selecting the lowest bid.
  7. Allowing for a protest period.
  8. Overseeing equipment delivery and installation.
  9. Monitoring and upholding the contract’s terms.

At a minimum, the RFP process spans three to six months, but typically extends to six to nine months from RFP initiation to installation completion. Despite this lengthy process, there’s no assurance of acquiring products or services precisely tailored to your needs. Factors like prioritizing cost-effective hardware and contract structuring, often tangential to core requirements, can skew final decisions.

Sourcewell:

Tired of grappling with RFP challenges? Sourcewell contracts offer a welcome relief for government, education, and nonprofit agencies. By conducting its own rigorous RFP process and awarding national contracts to vendors, Sourcewell alleviates the RFP burden. With Sourcewell contracts, agencies can seamlessly procure communication technology, bypassing months of hassle and uncertainty.

If you’re eyeing a Towner communication system, you’re in luck—Sourcewell has granted Towner a coveted communications solutions vendor contract.

Using Sourcewell cooperative contracts streamlines the purchasing process and slashes timelines for government, education, and nonprofit agencies. Instead of navigating a cumbersome nine-step process, agencies need only complete four:

  1. Become a member of Sourcewell (if not already).
  2. Connect with Towner or a trusted Towner partner to assess your phone system requirements.
  3. Specify your interest in Sourcewell pricing for procurement.
  4. Coordinate with your Towner Partner (Sourcewell selling agent) for seamless installation and implementation.

With fewer steps and streamlined processes, you’ll save time, and most of the heavy lifting is expertly handled by Towner or your Towner Partner (or already facilitated by Sourcewell).

Avoiding the RFP Hassle with Sourcewell Sourcewell takes the reins to spare you, the education or government phone system buyer, from the intricacies of the traditional RFP process. Here’s an insider look at the 12-step process Sourcewell navigates to make this a reality, saving you both time and money:

  1. Identifying members’ needs
  2. Researching solutions available in the marketplace
  3. Requesting permission from the Sourcewell Board of Directors
  4. Drafting a solicitation, public advertisement, and notice
  5. Conducting a pre-proposal conference followed by receipt of responses
  6. Evaluating proposers’ responses
  7. Reviewing evaluation results
  8. Providing recommendations to the Sourcewell Board
  9. Awarding vendor(s)
  10. Posting approved contract documents
  11. Developing and implementing a joint marketing plan with awarded vendor(s)
  12. Reviewing and maintaining the contract throughout its term

For a detailed breakdown of this process, check out Sourcewell’s deep dive.

Addressing Sourcewell Reservations Despite its benefits, some may have reservations about the Sourcewell process. Here are the top concerns we’ve encountered, along with the facts:

  1. Difficulty or Expense in Becoming a Sourcewell Member: Fact: Membership is free, with no obligations or liabilities for eligible agencies nationwide, including government, education, or nonprofit agencies.

  2. Working with an Unknown Third Party: Fact: Sourcewell is a government agency, offering the best of both worlds—local dealer access combined with national buying power through cooperative purchasing.

  3. Satisfying Bid Requirements: Fact: The Sourcewell contract meets bid requirements, providing all necessary documentation you’ll need.

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4 Heart Stopping Ways Call Center Software Will Make Customer Fall In Love With You

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Creator: Al Bello | Credit: Getty Images
Creator: Al Bello | Credit: Getty Images

We adore marketing as much as anyone, but let’s be honest: the spotlight often shines on potential customers. While there’s nothing wrong with courting new business, nurturing existing relationships is just as crucial. Valentine’s Day is prime for small business owners to show heartfelt appreciation.

This holiday offers countless delightful and inventive ways to express appreciation, and a comprehensive call center software suite can streamline the process. Small businesses handle inquiries smoothly while delighting loyal customers, without missing a step.

Here are four heartfelt ways to shower your customers with love not just on Valentine’s Day, but every day.

Place Your Customer’s Experience at the Heart of Everything You Do.

During Valentine’s Day, especially, everyone desires to feel appreciated. When a customer reaches out, it’s essential to offer them your full attention. Teams preoccupied with finding records may overlook customer needs, risking them feeling neglected.

To maintain a customer-centric approach, streamline your processes with screen prompts and automated workflows that seamlessly integrate your CRM with your contact center solution. Integrated contact center software boosts engagement with tailored recommendations, keeping your team fully involved in customer interactions.

Predict Your Customers’ Needs Using the Appropriate Call Center Software.

Are you familiar enough with your customers to complete their sentences? Understanding their needs before they do can make them feel truly understood, laying the foundation for a successful relationship. Dive into your data and reports to identify customer pain points, previous purchases, and other behaviors.

During lulls, contact specific customers to ensure satisfaction or express appreciation for their patronage. In case of service disruption, proactively reassure customers, informing them of efforts to resolve the issue.

Share the Love.

Your small business caters to a diverse clientele, so don’t restrict your Valentine’s efforts to just couples. Parks and Recreation popularized Galentine’s Day, celebrated by women to honor female friendships on February 13th. And pet owners are eager to seize any opportunity to shower their furry companions with affection.

Personalizing your responses and interactions with customers fosters stronger relationships and enhances the overall customer experience. Leverage integrated software to craft personalized recommendations based on customer preferences and user profiles across channels. Always be available where your customers expect to find you, whether it’s through email or web-based chat.

Collaborate for Luxurious Experience.

In today’s retail landscape, shoppers are increasingly investing in memorable experiences for themselves and loved ones. Use integrated software to create personalized recommendations from customer preferences and profiles across channels.

If your business primarily deals in products rather than experiences, consider teaming up with others for joint offerings. From complimentary movie tickets to passes for yoga classes, these thoughtful additions are sure to delight customers. Keep these offerings readily available so any team member can effortlessly share them, enhancing customer connections. Deliver offers via preferred channels using a versatile multi-channel call center solution to enhance your approach.

While engaging customers with heartfelt campaigns can be enjoyable and fruitful, it’s important to manage time and resources wisely. With suitable customer experience software, connecting across channels feels effortless, akin to Cupid’s aim.

Post-celebration, real-time reporting helps assess efforts, whether utilizing a contact center or not, for effectiveness. Spend less time managing your phone system and more time building genuine connections with customers come February 14.

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Unlocking Efficiency: 10 Must-Have Features for Seamless Conference Calls

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Conference Calls

In today’s digital landscape, conference calling has become an essential tool for businesses navigating the modern work environment. Whether teams are predominantly office-based or dispersed across various locations, conference calling bridges the gap, enabling seamless connections with clients, stakeholders, and field members.

The surge in the video conferencing market is indicative of its growing significance, with projections suggesting exponential growth in the coming years.

With a plethora of conference calling solutions available, selecting the right provider can be overwhelming. Uncover the key features and services essential for streamlining your communications infrastructure and pinpointing a top-tier provider.

Key Points: 

  1. In today’s business landscape, conference calling is paramount for fostering efficient collaboration and maintaining seamless client communication.

  2. For small and mid-sized businesses, leveraging cloud-based conference calling software presents a cost-effective solution packed with a comprehensive array of features.

  3. While free conferencing software may seem appealing, it often lacks the robust security measures and advanced features necessary to meet the demands of remote conferencing in a business environment.

Top 10 Features of Professional Conference Calling Software

Seamless Cloud Integration:

Harness the power of cloud-based communications for cutting-edge conference calling features. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) transcends the limitations of traditional landlines, offering a wealth of functionalities. Enjoy swift and cost-effective access to high-powered features, all facilitated through digital services.

High-Quality Calls with Minimal Latency:

At Intermedia, we recognize that not all clouds are created equal. Merely offering a cloud-based solution isn’t sufficient. Ensure your provider boasts a robust network guaranteeing 99.999% uptime, with the capability to swiftly troubleshoot and resolve any potential issues.

Robust Encryption and Enhanced Security:

Rest assured that your sensitive discussions remain confidential with advanced encryption measures. Leading conference calling solutions employ world-class SOC 2-audited security, fortified with three layers of protection. This ensures that crucial decisions need not be postponed until everyone can convene in person; instead, you can rely on secure conference calls.

For instance, fortified privacy protocols facilitate discreet conversations concerning legal affairs and human resources issues. Moreover, industries requiring stringent regulatory compliance for digital exchanges can trust in top-tier conferencing software to meet these exacting standards.

Furthermore, strict access controls guarantee that only authorized participants gain entry to meetings. Your administrative portal empowers you to swiftly remove disruptive participants or attendees, ensuring seamless proceedings.

Voice-Security-Levels

Crystal-Clear Video Quality:

Your communication solution should transcend mere audio conferencing. Video capability enables comprehensive demonstrations and authentic face-to-face interactions.

However, nobody desires grainy or stuttering visuals. Ensure that your cloud-based video conferencing software delivers full HD quality, guaranteeing an immersive and seamless experience.

Expanded Participant Capacity:

Align entire company divisions effortlessly with expansive meetings accommodating up to 200 participants. Additionally, harness the power of webinars to establish thought leadership within your industry, whether for internal training or engaging clients and prospects. Superior conference calling software facilitates hosting larger-scale events with the capability to accommodate up to 1,000 attendees.

Intuitive Dashboard and Interface:

Having access to exceptional features is only valuable if you can easily manage them. Gone are the days of requiring technical assistance for conference call adjustments. Whether you need to add, modify, or remove users, features, or security settings, it’s all conveniently manageable through an intuitive interface.

Exceptional Customer Support:

While your dashboard may be intuitive, you may still require assistance to maximize the potential of your conferencing software. Additionally, guidance with troubleshooting is essential. Look to a provider offering round-the-clock, award-winning support to ensure you receive the assistance you need, precisely when you need it.

Insightful Analytics and Reporting:

Interested in understanding how your team utilizes conferencing calls and accessing valuable statistics and insights about their meetings? AI-assisted analytics and reporting provide a comprehensive view of how team members utilize the software, offering invaluable insights for optimization and improvement.

Enhanced Collaboration Tools, Screen Sharing, Interactions, and Whiteboards:

Visual aids breathe life into abstract concepts and enhance viewer engagement. Seek screen-sharing capabilities that enable collaborative editing and drawing, elevating remote collaboration to new heights. Facilitate seamless document and resource sharing through group-wide or private chats, ensuring uninterrupted meeting flow.

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Seamless Integration with Business Applications:

Chances are, you rely on specific software for scheduling, customer service, managing customer data, and analytics. These applications can seamlessly integrate with your conferencing solution, enhancing productivity across your workflow.

For instance, your customer relationship management software can seamlessly synchronize with your conference calling solution, facilitating swift access to customer data or seamless input of details into your CRM during sales calls with key decision-makers. This streamlined efficiency expedites deal closures.

Moreover, you can swiftly distribute invitations and links to invitees’ calendars, ensuring no one is left uninformed. Additionally, you can schedule recurring meetings with automated notifications and streamline the distribution of meeting minutes and action items to attendees.

Beware of Free Conference Calling Software: What You Need to Consider

While the allure of saving money might tempt you to explore free conference calling software, it’s crucial to recognize that “free” often comes with hidden costs.

Firstly, free solutions typically generate revenue through selling upgrades or other services. Moreover, some free applications may resort to monitoring your conversations or selling your data to third parties.

Most importantly, free services often lack the essential security and protection required for conducting business online. Additionally, they may not provide the necessary bandwidth, participant capacity, or unlimited calling crucial for efficient commerce.

When it comes to projecting professionalism and impressing stakeholders, employees, and clients, opt for a trusted conference calling solution like Towner’s Intermedia.

Contact Towner to Discuss Professional Conference Calling Services:

Are you seeking the best conference calling software for small and mid-sized businesses? Reach out to Towner to explore how Towner  and AnyMeeting software deliver comprehensive conferencing solutions for impactful meeting experiences.

 

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