The Benefit of Integrating Calls into your CRM.
History of Calls
There are many call options for letting and estate agents when it comes to phone systems. As a former agent, I understand the dilemma of making the right decision. There are literally endless options to make calls, each with their own costs, contracts and limitations.
For example, a few years ago, I had to upgrade our phone system. Our employee count was increasing rapidly, and the phone system ran off just one number. The restrictions at the time meant we had a single line out and it would be engaged for incoming calls.
I went with the typical option of choosing the conglomerates – Virgin for broadband and BT for telephone calls. They were established it made sense to have the reassurance of a brand.
Basically BT provided us with a dual ISDN enabling up to 4 calls at the same time, a call package associated with the lines and of course, line rental. On top of this I had to purchase specialist phones – a bargain at £120 per phone times 6 employees! And don’t forget the network switch.
Basically it all became very expensive but it was the cheapest option available in order to get four simultaneous calls. I thought it was worth the investment in order to never miss customer calls.
Technology improved over this time and so did the number of employees. I was starting to look at other options that were becoming available, but I came across a stumbling block. I realised only on renewal of the call package, that all three of these services had separate contracts, a 12, 18 and 24 month contract, which meant that I couldn’t change providers until all three contracts had ended.
Eventually the contracts came to an end, and we started looking at integrating our systems with phone calls, trying to make the most of the new TAPI-compliant phone systems. But then came the issue, our ISDN system was not compatible, which meant yet more investment that we simply couldn’t afford.
So as you can see, sourcing phone services for a busy agent is not easy or cheap.
Alternative to traditional phone systems
Fast forward to today, when, the Internet has enabled VOIP to be become a replacement for the conventional land line. Companies like Skype and Whats App have now made it the norm to handle calls routed via the Internet.
These software applications, though very well rounded, are generally aimed at the public or mass market. To get the most from your phone system, you need something that is dedicated to business use.
More companies are beginning to understand the benefits of VOIP phone systems. A key benefit of this type of phone system is integration with your customer management software (CRM), which can allow your staff, sales and lettings teams, and managers to access and use client information during the call.
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