Phone forwarding services play an integral role in the communications and operations of modern businesses. Find out how call forwarding works along with how a call forwarding answering service can benefit your company.
Smartphones have forever changed the way we handle incoming and outgoing business calls. No longer chained to our desks to await calls, workers everywhere have embraced the flexibility that modern technology affords. Employees can move from their home to the office and around town without ever missing a single call – in theory, anyway.
In reality, landlines remain an integral part of business communication. With official calls still coming in through dedicated office phone lines, many business owners find themselves caught in a paradox: cell phones are indeed helpful, but only if call forwarding is available. Call forwarding services ensure all incoming calls are handled with professionalism and efficiency by a qualified representative.
If call forwarding isn’t already a key component of your business communication strategy, it should be. Call forwarding offers greater flexibility for your team while maintaining high standards for customer service. A win for both businesses and clients alike, phone forwarding helps everyone communicate more effectively. If you’re committed to improving workflow efficiency and the customer experience, there’s no better option than a call forwarding service.
What is Call Forwarding?
We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though. Before delving into the benefits of such a service, it’s important to understand the mechanics of call forwarding. This feature allows users to send incoming calls to a different phone number. The user activates call forwarding on their phone and it remains in place until you disable it, giving you the chance to send all your calls to a different phone for as long, or as frequently as you’d like.
For instance, if you decide to take a vacation and want your business phone calls directed to your colleague who is covering for you in your stead, call forwarding is the solution. Clients will still use your phone number to dial in, but instead of being connected to your phone or voicemail, they’ll be put through to your colleague’s phone. When you return to the office and are ready to get back to work, you simply turn off the service. This is the simplest form of call forwarding. However, it has many applications and it’s a key communication tool for busy offices and their staff.
A call forwarding answering service is a company you hire to answer your phone whenever you forward your phone to them. This presents a professional face for your business and ensures no calls are missed. Companies use a call forwarding service to help them streamline their communications, improve productivity, and even enhance the customer experience.
How Call Forwarding Works
There are a number of ways to set up call forwarding of inbound calls. Traditional methods require users to select the phone line you’d like to forward and dial an access code followed by the number to which you’d like to forward calls. Many local phone companies offer such services with “no answer transfer” and “forced ring roll-over” options. No matter which phone company you use for your business, built-in features are readily available to help you quickly and easily forward calls.
Many organizations opt to work with phone forwarding services to accomplish these goals. A centralized phone line with an experienced, professional receptionist to route calls makes the experience easy for both employees and callers alike. Support services ensure inbound calls are always handled with care. Lead qualification, tech support, order taking and appointment scheduling are all possible with this kind of service.
Whether you opt to use such services or select a more simple business call forwarding setup, the flexibility is undeniable. It’s easy to turn call forwarding services on and off as necessary. This is especially helpful during particularly busy periods. If you know you’re running a promotion next month and will be inundated with calls for your sales team, for instance, you may want to fire up call forwarding in anticipation of high call volume. Once the promotion has ended and your phone activity returns to normal, you can turn forwarding back off again.
This flexibility isn’t reserved for large campaigns, either. You can turn call forwarding services on and off every day if you’d like. Switch the service on as you head out to lunch with a client – calls that come into your office landline phone can be redirected to your cell or to a colleague’s phone instead. The benefits of call forwarding are obvious to anyone who has ever felt the need to wait by the phone for a client.
Business call forwarding to your cell phone is simple to initiate. Whether you plan to direct all incoming calls to a single cell phone or want to disperse calls based on the type of inquiry the caller might have, setup is easy. Regardless of your professional goals for call forwarding, you can have your new call forwarding business line up and running in a matter of minutes.
Why Use Call Forwarding Services?
Businesses of all sizes and varieties can benefit from call forwarding. No matter your industry, it’s important to increase your presence by using multiple numbers forwarded to a central location. For instance, if you’re a nationwide home improvement company, you may have localized phone numbers for each of your individual locations. However, you want all calls answered at a centralized location. Customers can dial a local area code to reach your organization. Once you’ve set up call forwarding, each of those phone numbers can route to a single location for representatives to handle those calls.
This kind of setup has a number of benefits. You’ll increase the mobility of your team, allowing them the freedom to come and go from the office as needed without the fear of a missed call. You’ll also improve your availability. When there is always a friendly voice on the end of the line to answer questions, provide customer support, or give assistance for order placement, you’ll never feel obligated to wait around for calls again.
Call forwarding also means the end of phone tag and overflowing voicemail boxes. No industry is immune to these common administrative challenges, but with a call forwarding business phone service at your disposal, missed messages become a thing of the past. Incoming calls can be routed to your cell phone, to a colleague’s phone, or to a helpful remote receptionist who can serve as an extension of your team. Imagine how much more you could accomplish without voicemails to work through or games of phone tag to fill in missing information.
When to Use Call Forwarding Services
Just when should you use call forwarding? We’re glad you asked. Many users enjoy the increased productivity that comes with such a service. All too often, important meetings and work flows are interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. A call forwarding service ensures you receive calls on your own terms. Don’t want to be bothered during an important client meeting? Turn call forwarding on and have someone cover for you. Don’t mind your morning email session being interrupted by an incoming call? Simply turn off call forwarding services while you’re at your desk. The flexibility is undeniable.
Call forwarding can also be incredibly useful when you plan to travel. Whether you’re headed abroad to finalize a big deal or just hitting the road for a family vacation, call forwarding can bring tremendous peace of mind. By using call forwarding for your business line, you’ll ensure there is always someone around to handle important conversations on your behalf. Or, if you prefer, you can have calls directed to your cell phone. The choice is yours.
There’s no need to wait until you’re hitting the road to turn on call forwarding services, though. You can forward phone calls on nights, weekends and any time you might be away from your office. Switch on call forwarding every time you close your business doors for the day. Your callers will be treated to the same stellar service they receive during traditional business hours. Whether you opt to have a virtual receptionist cover the phone line or have calls directed to your cell, you’ll send a clear message to callers: their questions and concerns are vital at all hours.
Call forwarding is also helpful during periods of high call volume. If you anticipate a higher than average number of calls coming in, you can turn on call forwarding answering services for assistance. Callers will still dial the same phone number to reach your business, but they’ll be connected with a team of representatives who can help lighten the administrative load that so often accompanies high call volume. Such services are especially helpful when you’re planning major campaigns and expect more calls than usual.
Conditional Call Forwarding Services
Sometimes, you might want unanswered phone calls to go to another phone instead of a voicemail box. This is helpful when you don’t want to forward calls all the time, but instead like having another option available for callers when you’re away from your desk. This is called conditional call forwarding. It forwards calls any time you’re busy on another call, unable to pick up, or unreachable.
Sometimes referred to as call forward/no answer, conditional call forwarding services allow you to set and forget your coverage. Rather than turning call forwarding on and off as needed, conditional call forwarding gives you the freedom to know that your calls will always be covered if you can’t get to them first. While standard call forwarding directs all of your incoming calls to another phone line for answering, conditional versions forward calls only when you fail to answer your own phone. It’s one of the best ways to ensure your customers are always greeted promptly, no matter what your busy day might have in store.
This customized approach to call forwarding allows you to tailor your coverage to your precise requirements. Flexible and affordable, this kind of coverage will speak volumes about your commitment to the customer experience. Your callers won’t feel neglected or forced to leave extended voicemail messages. Instead, they’ll be treated to polite, prompt service whenever they choose to call.
Benefits of Call Forwarding
Once you set up call forwarding with MAP Communications, you’ll be treated to an enhanced professional image. No matter the size of your organization, you’ll be able to easily project the appearance of a successful business with plenty of administrative staff to manage incoming calls. Regardless of how many phones or employees your organization has, call forwarding makes it possible to route calls at scale like major corporations do.
The benefits of call forwarding don’t stop there. Once you begin using such a service, you may begin noticing an uptick in the number of positive reviews left online about your business. That’s because call forwarding is an excellent way to provide stellar customer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. While business calls might once have been reserved for traditional nine-to-five working hours, your customers now expect to be able to chat with your team around the clock. Call forwarding services make this dream a reality.
Skip the games of phone tag. End the dreaded “voicemail box is full” messages. The benefits of call forwarding make it easy to manage customer expectations while improving your rates of productivity. Since calls can be routed to specific individuals or departments, you’ll spend less time educating customers about who they should speak with and why. Fewer interruptions mean greater focus for the most important projects on your desk. It’s a win for everyone.
Call forwarding increases staff availability in surprising ways. Staff members no longer need to be chained to their desks when awaiting return calls from clients. Instead, they can go about their days knowing that calls can be routed directly to their cell phones. Connecting over the phone becomes more convenient for everyone involved – and reduces the time spent playing phone tag or working through voicemail messages.
Employees who travel will find call forwarding answering services especially helpful. Whether you work in sales, the real estate industry, or in construction, it’s not always easy to dedicate time to administrative duties like client calls. As important as these conversations might be, it’s often impractical to wait by the phone when you’ve got duties to attend to in the field. When mobility is important, call forwarding can be a real lifesaver. It’s never been easier to stay in the loop while away from your desk.
As more and more companies move towards remote work, this mobility becomes even more important. Managing people is always a challenge, but the task grows more challenging as employees scatter to the wind. Call forwarding ensures that your team is always just a phone call away.
Expand Your Reach with MAP Communications
Perception is reality. When callers dial into your business and are treated to the same excellent service any time of day or night, your perceived presence adds tremendous value to your brand. 24/7 phone call forwarding ensures your callers are never sent to voicemail. Even when your employees aren’t available to chat, a professional receptionist is there to answer questions, place orders, troubleshoot technology challenges, schedule appointments, or perform dozens of other common administrative tasks. Call forwarding is an incredibly powerful resource for business – it’s not hard to see why so many organizations are turning to MAP Communications for such services.
With more than 30 years in the call forwarding service industry, MAP has become the go-to for all things related to phone answering. We offer highly versatile tools that bring your call management strategy to the next level. We know how challenging it can be to run your business from your cell phone. With call forwarding from MAP, you’ll gain an entire suite of tools to manage incoming calls. The advantages of staying mobile are endless, and with MAP’s resources at your disposal, you’ll prioritize the customer experience while maintaining a healthy work/life balance.
Work with us to design your ideal call forwarding setup. Design customized call scripts that send a consistent message to your callers, day and night. We’ll follow your policies, procedures and protocols to the letter. Since we consider ourselves an extension of your team, your callers may never even realize you’re using a service to assist you in taking calls. Basically, we’re like a light switch – just turn us on via call forwarding whenever you want!
Get started today with a free trial of our phone forwarding services. Since there is no obligation to continue using our resources after the trial period ends, you’ve got nothing to lose by giving MAP a try!
