Unless by some miracle your escaped remote working last year, you’ve probably used or at least heard of Microsoft Teams. It has gone from being a niche service to the largest Unified Communications platform in the world. It has given businesses and remote workers the ability to communicate with colleagues and customers much more effectively.
Teams has shone due to its relative ease of use, and the fact that it’s built around Microsoft’s existing interface. This has allowed users to get to grips with it quickly and use it alongside services they already work with such as Outlook.
Teams doesn’t have everything though. Many businesses upon their return to the office wanted to keep using Teams as a fully-fledged communications platform but were met with challenges. There are many features of a traditional communications service that just aren’t possible with the standard version of Teams. Microsoft’s call plans are known for being less than cost-effective.
Thankfully Netcomms has a solution here. One that combines the versatility of Teams with the features of a high-quality business communication service. This service is called Direct Routing and we believe that businesses in a huge variety of industries can take advantage of it. Here are the main features of Teams Direct Routing and how it can help your business.
The versatility of Teams
If you don’t currently use Teams, here’s why it’s taken the working world by storm. The accessible interface is just the start, the range of features and adaptability has kept businesses working at their best through a really challenging time.
Perhaps the standout feature of Teams is the ability to switch instantly between a group chat, to an audio call or even to a video call. It also has the benefit of having your own contacts easily accessible, as well as showing you exactly who is available and who is busy.
Teams is designed with collaboration in mind, hence the name. But it can also act as a customer communication service. As Teams is such a well-used service, it provides a quick way to get in touch with quickly and in a professional way. This gives businesses a great platform to get in touch more efficiently and provide a more reactive service, less reliant on excessive travel times.
Through these features you can see how Teams has the potential to simplify your communication system. Here’s how combining it with a communication service through Direct Routing can help.
The additional call control Features
Direct Routing takes Teams and effectively adds in the features of Netcomms’ Horizon communication platform. The interface stays the same, but the features are expanded and enhanced. This allows you to keep using Teams day-to-day but aren’t held back in terms of the ability to communicate professionally.
Calls are taken via the Horizon call service. This means that you no longer must worry about handling calls through the internet, as they are instead routed to phone lines by carrier grade infrastructure. By using this method, you can avoid the need for a Microsoft Voice Call Plan, which will help you to save on your call costs. This essentially gives you the best of both worlds. Your communications are handled with maximum reliability while still lowering your phone bill.
The process is tried and tested. At Netcomms we can handle the migration over to your new system. Nothing about the process requires specialist training or technology. Just work with the Teams interface but make and control your calls on one of the most reliable communications services available.
Of course, built in with this service are every call control feature you’d see on a traditional business communication service. From the basics such as speakerphone and mute, to transferring and switching to a video conference. You can handle it all with ease.
Work alongside analytics and recording services
Combining Teams with a robust service such as Horizon is that it can help to improve your business moving forwards. It does this through a variety of statistics, reporting and analytics services. These are easily accessible through Horizon and compatible with Teams.
Call statistics gives you a clear view of every call that has taken place around your business, and even those that haven’t. It highlights any missed calls, using CRM data to let you know who needs to be followed up. This data is presented in reports that highlight the data that matters the most to you. This allows you to make improvements to your customer service moving forward.
Your Direct Routing service also integrates perfectly with your call recording solution if you have one. Call recording allows you to take a digital signature from your customer as to the service they require. It also acts as a great training resource. Using Direct Routing means that any calls made through MS Teams will continue to be recorded and stored as normal, giving full continuity of services.
For more information about Teams Direct Routing, visit our website. If you’d like to get in touch you can reach our team at 0800 298 6022.