5 DID Tips to Deliver High-performance Communication

Customers and employees often have to talk to specific people and departments within different companies from time to time. However, in many cases, you can’t reach the person you are looking for directly. Instead, you are made to go through a human receptionist or an automated phone menu first. Customers may feel neglected while waiting in long queues before getting assistance. Here, direct inward dialing and inbound services can help make customer and business communication more efficient.

DID number providers allocate trunk lines to the VoIP PBX system, allowing businesses to assign direct-dial or virtual phone numbers to specific employees or extensions. According to a survey, 56% of customers cite auto attendants as the most frustrating aspect of poor customer service.

Besides routing calls to the desired person directly, DID services can offer numerous benefits if leveraged correctly to achieve specific business objectives. Businesses can expand their horizons to new countries, markets, and campaigns using direct inward dialing with a VoIP system.

Let’s see why businesses should utilize DID services and some tips to max out DID benefits.

Why Should your Business Utilize DID Services with VoIP PBX?

You can either link DID numbers to your system through PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) or VoIP system. In PSTN, analog lines rely on the central office to provide the call routing and signaling. Traditional phone lines require adequate trunk lines since they are allocated to DID numbers via PBX (Private Branch Exchange) system. For instance, if you have five trunk lines active with calls, the sixth call will need to be held in a separate queue.

On the other hand, the most flexible way to employ DID services is to use SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) trunking offered by VoIP technology. SIP-based PBX system (IP-PBX) makes trunk line connections available as needed. These trunk lines are not physical connections; these virtual links are created when required. You can configure these virtual phone numbers internally and link them to your extensions through software applications or have your DID number provider do it for you.

5 Ways to Max out Direct Inward Dialing Benefits

Personalize Customer Service for Different Market Segments

Direct inward dialing and inbound services can be a lifesaver if you have customers in different time zones or even areas with other codes. For instance, businesses operating in London can set up local phone numbers for their customers in New York using local area codes or prefixes.

You can also set up a different number for VIP customers to deliver a more personalized customer experience. The elimination of the receptionist, phone menu, and queue saves the time for customers and agents. Customers can make a follow-up more easily without hesitancy, as the agent has a single direct number.

Connect Team Members

DID services with VoIP systems enable employees and team members to connect via dedicated extensions, even if they are in different buildings, cities, or continents. For instance, if you want to reach your coworker from another department, you don’t need to ring that department’s main phone line and go through the directory. Instead, you can call that person using their direct-dial number. 

Get a Separate DID Number for Each Marketing Campaign

Apart from helping your clients reach you on the first try, DID numbers can help you understand different aspects of calls through detailed analytics and easy tracking of campaigns. Businesses can assign separate DID numbers to each campaign to track incoming calls and determine the marketing campaign's performance level. Individual DID numbers make it easy to calculate ROI on different advertisement campaigns.

DID services with the VoIP system help businesses to analyze call data, including call duration, hold time, caller ID information, detailed transcriptions, keywords, sentiment analysis, and more. It enables tracking of sales metrics and agent performance metrics that can be used to identify areas of improvement, and campaigns can get better results in no time.

Utilize Automated Call Forwarding

You can automatically forward incoming calls to your private mobile or other temporary phones, so you never miss a call. Since the customer can only see your professional caller ID, it helps you maintain the brand image.

Furthermore, DID services allow you to set calls to ring the correct locations at times in case global teams want to provide after-hours support. It can be extra beneficial for employees working from home or traveling often. Besides, you can save significantly on your phone bill as you don't have to pay long-distance charges.

Establish a Local Presence in Foreign Markets

Customers prefer businesses that have established a presence in their area. DID number providers allow you to choose an area code based on your targeted market, which can be anywhere in the world. DID number providers in different countries even offer affordable plans for specific area codes because of their exclusive carrier arrangement. It helps you expand your business presence to foreign markets.

DID: An Effective Communication Strategy for High-performing Business

Direct inward dialing and inbound services are critical to any call center or business’s communication strategy. It works best with internet telephone services where SIP trunk lines are virtually linked to DID numbers, offering flexibility, scalability, and efficiency. DID services take a massive burden off your employees’ shoulders and help you handle every aspect of business communication, from cost and productivity to location and call volume.

BridgeVoice Pluto offers various pay-as-you-go and unlimited packages for a wide range of international DID numbers with an advanced hosted system that gives you complete control over your incoming calls.

If a single number is used for the whole department then we will have to set an IVR, which we're advertising as "not required".