Your mobile is ringing but you don't recognize the number. It could be a cable sales call that you don't have time for right now... or it could be a major new lead for your business. How do you decide whether or not to take the call? This is where virtual PBX services like Voxox Cloud Phone come in super handy -- they offer advanced call settings that allow you to customize how your inbound calls are handled – a.k.a. call screening.
With call screening, you can require callers to speak their name/company before the system connects them to you, which also allows you to discretely screen unwanted callers. You can also set up your system to immediately connect callers to you without screening, if you so choose. These simple controls allow you to accept or reject calls without wasting any precious time.
Here are a few tips on ways to use and enhance your call screening capabilities to stay in touch with clients and partners, while also running your business:
1. Name Screening
Set up your call screening feature to ask each caller to state their name. You can listen to the caller’s name before you pick up—or send to voicemail if the call can wait. This process is discreet, and your callers will never know that you are opting to not accept their call.
2. Voicemail Screening
You've screened your incoming call and decided that the call is not high priority, thinking that you'll just listen to the voicemail message at a later time. But what if the call really WAS important and you missed it? Voxox Cloud Phone provides a really neat screening feature called Eavesdrop, which lets a user listen in real-time while a caller is leaving a voicemail with the option to pick up the call out of voicemail at any time. This is a pretty unique feature, reminiscent of those answering machines from the 90s but with a modern twist.
3. Call Recording
Thanks to your call screening feature, you took an important call that came through while you're out and about. You're not able to take notes while on the phone, so use your virtual PBX service to record calls with the call recording feature – listen back later, if you missed any details.
4. Voicemail Transcription
If you really can't pick up the call - perhaps you're in a meeting - then voicemail transcription is a great way to get a glimpse of what the message is about. Simply read your voicemails in text form as if they are emails or text messages and then figure out your next move.
Call screening is a simple way for busy business owners to add another layer between themselves and callers, saving time on unproductive phone conversations each week. Plus, with all the advanced features available with modern technology, it’s easy to customize a call screening structure that is just right for you and your business.