How Business Users Can Improve Their Mobile Services

HOW BUSINESS USERS CAN IMPROVE THEIR MOBILE SERVICES

With most businesses now relying on mobile phones as a primary form of communication, it is vital that business users must find the service that works the best service for them.

Traditionally, business users have had to make do with the same service that is used by millions of teenagers around the world. These services are primarily designed around an individual who typically wants to consume content from streaming sites and social media platforms. They are not designed around a team of people who need to communicate with each other and external parties.

There are some OTT (over the top) applications such as Slack and Teams that encourage team collaboration and group work, but they can be disjointed and only really come into their own when used by internal groups. They do not cater very well for communicating with external people on an ad-hoc basis.

So, whether you are a small business who solely rely on mobile phones to communicate with all of your suppliers and customers, or a small business with both office and field-based staff, having a mobile service that meets your needs is essential.

Unfortunately, the major mobile networks see no real value in introducing services for business users when the majority of their target audience is consumers who use their mobile phone as a device to connect to the internet.

In the business world voice is still a significant factor.

Scrutinise Usage.

Take a good look at usage. More often than not, business users apply the same logic to their mobile contracts as they do to personal mobile contracts, and this should not be the case. Personal mobile usage is very different from the usage in the business world, and when you start to look at usage, you will realise that you may be paying for services that you do not want.

For many years, mobile operators have seen that the trend of personal usage has been becoming more and more data-driven. We now consume more content from streaming sites and spend more time online than we ever have, and that trend is growing. Yet for business use, while the pattern is similar, the amount of time that we spend consuming content is far less. Voice is still king in the business world, and data usage must be measured as large data bundles are not necessarily the answer.

Add Landline Numbers to Your Mobile Service.

Everybody thinks that mobile phones have to have mobile 07 numbers, but this is no longer the case. It is possible to use standard 01, 02 or 03 numbers with mobile phones. Landline numbers can be used as a straight replacement for a mobile number, so a landline number is the number that people call, and it is also the number that is displayed when you call out. Or if you still want to have the ability to send and receive text messages, a landline number can be used alongside a mobile 07 number. As we see more two-factor authentication methods that use text messages to send one time codes coming into everyday life, you may want to consider the latter option.

Using a landline is particularly essential to businesses that rely purely on mobile phones. Having a landline number makes you look established; it reassures new customers and gives you a local presence.

Having a landline number that works on a mobile phone lets you make and receive calls using that number.

Make the Mobile Core to Business Communications.

If you are running a small business, you may want to consider moving all of your communications to a service that is based purely on mobiles. By using a mobile service that has been designed specifically for business users, it is possible to use a mobile phone for all business-critical conversation, but also have all call monitored and measured.  

The latest mobile services make a mobile an extension to a centrally hosted PBX (telephone system), so business users are able to benefit from all of the features of a traditional desk phone but based on a mobile. Standard 01, 02 or 03 numbers are advertised as the primary business number; each mobile can have an individual (DDI) direct landline number (as well as a mobile number if desired) so extension to extension calls are made with shortened numbers. Just like a traditional telephone system, welcome messages are played to inbound callers, and intelligent call routing can be applied in the same way - Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Support etc.

So, in a world, where businesses are measured by customer satisfaction surveys, SLA’s and KPI’s, it is possible to have the best of both worlds - fixed line features and functionality with the flexibility of a mobile phone.