{"id":5030,"date":"2024-12-09T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/?p=5030"},"modified":"2024-12-31T21:54:45","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T21:54:45","slug":"7-easy-ways-to-prepare-your-business-phone-system-for-the-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/7-easy-ways-to-prepare-your-business-phone-system-for-the-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Easy Ways To Prepare Your Business Phone System For The Holidays!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The holiday season is officially here, so is your business phone system ready?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"362\" src=\"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Remote-Working.jpg\" alt=\"VoIP business phone systems are helping remote working everywhere!\" class=\"wp-image-336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Remote-Working.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Remote-Working-300x272.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Your company\u2019s <strong>business phone system<\/strong> is one of the most effective and easiest ways to keep your clients informed about seasonal promotions and holiday business hours, but a lot of businesses neglect making changes during December for whatever reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can be a big mistake when you\u2019re hoping to cash in during the seasonal shopping rush, or when you simply want to extend seasons greetings to spread holiday cheer to your callers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve developed the following checklist to help you optimize your phone system this holiday season and show your team\u2019s spirit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <strong>Double-Checking Last December\u2019s Call Logs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Aren\u2019t quite sure how many calls your company can expect over the holidays? Try exploring your system\u2019s call data from last December, and pay attention to the following metrics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Average hold time<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Busiest call times<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Number of incoming calls per day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While your customer demand will inevitably fluctuate based upon a variety of different factors, including seasonal promotions and year-to-year growth, the above metrics will help you gauge your holiday season expectations accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. <strong>Updating Your Holiday Business Hours<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you\u2019re temporarily reducing hours for vacationing employees or extending hours to accommodate a seasonal increase in clients, you\u2019ll want to showcase your service levels during the holidays to maintain transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Data Talk experts can assist you in programming a time-based call routing path alternative that starts on a specified date and matches your updated holiday schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. <strong>Determining Answering Rules For Out-Of-Office Staff<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Within your phone system\u2019s CRM platform, you\u2019ll be able to create a variety of answering rules that dictate how incoming calls are directed or forwarded at specific times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is particularly important during the holidays when you\u2019re expecting to have out-of-office staff, because you may want their incoming calls to go straight to voicemail for privacy. You also might want your incoming calls forwarded to a specific coworker\u2019s extension during the holidays, or you could want to rotate who\u2019s responsible for answering calls while your team is taking time off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be sure to reach out to our telecom specialists when you need help establishing your answering rule options, as well as when you need help updating your existing answering rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. <strong>Recording Holiday Auto Attendants &amp; Greetings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cMerry Christmas, ya filthy animals!\u201d<\/em> might not be the best seasonal greeting, but adding some holiday cheer to your system\u2019s auto attendant message and voicemail will add a much-needed and highly effective human touch to your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These holiday greetings and auto attendant messages also offer prime opportunities to announce things like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Holiday deals and promotions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Modified business hours<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What number clients can call in emergency situations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When your callers can expect a response from one of your team members<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. <strong>Promoting Holiday Deals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As previously mentioned, there\u2019s no better time to pitch your holiday promotions than during your auto attendant messages and greetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is by far one of the most financially fruitful business phone system upgrades that your company can make during December, so be sure to come up with a promotional package and see how it works this month!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. <strong>Adding Phone System Extensions For Seasonal Employees<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s possible that your company needs additional help to keep up with seasonal demand, and these seasonal hires can easily be scaled into your phone system when you have <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/services\/voip-phone-service-providers-in-columbus-ohio\/\">VoIP software capabilities<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also seamless to scale seasonal employees out of your phone system once your holiday rush has subsided, but this simple modification can truly make a significant difference when your full-time team is swamped toward the end of the year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. <strong>Updating Your Hold Music<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no better way to spread Christmas cheer than playing festive hold music for all to hear, according to the famous Buddy the Elf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep your on-hold callers engaged by playing seasonal music while they wait to speak with your next available agent. And if possible, try to follow a holiday theme that coincides with your ongoing promotions!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reach Out To Data Talk To Get Your Business Phone System Ready For The Holidays!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>All of us at <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/\">Data Talk<\/a><\/strong> first and foremost want to wish everyone an incredible holiday season, and we\u2019re always here for you and your team when you need help optimizing your business phone system for the remainder of December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an important time of year for countless companies, and we understand how the value of your phone system can truly shine during the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/contact-us\/\">Reach out to us online<\/a><\/strong> or give us a call at 614-784-7100 to get your system prepped and ready for your ensuing holiday rush!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The holiday season is officially here, so is your business phone system ready? Your company\u2019s business phone system is one of the most effective and easiest ways to keep your clients informed about seasonal promotions and holiday business hours, but a lot of businesses neglect making changes during December for whatever reasons. This can be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":336,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[18,87],"class_list":["post-5030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-small-business-phone-systems","tag-business-phone-system","tag-holiday-telecom-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5030"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5050,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5030\/revisions\/5050"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.data-talk.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}