Getting Started with Halloo is as Easy as 1-2-3

Ready to get started with Halloo? It’s really as easy as 1, 2, 3 to set up your new small business phone service!

  1. Sign up for a toll-free or local business number with Halloo. (You can also port your existing number over.)
  2. Visit my.halloo.com and sign in using the account details from your welcome email.
  3. Begin setting up your account preferences. Continue reading

Halloo Hint: Creating a Phone Menu that Acts as a Help Desk

One of our clients, Tim, the owner of a property management company, had this dilemma. “My receptionists are good, but they don’t know everything. I have some recorded messages prepared for the most common problems my customers have, for example, their rental may have an issue with the fireplace, satellite TV, hot tub, etc. I set up an after hours menu for guests to access this menu driven system (i.e. “if you have problems with your hot tub, press [1]” etc.). Continue reading

The Business Advantages of a Phone System

A phone system has capabilities that go beyond normal phone services. When placing a phone call to a business that does not have a phone system, you will reach either reach the person you intended, hear the busy tone, receive no answer, or be asked to leave a message. Even if you reach an actual person at the organization, you could be greeted differently depending on who answers the phone. Without a phone system, it can be difficult to transfer callers, so you may be asked to hang up and call back using a different number. Continue reading

Halloo Hint: Direct Inward Dial

Direct Inward Dial, or DID, allows you to add extra toll free or local numbers to your account. These additional numbers can then be attached to specific user extensions. Callers who have this direct number can bypass the auto attendant, allowing them to directly reach the person assigned to that extension. Additional DID lines can be added to your Halloo account for $4.95 per month, and can be either local or toll-free numbers. Continue reading

Hold Music and the Customer Service Experience

Researching “On-Hold Music” reveals an extensive amount of information on the topic. It is an entire industry in itself, plus there are numerous opinions, studies, and articles that focus solely on the type of music you should play for customers when you put them on hold.

NPR’s MarketPlace recently featured a segment discussing “What Makes You Happy When Your Call Is Put on Hold?” This piece explored the evolution of the industry and how hold music can impact customer satisfaction.

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3 Auto Attendant Mistakes that Frustrate Customers

Are your customers getting frustrated and hanging up before leaving a message or listening to the options? Your company’s auto answer features might be driving them away.

Mistake

Often, small business owners set up their auto attendant with options like: Press [1] for Suzy, the President, Press [2] for Mike in Marketing, Press [3] for Mary in Accounting…Press [43] for Jake.

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