However, many banks still rely on legacy communication systems that were designed for a very different era—when most interactions happened in physical branches and employees worked in a single location.

Today’s banking environment looks very different. Customers interact through multiple channels, employees work across locations, and expectations for speed and reliability are higher than ever.

Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) provides a modern, cloud-based communication platform designed to address these evolving demands. Below are five of the most common communication challenges banks face today—and how UCaaS helps solve them.

1. Multi-Branch Communication Silos

Many banks operate multiple branch locations spread across cities or even across entire states. While this geographic reach allows institutions to serve more communities, it also creates communication challenges internally.

Traditional phone systems are often configured separately at each branch location. As a result, transferring calls between branches can be difficult, internal collaboration becomes fragmented, and employees may struggle to quickly connect customers with the right specialist.

Fragmented systems also create operational silos. When customer interaction data is stored in different systems across branches, employees may lack visibility into previous conversations, forcing customers to repeat information or restart their inquiry.

Unified communications platforms address this problem by bringing every branch onto a single communication system. Voice calls, messaging, collaboration tools, and reporting are centralized, allowing employees to connect and collaborate across locations as if they were in the same office.

This unified approach improves both internal productivity and customer experience. Employees can transfer calls seamlessly between branches, escalate issues to specialists in other locations, and maintain continuity in customer conversations.

Centralizing communication infrastructure also reduces the complexity of managing multiple systems and helps IT teams maintain consistent configurations across the organization.

2. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

Banks are expected to remain available to customers at all times—even during unexpected disruptions. Power outages, severe weather events, building closures, or network failures can quickly disrupt traditional phone systems. Legacy PBX systems are typically tied to a physical location. If a branch loses connectivity or power, the entire phone system may become unavailable. This means customers cannot reach support teams, and employees cannot communicate internally.

Cloud-based UCaaS systems are designed with redundancy and resiliency in mind. Communications are hosted in geographically distributed data centers, which means calls and services can continue operating even if a specific location goes offline. If a branch experiences an outage, calls can automatically reroute to another location or to employees working remotely. Staff can answer calls through mobile apps, laptops, or alternative locations while maintaining the same business phone number.

This level of resilience is critical for financial institutions where communication downtime can disrupt customer services and damage trust. Cloud-based communication infrastructure provides built-in continuity that traditional systems often lack.

3. Supporting Remote and Hybrid Employees

The modern workplace has evolved significantly in recent years. While many bank employees still operate from branch offices, remote work and hybrid schedules have become increasingly common—especially for customer service teams, administrative staff, and support departments.

Legacy communication systems are often limited to physical desk phones inside the office. Employees working remotely may need to rely on personal devices, disconnected systems, or complicated call forwarding setups. This creates inefficiencies and makes it harder for teams to collaborate effectively.

UCaaS platforms remove these limitations by allowing employees to access their business phone system from virtually anywhere. Through secure desktop and mobile applications, employees can make and receive business calls, transfer conversations, access voicemail, and collaborate with colleagues regardless of their location.

This flexibility ensures that employees remain fully connected even when working outside the office. It also enables banks to maintain service continuity during emergencies or unexpected disruptions. Instead of shutting down operations, staff can continue assisting customers from remote environments while maintaining the same professional communication tools.

4. Long Customer Wait Times

Customer expectations around service speed have increased dramatically in recent years. Banking customers increasingly expect quick responses, seamless service, and the ability to resolve issues without waiting on hold. However, many financial institutions struggle to keep up with call volume and customer demand. Studies have shown that call volumes in banking contact centers have increased significantly in recent years, while staffing and system limitations often create longer wait times.

Research has found that in some cases 39% of calls to bank contact centers go unanswered within ten minutes, highlighting how difficult it can be for institutions to manage high call demand effectively. Long wait times can have serious consequences. Customers who experience delays may abandon calls, become frustrated, or lose confidence in their bank’s ability to respond to urgent issues.

UCaaS solutions help address these challenges with advanced call management capabilities, including:

• Intelligent call routing
• Automated attendants
• Queue management
• Skill-based routing

These features ensure that incoming calls are directed to the most appropriate department or specialist quickly, reducing unnecessary transfers and minimizing wait times. By improving call distribution and agent efficiency, banks can provide faster responses and a smoother customer experience.

5. Limited Reporting and Operational Visibility

Understanding communication performance is essential for improving service quality. However, many traditional phone systems provide limited insight into call activity.

Without detailed reporting, bank managers may struggle to answer important questions such as:

• How many calls are coming in each day?
• How long are customers waiting before speaking with an agent?
• Which departments receive the most inquiries?
• Are service levels improving or declining?

These insights are critical for staffing decisions, operational planning, and improving customer experience.

Modern UCaaS platforms include built-in analytics and reporting tools that provide detailed visibility into communication patterns across the organization. Managers can monitor key metrics such as call volume, queue performance, average handle time, and first-contact resolution. This data allows financial institutions to identify trends, optimize staffing levels, and continuously improve customer service operations. In an industry where customer experience directly impacts loyalty and retention, having access to accurate communication analytics can provide a significant competitive advantage.

Building a Communication Strategy for the Future of Banking

As banking continues to evolve, communication systems must evolve with it. Customers expect fast, reliable service whether they are calling a branch, speaking with a specialist, or reaching out during a time-sensitive situation. At the same time, financial institutions need tools that allow employees to collaborate across locations, maintain service during disruptions, and gain better visibility into customer interactions.

Legacy phone systems were not designed for this level of flexibility or insight. They often create operational silos, limit mobility, and make it difficult for banks to adapt to changing customer expectations.

Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) provides a modern alternative. By moving communications to a centralized cloud platform, banks can connect multiple branches, support remote employees, improve call routing, and gain valuable insights through advanced reporting tools.

The result is a more resilient and efficient communication environment—one that helps banks deliver faster service, strengthen customer relationships, and operate more effectively in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

For financial institutions looking to modernize operations while maintaining reliability and security, UCaaS offers a powerful foundation for the future of banking communications.

The post 5 Communication Challenges Banks Face (And How UCaaS Solves Them) appeared first on CallHarbor.

More than 1,000 nominations were submitted statewide for the 2026 awards program, with 94 small businesses ultimately selected for recognition. CallHarbor is honored to be included among this year’s awardees and recognized for its continued innovation and commitment to excellence in business communications.

Launched in 2004, Michigan Celebrates Small Business has honored more than 1,200 companies over the past two decades. The Michigan 50 Companies to Watch category specifically highlights privately held, Michigan-based companies with 6 to 99 employees and annual revenues between $750,000 and $50 million that are poised for sustained growth and long-term success.

For CallHarbor, this recognition reflects years of dedication to delivering reliable, high-quality UCaaS and VoIP solutions backed by 24/7 Michigan-based support, hands-on implementation, and a customer-first approach.

“We are incredibly honored to be named one of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch,” said Frank Kadaf, CEO of CallHarbor. “This award belongs to our team. Their commitment to service, reliability, and doing the right thing for our customers is what drives our growth. We’re grateful to be recognized among so many impressive Michigan companies and excited about what’s ahead. ”

Award recipients will be celebrated during the Michigan Celebrates Small Business two-day event in East Lansing on April 21–22, 2026.

CallHarbor remains committed to continued growth, innovation, and strengthening Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem while empowering businesses with modern communication solutions designed to scale.

For the full list of 2026 award winners, visit MichiganCelebrates.org.

About CallHarbor

CallHarbor is a trusted provider of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), delivering advanced voice, messaging, collaboration, and AI solutions to modern businesses. Our fully hosted platform enables companies to connect more efficiently through enterprise-grade voice services, SMS messaging, call center management, call recording, and innovative features like CallHarborAI for sentiment analysis, call transcription, and intelligent insights.

At CallHarbor, we pride ourselves on offering a comprehensive, all-inclusive feature set that rivals industry competitors—without hidden fees for support, installation, or maintenance. Our services are supported by 24/7 U.S.-based customer service, ensuring expert assistance is always just a few seconds away. Designed for flexibility, security, and scalability, CallHarbor empowers organizations to streamline their communications, improve customer interactions, and adapt to evolving business needs with ease. Whether managing a remote workforce or enhancing client engagement, CallHarbor delivers the tools and reliability businesses need to succeed. For more information about CallHarbor visit https://callharbor.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

CallHarbor Contact:
Payton Kilgore
Sales & Marketing Associate
313.263.3663 x1
payton@callharbor.com

The post CallHarbor Recognized as 2026 Michigan Celebrates Small Business Award Winner appeared first on CallHarbor.

Dearborn, MI – Dec. 8, 2025 — CallHarbor announced today that they have been named an INTERNET TELEPHONY Cloud VoIP Excellence Award winner for 2025.

CallHarbor’s hosted VoIP platform delivers a fully cloud-native, enterprise-grade communication solution designed for businesses of every size. Built for mobility, scalability, and simplicity, CallHarbor’s VoIP system includes an extensive suite of features—such as call recording, voicemail-to-email, mobile app and softphone, call center functionality, unlimited auto attendants and call queues, and advanced reporting—all included at no extra cost. CallHarbor provides a modern, secure, and flexible approach to business communications, backed by its renowned 24/7 U.S.-based support team with an industry-leading 8-second average hold time.

“Winning this award for the ninth consecutive year is a validation of what our team works so hard to deliver,” said Frank Kadaf, CEO of CallHarbor. “Our goal has always been to provide a VoIP platform that blends innovation with true customer-first service. We believe advanced communication technology should be accessible, reliable, and supported by real people who care—and this recognition reinforces that we’re achieving exactly that.”

“Congratulations to CallHarbor for being honored with an INTERNET TELEPHONY Cloud VoIP Excellence Award for innovation in IP communications. CallHarbor has consistently demonstrated outstanding quality and has delivered exceptional solutions for its customers,” stated Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC.

The 2025 INTERNET TELEPHONY Cloud VoIP Excellence Award winners will be published on TMCNet and INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine online.

About CallHarbor
CallHarbor is a leading UCaaS and cloud communications provider dedicated to offering feature-rich, reliable, and transparent business phone solutions. Its fully hosted VoIP platform delivers a modern, all-inclusive communication experience with voicemail-to-email, call recording, call queues, auto attendants, mobile applications, call center functionality, advanced analytics, and emerging AI-powered capabilities such as call transcription and sentiment analysis.

CallHarbor is known for its exceptional customer service model, providing 24/7 U.S.-based support with an industry-leading average hold time of just eight seconds. The company offers free onsite installation, system setup, and staff training, making the implementation process seamless with zero downtime. With a focus on reliability, scalability, and long-term partnership, CallHarbor empowers businesses nationwide to communicate more effectively and efficiently through a secure, flexible, cloud-first platform. For more information about CallHarbor visit https://callharbor.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

CallHarbor Contact:
Payton Kilgore
Sales & Marketing Associate
833-363-VOIP x1
payton@callharbor.com

About INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine
INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine has been the IP Communications Authority since 1998™. Beginning with the first issue in February of 1998, INTERNET TELEPHONY has been providing unbiased views of the complicated converged communications space. INTERNET TELEPHONY offers rich content from solutions-focused editorial content to reviews on products and services from TMC Labs. INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine reaches more than 225,000 readers, including pass-along readers. For more information, please visit www.itmag.com.

About TMC
For more than 20 years, TMC has been honoring technology companies with awards in various categories. These awards are regarded as some of the most prestigious and respected awards in the communications and technology sector worldwide. Winners represent prominent players in the market who consistently demonstrate the advancement of technologies. Each recipient is a verifiable leader in the marketplace.

TMC also provides global buyers with valuable insights to make informed tech decisions through our editorial platforms, live events, webinars, and online advertising. Leading vendors trust TMC, thought leadership, and our events for branding, thought leadership, and lead generation. Our live events, like the ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW, deliver unmatched visibility, while our custom lead generation programs and webinars ensure a steady flow of sales opportunities. Display ads on trusted sites generate millions of impressions, boosting brand reputations. TMC offers a complete 360-degree marketing solution, from event management to content creation, driving SEO, branding, and marketing success. Learn more at www.tmcnet.com and follow @tmcnet on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.

TMC Contact:
Stephanie Thompson
Manager, TMC Awards
203-852-6800
sthompson@tmcnet.com

The post CallHarbor Awarded 2025 INTERNET TELEPHONY Cloud VoIP Excellence Award appeared first on CallHarbor.

Check out the official press release below:

CallHarbor Awarded a 2023 INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award 

CallHarbor Honored For Delivering Exceptional IP Communications Solutions

DEARBORN, MI, SEPT. 26, 2023 — CallHarbor announced today that they have been named an INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award winner for 2023.

CallHarbor’s VoIP solution gives businesses of all sizes the features they need to succeed, from call center capabilities, to reception, to internal meetings. CallHarbor gives a fully featured Unified Communications Suite, with voice, messaging, SMS, video, and mobility features. CallHarbor also offers auto attendants, music on hold, call queues, voicemail transcription, and more, in every base package. All of it is backed by the best 24/7 US-based support, along with free installation and training.

“We are very honored and excited to be recipients of the INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award for the 7th consecutive year. It is a fantastic achievement to be recognized for our unique, innovative, flexible solutions, and we pride ourselves in our high quality, reliable service.” states Frank Kadaf, CEO, CallHarbor.

“Congratulations to CallHarbor for being honored with an INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award for innovation in IP communications. CallHarbor has consistently demonstrated outstanding quality and has delivered exceptional solutions for its customers,” stated Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC.

The 2023 INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award winners will be published on INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine online.

About CallHarbor

CallHarbor provides the 360 approach to communications, with voice, messaging, video, and mobile. CallHarbor provides nationwide white glove service, including free onsite installation, free onsite training, and top tier 24/7 Michigan-based customer service and support. Our onboarding process makes it effortless for you to switch over from an existing provider or from aging technology. We provide organizations with VoIP systems that have all the telephony advantages of an enterprise solution, at a manageable price. We always offer the latest technology with robust features including easy to change auto attendants, call recording, mobile app, web softphone, SMS/MMS, voicemail transcription, text-to-speech functionality, and much more.

About INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine

INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine has been the IP Communications Authority since 1998™. Beginning with the first issue in February of 1998, INTERNET TELEPHONY has been providing unbiased views of the complicated converged communications space.  INTERNET TELEPHONY offers rich content from solutions-focused editorial content to reviews on products and services from TMC Labs.  INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine reaches more than 225,000 readers, including pass-along readers.  For more information, please visit www.itmag.com.

About TMC

Through our news and solutions-focused editorial platforms, live events, webinars, and online advertising, TMC provides global buyers with valuable insights for making informed technology purchase decisions and successfully navigating markets. 

In turn, leading technology vendors rely on TMC, TMCnet and our family of sites and events for exceptional branding, thought leadership, and lead generation opportunities. 

Our live events, including the ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW, offer unparalleled visibility and sales prospects for all participants. With our customized lead generation programs, including a turnkey webinar program, we consistently deliver a steady stream of leads that translate into sales opportunities and database growth.

In addition, display advertising on respected news sites and newsletters generates millions of impressions, bolstering brand reputations. 

TMC offers a comprehensive 360-degree marketing solution, with services such as event and road show management, as well as expertly crafted content creation including blogs, press releases, articles, and marketing collateral. These efforts contribute to SEO, branding, and overall marketing success.

To discover more about how TMC can assist you in achieving your marketing goals through our events and online advertising, please visit www.tmcnet.com. Stay connected with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter by following @tmcnet.

CallHarbor Contact:
Bailey Terrell
Channel Sales & Marketing Director
833-363-8647, ext. 136
bailey@callharbor.com

TMC Contact:
Michelle Connolly
Senior Marketing Manager
203-852-6800, ext. 170
mconnolly@tmcnet.com 

The post CallHarbor Awarded 2023 Hosted VoIP Excellence Award appeared first on CallHarbor.

PRESS RELEASE

CallHarbor Awarded 2022 Unified Communications Excellence Award from INTERNET TELEPHONY Magazine

CallHarbor recognized for excellence and quality in delivering unified communications solutions 

DEARBORN, MI – DECEMBER 8, 2022 — CallHarbor announced today that TMC, a global, integrated media company, has named CallHarbor’s Unified Communication (UC) solution as a recipient of the 2022 Unified Communications Excellence Award presented by TMC’s INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine.

CallHarbor’s UC solution gives businesses of all sizes the features they need to succeed, from call center capabilities, to video calls, to internal chat. CallHarbor gives a fully featured Unified Communications Suite, with voice, messaging, SMS, video, and mobility features. CallHarbor also offers auto attendants, music on hold, call queues, voicemail transcription, and more, in every base package. All of it is backed by the best 24/7 US-based support, along with free installation and training.

“Being recognized for our excellence and quality in delivering a unified communications solution is an extreme honor. CallHarbor is always striving to provide a solution that is top of the line, and we pride ourselves in our high quality, reliable service,” says Bailey Terrell, Channel Sales & Marketing Director, CallHarbor.

“Every year, I am amazed by the innovation and quality represented on the Unified Communications Excellence Award winners list. And I am so impressed with CallHarbor’s commitment to addressing the real needs of the marketplace,” said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. “It’s inspiring to see such commitment to excellence and I look forward to seeing future innovation from CallHarbor.”

About CallHarbor

CallHarbor provides the 360 approach to communications, with voice, messaging, video, and mobile. CallHarbor provides nationwide white glove service, including free onsite installation, free onsite training, and top tier 24/7 Michigan-based customer service and support. Our onboarding process makes it effortless for you to switch over from an existing provider or from aging technology. We provide organizations with VoIP systems that have all the telephony advantages of an enterprise solution, at a manageable price. We always offer the latest technology with robust features including easy to change auto attendants, call recording, mobile app, web softphone, SMS/MMS, voicemail transcription, text-to-speech functionality, and much more. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook & Twitter.

About TMC

Through education, industry news, live events and social influence, global buyers rely on TMC’s content-driven marketplaces to make purchase decisions and navigate markets. As a result, leading technology vendors turn to TMC for unparalleled branding, thought leadership and lead generation opportunities. Our in-person and online events deliver unmatched visibility and sales prospects for all participants. Through our custom lead generation programs, we provide clients with an ongoing stream of leads that turn into sales opportunities and build databases. Additionally, we bolster brand reputations with the millions of impressions from display advertising on our news sites and newsletters. Making TMC a 360 degree marketing solution, we offer comprehensive event and road show management services and custom content creation with expertly ghost-crafted blogs, press releases, articles and marketing collateral to help with SEO, branding, and overall marketing efforts. For more information about TMC and to learn how we can help you reach your marketing goals, please visit www.tmcnet.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, @tmcnet.

For more information about TMC, visit www.tmcnet.com. 

CallHarbor Contact:
Bailey Terrell
Channel Sales & Marketing Director
D: 313-326-5500
bailey@callharbor.com

TMC Contact:
Michelle Connolly
Senior Marketing Manager
203-852-6800, ext. 170
mconnolly@tmcnet.com

The post CallHarbor Awarded 2022 Unified Communications Excellence Award appeared first on CallHarbor.

Release of PWA (Progressive Web App)

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are web-based apps that share many of the same features as a mobile native app. PWAs allow improved functionality for users in the browser, push notifications, and more. If you are familiar with the CallHarbor web softphone, you know that it is completely browser based. This is a huge perk, since you can open it from any browser without having to download it onto every device you would use. While our users can still utilize the browser based webphone, we now have the PWA as a great option for those who want push notifications, and the ability for the phone to run in the background.

Installing the PWA is as easy as opening your webphone from the link or from the portal, and choosing the download option that should automatically pop up in the web address bar.

Once downloaded, the PWA will appear in your list of applications from your main menu of your computer. It is able to have a place on the home screen, be pinned to the taskbar, and is available in the Finder/Windows Explorer.

Even when the PWA tab or window is closed, users can still receive calls and messages as push notifications. When the notification is clicked, the PWA opens.

Improved Music on Hold Options

Music on Hold and Marketing on Hold are both great ways to help callers recognize when they are holding, while keeping them entertained or informed. With the new custom Music on Hold (MoH) options, messages can be stitched into the currently playing audio. For example, while a customer is on hold, the music can now be briefly interrupted with a message, such as: “Your call is important to us. Please wait on the line and an agent will be with you shortly.” This is often called a “comfort message” – a message or recording that reassures the caller to not hang up. The message can be used for advertising, for updating wait time, and more, and is configurable (time between messages, copying messages, etc.). It can be used to announce a caller’s place in line, or give them the option to leave a voicemail instead of waiting longer.

MoH can still be customized domain-wide, per queue, or per user. For the message announcements, you have the options to utilize text-to-speech, recording, or bringing in a saved audio file.

Custom Call Center Agent Status

Call Center Supervisors can add custom agent statuses for agents to utilize. Pre-defined statuses are broad descriptions such as “lunch”, “break”, and “available”. By using a custom status, the Supervisor has increased granularity on call center reports.

Note that custom statuses are defined as a period of time when the agent is “offline”. Example custom statuses are “appointment” or “bathroom,” or even specific projects that some of your team may be working on. These are only to be used for periods of time when the agent is not available to take calls. The custom statuses are shared by all agents in the domain/organization and are limited to 8.

Custom statuses are available to agents in two places: in the call center agent home page as part of the portal and in the web softphone under the call center tab. Call Center Supervisors can review and report on the time spent in each custom state by navigating to the Agent Availability tab in Call Center “Reports,” clicking Table Settings, and checking or unchecking custom stats.

Other updated features include:

Domain-Wide Call Recording

Domain wide recording can easily be toggled on and off to save time and turn on call recording for whole domains, rather than individual extensions or call queues. There are still customization options per user and per call queue as well, if that is your preferred method!

Prioritize Calls Waiting in Call Queues

The feature to prioritize calls that are waiting in a call queue allows greater control in how calls are being received. When a call is prioritized, it is sent to the top of the queue and it will be the next one dispatched to a call center agent. In the case of multiple prioritized calls, the calls will all move to the top of the queue in the order of “longest in the queue” first. 

Tiered Round Robin

Round Robin is a type of call queue that evenly distributes incoming calls. This is common in situations such as a sales office where each sales agent needs to be given an equal call volume to fairly distribute potential sales, or a support team that doesn’t want to overload a select few members. Tiered Round Robin follows the same principle as traditional Red Robin, with the exception that agents are placed into tiered groups.

Note that this is not a “ring all” call queue. Agents will be rung one at a time for the configured timeout. When a tier has been attempted, then the call will ring into agents in the next tier, and so on. If the queue reaches the last tier and no agent answers, then the caller will be sent to the extension or number that is configured in “Pre Queue Options” or “In Queue Options”.

WebHID Headset Standard Introduced

When using a compatible headset with the updated system, calls are able to be answered, muted and hung up directly from headset while in use.

Status Light Abilities Updated

Status light on hardware is now able to be updated based on phone status. The result of this configuration is that the configured button on your device will show the equivalent of an available user BLF status on the device when the timeframe is enabled and the equivalent of an in-use/busy status (often red) when the timeframe is disabled.

Pressing the button will toggle the timeframe status and play the new status audibly. Shortly thereafter, the BLF will adjust the status accordingly.

CallHarbor is excited about all of our updates and new features. We’re always making sure our customers have the latest and greatest. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to our team at the correct contact below!

Current customer?
P: 833-363-VOIP x2
E: support@callharbor.com

Interested in a demo & overview?
P: 833-363-VOIP x1
E: sales@callharbor.com

The post Closing Out the Year With New Features & Updates appeared first on CallHarbor.

Automation in UCaaS

Applying automation to UCaaS can help your team stay organized, and can save time while doing it. From automating when your phones ring and what message plays, to automating wrap up times and call recording. By automating processes in your communication system, you leave less room for error. Spend less time making changes to your system, and spend more time taking care of your business.

Timeframe Automation

Utilizing timeframes to automate how your phone system acts is an easy way to keep your system organized. Instead of having to remember to change answering rules or set your phones to “night mode,” your system will simply transition throughout timeframes on its own. This gives you the assurance you need to know calls will be routed and answered as they should be.

Customers will get the correct auto attendant every time, and call queues will only be open and reachable when they are supposed to be. Having these features set in stone during certain hours means your customers will have a flawless experience. They won’t have to sit in a queue where no one is going to answer, they won’t press 2 to reach an operator when there is no one working, and they won’t have to wait to leave a voicemail to ask for directions when they can press 3 to hear hours & location.

Use timeframes to automate auto attendants, business hours, out of office & vacation messages, holidays, and more.

Call Center Automation

Using automation within your call center will leave less room for human error, and will allow you to utilize automated features that has heighten your customer experience & satisfaction. Taking a deep dive into the analytics & reporting of your call center helps you to analyze your call center capabilities, review how satisfied customers are with interactions, and find where your call center is lacking or needs more support.

Systems that allow you to automate dynamic reporting & analytics make sure that you’re always informed when it comes to your call center. Noticing any hiccups right away is crucial when it comes to the customer experience. Set up automated alerts if your wait time gets too long, or if your queues are too full.

Automating your call center includes options for call center agents too. This means that you can automate details for each agent, such as wrap up time, how many calls they can handle, call recording, and more. This makes it easy to cater and adjust to each agent, instead of having a one size fits all model.

Why Automation Matters

Automation can make a big difference in how your customer feel when they call into your business. It gives a professional look, saves time, heightens your agents’ capabilities, and allows for easier management & monitoring.

Agent Capabilities

Giving agents automated setting such as wrap up time + call limits will help them succeed in the call center. By allowing automation to be customized per agent, you can play to each agent’s strengths and ensure everyone is set up for success. When agents are given proper limits, the customers they interact with are going to be better taken care of, thus becoming a more satisfied customer due to higher customer experience.

Time Savings

Save time by automating processes within call centers, sales, support, and even internal communication. By mitigating how much manual work you have to do in between calls, before & after you log in, and throughout the day in general, you give everyone some of their time back to utilize in whichever way they need – whether it’s making an extra sales call, closing an extra ticket, or sending an extra document.

Easy Monitoring

Easily automate monitoring features such as call recording, call center stats that come to your email, and more. By automating your reporting & call monitoring, you don’t have to take an extra step to see the health of your call center. Keeping up with the trends of your call center will allow you to make changes as needed, or use that information for further training.

CX & Retention

66% of B2B companies stopped doing business with a company after one bad experience. This is why the customer experience is crucial when it comes to the success of a company. Automation and Integrations can up Customer Experience scores by making their experience easier and smoother. By upping CX scores, you’ll be able to better retain your customer base, thus becoming a healthier company financially.

Integrations + Automation

Desktop CRM Integration including:

• Click-to-dial
• Presence/BLF
• Address book
• Call History
• Recent calls
• Missed calls
• Call control
• Preview window
• Microsoft & Google Contacts Integration
• Busy light support
• App bar
• Microsoft teams status integration
• Integrated Softphone
• CRM Integration

Microsoft Teams Integration including:

• Calling direct from Team desktop/mobile
• Capability to control calls
• See CallHarbor portal inside Team window
• Maintain call forwarding/answering rules
• Receive voicemail notifications
• and more…

Physical Integrations

Providing different physical integrations can also up Customer Experience. Integrations with devices such as door calls, paging systems, and audio/visual alerters give your team a one-up on the competition.

Door Calls
Outdoor-rated intercoms with wideband audio for intelligible speech. Secure Door Entry with relay output for door/gate access control. Release doors from anywhere – even out of the office.

Paging Systems/Speakers
Paging adapters seamlessly bridge IP environments to legacy paging systems & eliminate complexity in paging environments. Ensuring effective communication with simplified configuration.

Audio/Visual Alerters
IP Strobe Lights deliver highly notable visual alerting for telephone ring detection, safety, security, and emergency notification. Assures key notification in noisy environments.

The post Using Automation & Integration to Enhance the Customer Experience appeared first on CallHarbor.

Check out the official press release below:

CallHarbor Awarded a 2022 INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award 

CallHarbor Hosted VoIP Honored For Delivering Exceptional IP Communications Solutions

DEARBORN, MI – OCTOBER 24, 2022 — CallHarbor announced today that they have been named an INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award winner for 2022.

CallHarbor’s VoIP solution gives businesses of all sizes the features they need to succeed, from call center capabilities, to reception, to internal meetings. CallHarbor gives a fully featured Unified Communications Suite, with voice, messaging, SMS, video, and mobility features. CallHarbor also offers auto attendants, music on hold, call queues, voicemail transcription, and more, in every base package. All of it is backed by the best 24/7 US-based support, along with free installation and training.

“We are very honored and excited to be recipients of the INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award for the 6th consecutive year. It is a fantastic achievement to be recognized for our unique, innovative, flexible solutions, and we pride ourselves in our high quality, reliable service. We appreciate INTERNET TELEPHONY for recognizing that, and thank our trusted partners and customers for supporting us,” stated Frank Kadaf, Founder & President, CallHarbor.

“Congratulations to CallHarbor for being honored with an INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award for innovation in IP communications. CallHarbor has consistently demonstrated outstanding quality and has delivered exceptional solutions for its customers,” stated Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC.

The 2022 INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award winners will be published on INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine online.

About CallHarbor
CallHarbor provides the 360 approach to communications, with voice, messaging, video, and mobile. CallHarbor provides nationwide white glove service, including free onsite installation, free onsite training, and top tier 24/7 Michigan-based customer service and support. Our onboarding process makes it effortless for you to switch over from an existing provider or from aging technology. We provide organizations with VoIP systems that have all the telephony advantages of an enterprise solution, at a manageable price. We always offer the latest technology with robust features including easy to change auto attendants, call recording, mobile app, web softphone, SMS/MMS, voicemail transcription, text-to-speech functionality, and much more.

About INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine
INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine has been the IP Communications Authority since 1998™. Beginning with the first issue in February of 1998, INTERNET TELEPHONY has been providing unbiased views of the complicated converged communications space.  INTERNET TELEPHONY offers rich content from solutions-focused editorial content to reviews on products and services from TMC Labs.  INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine reaches more than 225,000 readers, including pass-along readers.  For more information, please visit www.itmag.com.

About TMC
Through education, industry news, live events and social influence, global buyers rely on TMC’s content-driven marketplaces to make purchase decisions and navigate markets. As a result, leading technology vendors turn to TMC for unparalleled branding, thought leadership and lead generation opportunities. Our in-person and online events deliver unmatched visibility and sales prospects for all participants. Through our custom lead generation programs, we provide clients with an ongoing stream of leads that turn into sales opportunities and build databases. Additionally, we bolster brand reputations with the millions of impressions from display advertising on our news sites and newsletters. Making TMC a 360-degree marketing solution, we offer comprehensive event and road show management services and custom content creation with expertly ghost-crafted blogs, press releases, articles and marketing collateral to help with SEO, branding, and overall marketing efforts. For more information about TMC and to learn how we can help you reach your marketing goals, please visit www.tmcnet.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, @tmcnet .

For more information about TMC, visit www.tmcnet.com. 

CallHarbor Contact:
Bailey Terrell
Channel Sales & Marketing Director
D: 313-326-5500
bailey@callharbor.com

TMC Contact:
Michelle Connolly
Senior Marketing Manager
203-852-6800, ext. 170
mconnolly@tmcnet.com 

The post CallHarbor Awarded 2022 INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award appeared first on CallHarbor.

The Open House

Every year, GTS throws their open house, where exhibitors set up space to share their products/services with others. All exhibitors are sponsors and direct partners of GTS, giving people within the same network a great way to learn about our products and services. After the trade show, the afterglow began, where attendees enjoyed food, drinks, and live music! The networking continued, and we got to listen to the keynote speaker and CEO of GTS, Mark Stackpoole.

Partner Awards Ceremony

After the wonderful keynote speaker, the awards ceremony began. CallHarbor is extremely honored to be awarded as the Service Provider of the Year. We value our partner so much and are extremely lucky to work so closely with GTS. We love giving our partners and our customers a great experience.

“CallHarbor is so honored and excited to have been awarded Service Provider of the Year! Our team had a great time at the event, and loved meeting new people and reconnecting with some familiar faces. We look forward to our continued partnership and work with GTS, and can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for the both of us.”

Bailey Terrell, Channel Sales & Marketing Director, CallHarbor

About CallHarbor

CallHarbor is a national telecommunications service provider that offers a full unified communications suite – voice, messaging, video, and mobile. CallHarbor has continually focused on providing small and medium-sized businesses with Voice over IP (VoIP) systems that have all the telephony advantages of large organizations, at a manageable price. With no upfront costs, no surprise billing, and straightforward pricing, CallHarbor makes it easy for businesses of all sizes to get access to upgraded systems. The CallHarbor products have evolved over the years to meet the new demands of the workplace, always offering the latest technology with the greatest features, such as full unified communications, call center functionality, web softphone, and enhanced voicemail services. If your company could use these great telecommunications advantages, visit CallHarbor’s website at htts://callharbor.com for more information, or to easily reach out to an employee to learn more.

The post CallHarbor: Service Provider of the Year appeared first on CallHarbor.

Using VoIP for retail within a UCaaS platform can help you streamline communication and cut costs, while giving your customers a better retail experience.

VoIP for Retail Features You Need to Succeed

Let’s take a look at some of the VoIP features that your retail location needs to succeed. From voice, messaging, video & mobile, you’ll create a better retail experiences for your teams and your customers. From auto attendants freeing up your employees, to SMS giving you the opportunity to communicate with your customers, VoIP + UCaaS will help you work smarter, not harder.

Auto Attendant

An auto attendant is an automated menu system that uses voice or number prompts to help callers navigate to the correct department. This type of VoIP phone system feature helps lessen the need for human answering.

Auto attendants are very easy to navigate and use, and they fill a very important role by ensuring that your callers aren’t kept on hold for long periods of time. This can up your customer service cred and keep your customers happy.

Utilizing auto attendants for VoIP for retail means you can use options such as “Press 1 for hours and location, press 2 to hear our seasonal specials, press 3 to talk to a staff member.” Being able to automate options such as business hours, seasonal specials, and route callers to the correct extension if they need to talk to someone specific will save everyone time.

Automated Business Hours/Time Frames

Within your CallHarbor system, there are three different time frames that can be created. These time frames help to automate different things such as auto attendants, answering rules, and more. The three time frames are:

1. Always
2. Certain days of the week and times – i.e. Business Hours or Weekends
3. Specific dates or ranges – i.e. Observed Holiday or Vacation Schedules

The Always time frame is active when no other time frame is applicable.

If setting a Business Hours time frame, you can select Days of the week and times. You have the ability to check the days that are to be used in this time frame and move the sliders to accommodate the range you wish to set. If you wish to split the day into two ranges; morning and afternoon; then click on the green plus sign. This then allows you to set two different time ranges within one day. Continue on until your time frame has been configured and then click Save.

If you want to set a time frame for a holiday, you can utilize the Specific dates or ranges option.

Being able to set your daily business hours when using VoIP for retail gives you the ability to automate certain features on your phone system. You no longer have to remember to turn your phones to “night mode” at the end of the day, because they’ll automatically switch for you! Your after hours auto attendant and ring patterns will switch flawlessly at the time you have scheduled, so you can focus on closing up shop without the stress.

Scheduling out holiday hours ahead of time means you don’t have to worry about stressing on Christmas Day about whether or not your phones are ringing and ringing.

Music on Hold

Features such as Music on Hold can further enhance customer support. By using our powerful features, you can make customers trust and enjoy your retail location. Music on Hold can many time determine what the customer’s mood is like when they come off hold. According to Mitel, having music on hold actually makes the hold time seem shorter, which reduces frustration and increases caller retention rate. Music on Hold can also be used to increase sales or reduce support inquiries.

Another great option is utilizing Marketing on Hold. With Marketing on Hold, your retail location can inform customers about things such as holiday hours, special offers, or seasonal changes. These custom messages enhance a customer’s calling experience and promote the business at the same time.

Multi-Location Support

Many retail stores have multiple locations, and want to stay connected from location to location. Utilizing CallHarbor’s VoIP for retail makes sure each location is connected and clear.

VoIP for retail can help manage multiple locations without any hassle. We fully support multiple location capabilities. As long as there is an Internet connection, you can easily manage the flow of information. Plus, if each location is tied together with the same service, you can chat extension to extension across multiple locations. Transferring calls from each location is helpful and simple when all location are on our system. You can also add options to re-route calls to other locations if you are closed, or give callers the options to press 3 for the Livonia location, etc. right from your auto attendant.

Mobility & Flexibility

As hybrid work grows, collaboration via mobile app grows with it. It’s important to give your employees an option to stay connected without sharing their personal number. They can easily reach colleagues, and even send SMS message to clients utilizing their business phone number, too. It’s all of the perks of using a personal device, with none of the personal.

The CallHarbor Mobile App is available for Apple & Android, and can be used to do so much more than just call. The CallHarbor Mobile app allows you to take your business extension with you. You can place calls, receive calls, adjust answering rules, check voicemail, and send chat + SMS. You can also view the status of your other staff members right from your mobile phone. Simply login with your existing CallHarbor portal login and you will instantly be setup with your extension and personalized settings.

Running a retail business can be time consuming, especially if you need to be on the road to meet with vendors, pick up products, and more. Having the flexibility and mobility to take your phone on the go makes managers and owners feel at ease. Check out our blog post to read more details on why you should utilize the CallHarbor Mobile App.

SMS & MMS

With smartphone usage so integrated into society, using SMS and texting to provide quality customer service is a no-brainer. It has become a great way to reach customers effectively. The customer experience that SMS provides is high quality, because communication is direct, quick, and easy to use. When your business implements texting into its marketing strategy, your crew will be able to connect more readily with customers and respond easily to inquiries. Businesses who have adopted SMS and MMS customer service and marketing tools are finding that there are many uses of this channel of communication, and many successes.

Check out our blog post on how SMS + chat can improve your customer service.

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