In this article, you will learn how to manage filtering calls to optimize your enterprise’s time and relationships.
What exactly is filtering calls?
Filtering calls is often confused with call blocking. Indeed, the purpose of using the filter is often to block unwanted calls.
Call screening is about differentiating between the calls we receive. To do this, there are many types of filters that we can apply, and through which, depending on the peculiarities of the calling number, will be classified in one way or another. The purpose of using filters is to treat calls in a differentiated way.
Why is it so important to filter our calls?
No matter how much call traffic we receive, filtering calls can be essential in saving time and money.
By filtering the calls, we can speed up the entire communication process, whether it is customer service, contacting suppliers or any other request. So we don’t have to waste our time with calls that might be replaced by emails, choosing who will answer each call, or simply with calls that we don’t want to receive.
Main features of filtering calls
We can predetermine how calls will be handled. For example, in what time frame they can be received, which person in the company will answer them, what to do with the call if we do not want to answer it, among many other characteristics.
Blacklists and whitelists
They are the most extensive feature of filtering calls. These are contact lists that allow you to treat phone numbers differently. Normally, blacklisted contacts are not tracked and whitelisted contacts benefit from a preferential treatment.
These lists can be created manually; if we have a customer who is in trouble and we can’t help him anymore, we blacklist him to ignore his calls. As for the whitelist, it is common to add people to whom we want to pay more attention, such as the most important customers.
But it is also possible to automate this process. We may use a call hyperactivity filter to blacklist automated phone numbers that continue to call our company. This would allow us to be free from spam or possible fraud when we answer these calls.
Not only can we have black or white lists, but we can also establish lists of any type: from VIP clients, relatives and friends, suppliers, company consultants, etc.
What to do when a number from the blacklist calls
When a blacklisted number arrives at our PBX number, we may not know exactly how to act, either because we cannot waste time with that person, or because we know it could cause a difficult situation.
A good option is to set up a voice menu that the person will listen to when they call our number, and set up a standard message saying, for example, that our lines are busy and asking them to be patient. The only difference with any other call is that it will never be answered.
Filtering by origin
Calls can be filtered based on their origin. That is to say that we can differentiate the call numbers according to their numbering, for local or provincial numbers; or we can recognize foreign numbers based on their prefix.
This filtering can help us if our business is divided into geographic areas and we have different locations or managers in multiple regions.
Recognizing foreign numbers will allow us to assign an agent for calls from a specific country; for example, we can assign an employee who speaks Spanish very well to receive all incoming calls with the prefix +34.
Options menu
The options menu is a useful and easy way to filter our calls. In its configuration, we can define a phrase that indicates to the caller the digits to press according to the reasons for his call.
This will allow us to have more information on the calls before answering them and to assign a more specialized agent to them.
Today, virtual PBXs have more advanced artificial intelligence solutions for setting up these menus. For example, more sophisticated speech recognition systems can be implemented, and they can recognize full sentences or know what the customer needs to get their request solved faster.
How to set up filtering calls
All the characteristics mentioned above are those of a virtual PBX; this is the easiest way to set up a filter for your calls.
At Fonvirtual, when subscribing to a service, whether it is a PBX or a call center, call filtering will be configured according to the customer needs and preferences. In addition, the user will be able to manage it without problem and modify it on the configuration interface, without needing a great technical knowledge to do so.
Want to know more about this solution? Visit our website or contact us and we will advise you according to your needs.
