Business Success Archives

Why Having A Virtual Phone Number is Essential for Small Businesses

Business Success, Ip Phone System / support

A virtual phone number is a simple yet effective solution for small businesses to keep up with today’s demand for instantaneous, customer-focused communication. They completely eliminate the need for traditional phone lines and their expensive hardware – along with the cost of maintaining them. For smaller businesses, having a virtual phone number is an essential step to strengthening customer relationships and enhancing business processes. Virtual Phone Number Benefits Remember, the perception of your business is the reality until you choose otherwise. Having a mobile phone number may not allow you to present the right image, giving you the appearance of a solo operator rather than a dedicated team. But, don’t just take our word for it. Find out for yourself how and why a digital phone number will reward your business. Your communications will be cost-effective We know that the traditional, physical phone line system can be expensive to install and maintain. Virtual phone numbers, however, operate strictly through the Internet and are generally subscription-based. This means you’ll no longer have to pay for installation and maintenance, and will be able to scale your plan based on your business’s needs. You have the flexibility to work anywhere Manage calls easily, no matter where you or your staff are working. Virtual phone numbers include advanced call-forwarding features to be redirected to any nominated device, including laptops and smartphones. For businesses with remote workers or staff always on the move, travelling from client to client, virtual phone numbers mean no more missed calls or leads. This helps strengthen and maintain customer relationships while still allowing your staff the freedom and flexibility they need to perform. You can choose a local phone number No matter where you are, you can select a local number anywhere in Australia. Even if you don’t have a physical office in a specific area, a local virtual number will still give your business a local presence. With the ability to choose numbers with local area codes, you can easily give the idea you’re making a local call, even if you’re located in a completely different area. We all know most people are more comfortable receiving local calls and having a virtual phone number allows you to do just that. You have all the features of a traditional system, only better From forwarding incoming calls to call queuing, a virtual call management system offers all of the features you’re used to plus some more modern ones, such as voicemail-to-email. You can also go one step further to add a personal touch with Interactive Voice Response, allowing your callers to interact with automated menus. By using a recording of your staff to guide callers through their options, you’ll create a stronger first impression and add a sense of authenticity – both of which help to build client trust. You can scale virtual phone numbers to grow with your business Your business may be small for the time being, but we know you have plans to grow. That’s why we recommend virtual phone numbers. They can grow and expand easily with your business, whether you need more numbers for different departments, teams or locations. 1300 numbers can become expensive as you grow – you pay for every single inbound call and often by the minute. Virtual phones offer a solution, allowing you to focus costs elsewhere as you grow and expand. You’ll have a better idea of customer interactions Virtual phone systems usually have advanced data and analytics tools built into them, allowing you to discover insights into response times, durations, and much more. This gives you a better understanding of your business’s peak call times, how long customers are willing to be on hold or wait for their query to be answered, and the most common questions being asked. Not only will these insights help you understand your customers better, but you’ll be able to make their overall experience with your business better for them. Including more information online and refining call processes will leave you with much happier customers. You can balance your private and professional lives better Want to keep business hours separate from your private life? While it can be hard to balance your professional and personal life when you’re running a business – especially if you’re only really using one phone – it doesn’t need to be. Having a virtual phone system means, yes, you can re-route calls to any device, but you can turn off notifications for business calls outside of working hours, giving you the time to reset at home before heading in for another day at the office. Can I Have a Virtual Mobile Number? Yes, you can have a virtual mobile number! Virtual mobile numbers eliminate the need for having a second phone, making them the perfect solution for business owners and those working remotely who want to stay connected without needing multiple devices. You can do all the same things you can with a virtual phone number, including call forwarding and analytics. How to Get a Virtual Phone Number So, we’ve convinced you, have we? Now all that’s left to do is to set up an IP phone system to get your virtual phone number! Honestly though, getting a virtual phone number is easy. If you already have an internet-based communications system, you can either contact your provider to add virtual numbers to your system or do it yourself online. If you don’t have this system set up – no worries. Simply contact a provider and purchase a package that includes virtual phone numbers. These are normally monthly, subscription-based plans starting at around $10 a month for one to two numbers with a limited amount of minutes. You can choose the plan that best suits your business where it is currently, with the ability to upgrade later on if you need to. Choose YABBIT for Your Virtual Phone Number At YABBIT, we offer flat-rate virtual number plans without any per-minute, hardware or device charges. We want to give you the

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Panasonic’s PBX Phone System is Shutting Down: Here’s an Alternative

Business Success / yabbit

Panasonic is known for its electronics but also supplies a business communication system that has been heavily relied upon by many. In 2020, they decided to cease production of their PBX phone systems and SIP devices. This article will examine why and the alternatives to the Panasonic PBX phone systems. If you’re a current or former Panasonic customer looking for other options, this post is for you. Is Panasonic Shutting Down? As a company, no. Panasonic has and will continue to make TVs and VCRs and is a global electronics brand. They previously decided to make their mark in the telecom industry. However, Panasonic couldn’t focus enough resources and couldn’t make their presence felt. They had their adopters just because they were loyal customers, but ultimately, they had to discontinue products thanks to a lack of long-term vision. The move to a cloud-based phone system was another factor. More businesses were transitioning to remote work; it lessened the demand for on-premise phone systems. A cloud-based phone system has many benefits, so it’s simple to deduce that Panasonic might’ve been too late to the party. So, Panasonic isn’t shutting down. They’re just discontinuing their PBX products. When Is Panasonic Shutting Down Phone Systems? The timeframe has been all over the map, so getting a straight answer has been tough. Panasonic has been rumored to stop supporting its phone systems by the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023. What does that mean? It’ll be difficult to get replacement parts, and updates will cease. Repairing the systems will be more complex and costly, with parts being scarce. If you’re using a Panasonic phone system and it’s still functional, it’s not too late to find a replacement. It would be best if you started getting down that Yabbit hole sooner rather than later. What If I Use a Panasonic PBX Phone System? If you’re using the Panasonic PBX phone system, it’s time to consider transitioning to a cloud-based phone and coming off the traditional phone. Why buy expensive hardware when you may have to relive this nightmare again? All you need to use a cloud system is an Internet connection. The Panasonic phone system was useful in a different era, but this is the cloud era. It’s time to communicate and collaborate better. Switching From Panasonic PBX to a Hosted System Over the last few years, the way we communicate has changed. Business communications are a 24/7 endeavor; customers require immediate satisfaction when receiving messages and calls. Your business communication system must be up and running at all times of the day. You need to be able to answer calls or texts at a moment’s notice, and a cloud communications system is the answer. Yabbit: Your Panasonic PBX Replacement We want you to join the Yabbolution. Suppose you have considered or are now considering moving from the Panasonic PBX to a hosted phone. In that case, Yabbit knows businesses crave a better way to communicate and want to be treated like partners, not numbers, which is how the big boys operate. We’ll listen to your needs and change how you view your telecom services provider. The Yabbit phone system has the features your employees need to work at full efficiency: Video conferencing Cloud calling Mobile applications Business tool integrations The best part? There are no surprises down the Yabbit hole. There are no extra costs, and all features are included in the Yabbit suite. It’s simple to use and connect. You’ll be Yabbering to your customers in no time. Yabbit and the Cloud If you need a new business communications provider, contact us today. We’d love to get to know you and your business. Come down the Yabbit hole with us and join us in the burrow so you can have fun with your phone system. Let’s grow your business together and leave the big guys in a cloud of dust (see what we did there?). We look forward to earning your business.

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The Yabbit Pedigree: More Than 3 Million Users Worldwide

Business Success / yabbit

We consider ourselves a big happy family over here at Yabbit, and we have officially gotten bigger than we ever thought! Our Pedigree family is celebrating surpassing three million users globally! We work hard daily to bring our customers services of the highest quality, and we are glad to see our effort reflected in the number of people who decide to join us every day. Part of our mission from the beginning has been to give our customers and dealers the products they want and need. Instead of focusing on making profits, we focus on making people happy with our services. And we’ve got the awards to back that up! Read about how the Experts Agree: Yabbit’s Got A Fine Pedigree A User-Focused Platform and Strong Network These three million users are here for a reason. For years, we have offered a UCaaS platform that the Yabbit family loves to use because it’s built to make people’s lives easier. This platform has played a role in helping customers adapt to this new world of remote and hybrid work. One thing that makes us very proud about our platform is that it’s an enterprise-class platform suitable for businesses of all sizes, even the “little guys.” Every solution Yabbit offers is meant to look out for the underdog; therefore, it is built using real customer feedback, not just what industry manufacturers tell customers they need. This means our agents and partners know they’re offering their customers a solution they’ll love. As a matter of fact, amongst other unique benefits, we also offer a 100% uptime guarantee, which is hard to find in the industry. Throughout our time in the industry, Yabbit has built a robust telecommunications network that has reached businesses of all sizes and changed the way they communicate forever. With a focus on quality services and community, we have given our customers state-of-the-art solutions on top of unparalleled customer service. We are the Fastest-Growing Platform in North America! Bringing a unique proposition to the UCaaS market in the US, our platform managed to grow exponentially in a short period of time, making it the platform with the fastest growth rate in the North American market. Chosen by millions because of its groundbreaking reliability and different approach to UCaaS it’s no wonder that it grew so fast. We have the awards to back up its quality, check it out: Unified Communications Excellence Award- 3 years now! Other awards we’ve won include: The 2022 Communications Solutions Product of the Year Award. Teleworking Solutions Excellence Award Internet Telephony Product of the Year – Three Years Running! And so many more! Check them all out. We Hope the Yabbit Burrow Keeps Growing and Growing! Our customers are the peanut butter to our jelly. As we keep growing, we’ll keep striving to offer the best UCaaS platform across the globe so our Yabbits always have the best of the best. Technology has changed how we yabber with each other, how we work, and even the way that we run our businesses, and it will only keep changing as the years go by. But worry not, Yabbit family. We are always on the cutting-edge of technology, improving our services more and more with every passing year. So, before we go, we want to congratulate every Yabbit and raise a glass to the ones to come! Are you already part of the Yabbit burrow? If not, what are you waiting for? Join us and get hooked on the best telecommunication services you can find, plus highly personalized customer service and a knack for taking care of our customers and their businesses. Get in touch with us today!

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Avaya Files for Bankruptcy Again: Cloud Subscription Accounting Woes

Business Success / yabbit

Yabbit has always been and will always be a family. We love our clients and dealers and treat them as such. Here at Yabbit, we go out of our way to make sure that we offer hands-on support and treat everyone as equals. Because of that, we hope to never run into the troubles Avaya is currently experiencing and their cloud subscription accounting woes. Cloud Subscription Accounting Woes Avaya has declared bankruptcy. Again. (The first time was back in 2017). While they have had some turnover in their corporate decision-making roles since then, they have not been able to overcome their cloud subscription accounting woes. Avaya has listed both their assets and their liabilities between $1-10 Billion with between 25,001 to 50,000 creditors. While we sympathize with any business that is having financial issues, we simply cannot empathize. Avaya Partnerships Avaya notoriously “bullies” the little guys. Their rules and limited flexibility for their dealers only benefit Avaya, leaving nothing for the dealers themselves. For example, within their dealer agreement, they “take ownership” of any customers acquired by the dealer via customer lists. Even when it is the dealer who goes out, creates a relationship with the client, and does all the hard work to bring that customer in. This “ownership” model is harmful in a few ways. Eventually, the dealer will need to make a tough decision. Should they stay with Avaya’s strict policies, or should they break away from the partnership? If the dealer breaks away, they will be doing so without any clients, as they ”belong” to Avaya. This can affect the long-term business relationship and trust that the dealer has worked hard to create with their clients. Partner with People Who Care We know that Avaya has bounced back before, and they may be able to do that again. However, if you are tired of sitting on the edge of your seat wondering if your business is about to go down the drain and following along with Avaya’s cloud subscription accounting woes, know that there are other options out there. When you find a partner that truly cares about you and your business, you will instantly be able to tell the difference. That’s us. Here at Yabbit, we want you to be successful. Therefore, we will give you the support you need, the tools you need, and the partnership you need to run a successful business. Stop worrying about Avaya’s cloud subscription accounting woes and let’s start the conversation. Come with us down the Yabbit-hole and we can dig into the difference a great partner makes.

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yabbit animation master services agreement

Master Services Agreements: An Overview

Business Success / yabbit

Although business relationships are built on respect and trust, contracts are created and used to protect both parties. Whether you’re a company providing goods or even a software provider, these contracts ensure both sides are on the same page and set expectations between the two. It’s essential contracts are as detailed as possible and aren’t limited in any way, since it can take additional hours to negotiate new terms and remove barriers. That’s why it’s important to set up a framework with your partner to ensure productivity is streamlined, support is met, and services are delivered as promised. That’s what a master services agreement carries out. Here’s what you should know about master services agreements. What is a Master Services Agreement? In the business world, a master services agreement (MSA) is set up between two parties to create a set of terms agreed upon to all other contracts – like statements of work (SOW) and Service Level Agreements (SLA). Instead of relying on an SLA to carry the weight, an MSA is the overarching document that is the catch-all for agreements and sub-contracts. It’s the final source of truth between customer and company. An example would be an MSA on schedules and hours. After negotiating the MSA, Joe Customer issues a service level agreement to Yabbit for tech support in relation to their cloud system. Our Yabbit ears perk up when it comes to supporting our customers. We’re all about our customers. If Yabbit accepts, then employees defined in the SLA need to be available to the client, even though hours weren’t designated in the MSA. The master services agreement is the starting point for the two companies. If no other terms or exceptions are brought up, the MSA is the main document. What’s the Difference Between a Master Services Agreement and Service Level Agreement Although both are legal agreements that establish terms and conditions in a vendor relationship, they have two different intentions. Service Level Agreement (SLA) A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is legally binding between a service provider and customer. It defines the level of services the provider is responsible for. It usually specified: Availability Response times Resolution times Uptime They’ll also include penalties for violations. For example, if a support escalation isn’t responded to within 24 hrs. Not resolved, but just a response. Master Services Agreement (MSA) A master services agreement (MSA) is a bit more comprehensive. It establishes the overall terms and conditions of the vendor relationship. Think of the MSA as a Binding Financial Agreement in a relationship. If something happens, the MSA is there as the roadmap. It’s designed for a long-term relationship and the MSA usually outlines the entire scope of work such as: Payment terms Length of agreement Responsibilities of both parties The MSA can refer to an SLA or Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). The SLA refers to the services and expectations of performance, while the MSA refers to the overall terms of the vendor relationship. Advantages of a Master Services Agreement Highly Custom MSAs can be developed to meet your business’s needs and can include language to apply to all contracts, such as SLAs, and NDAs. They can be as simple as you want them to be, or as detailed as the Commonwealth of Australia Act. Trust us, you don’t need it THAT detailed. Trust An MSA establishes a mutual trust and a better relationship between the two companies. The contract contains the same terms and conditions. Quick Renewals Companies tend to renew contracts annually and it’s even easier with an MSA. MSAs typically last for years, so when a contract is renewed, the MSA and SLAs are still good under the new contract. Making the contract easier to renew. Yabbit’s Commitment to You We know what it’s like to be on the end of SLAs and MSAs. WE make the process as painless as possible when you travel down our Yabbit hole. Yabbit is committed to our business partners, wants to make sure our dealers are set up for success. Let us know if you have any questions. We think of you as part of the family when you join us down the Yabbit hole. Contact us today!

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5 Tips for Selling VoIP Services

Business Success / yabbit

There’s no question about it – sales can be a tricky business. But don’t worry about it, we will discuss some of our tips for selling on this blog. If you’re building a team from the ground up, you’re often unsure how to start. If you’ve been running a team for years, you often fall into plateaus and ruts where the revenue just isn’t there like it used to be. No matter where you are on your sales journey, the team at Yabbit can help you out! While we don’t know what market you might be selling to, we do know a bit about sales. We’ve gotten together a few of our favorite tips & tricks to help you start – or jumpstart – your sales efforts around VoIP services. So, let’s jump right in! 1. Tips for Selling: Ask Insightful Questions We’ve all been on the receiving end of a sales barrage. A person yammering away about their product, reciting their prepared spiel about how it will save you money and time and maybe even get you to the moon. How’d that make us feel? Probably less inclined to buy whatever they’re selling, if we’re honest. Which is why your sales team should prioritize asking questions – especially in exploratory calls. Instead of listing off a bunch of features the person may not need, ask them about their current solution. Are they happy with the products they’re using? What have they enjoyed the most/the least about the products? How would they like to improve the service? Do they see themselves using the service as they grow over the next five years? Asking these kinds of questions will lead prospective customers to reflect on their current service. Does it fit their needs? Were there any major service-impacting outages? And the more they question their product, the more they might begin to realize their current provider isn’t a great fit – leading them to give your sales rep a call. 2. Tips for Selling: Offer a Whole “Genre” of Services Many providers make the mistake of limiting themselves to just one or two communications offerings. Like a hosted PBX platform with contact center features. But that’s not enough to differentiate yourself in this increasingly competitive market. Customers don’t want a different provider for every communications service. They want one provider for their communications needs, from phone systems to video conferencing to contact center software. So be that one-stop-shop! Be the provider that offers as many communications offerings as you can. Not only does this give you more streams of revenue, but it also gives you the chance to mix and match unique bundles based on what a particular industry needs. Plus, you won’t have to worry about partnering with other MSPs who might start trying to poach your clients. 3. Tips for Selling: Make it Easy for Your Clients to Grow Another mistake providers make, often by accident, is making their offerings difficult to scale. Instead of allowing their clients to add the seats, sessions, and users they need when they need them, companies require their clients to purchase a whole new package. Now clients have more seats/users/sessions, but they also are paying for features they may not need, integrations they won’t use, and other add-ons that are included in the new package. Rather than dividing your features into various packages, consider charging per seat/user/session. That way, your clients can easily scale up or down based on their needs and pay for the features and functions they actually use. This kind of flexibility saves them time and money – an excellent selling point when you’re going up against the competition. 4. Tips for Selling: Know Your Offering Backwards and Forwards One of the hallmarks of some bigger brands is their lack of immediacy. When clients call they’re either put on hold for half an hour or more, sent through a confusing IVR menu, or transferred multiple times to multiple people in multiple departments. And the worst part? At the end of all that stress, they may not get a satisfactory answer to their questions or issues! Don’t be that kind of provider. Train your CX team until they’re experts on the product. Make sure they’re accessible to your clients as often as possible and have the power to address and solve any problems they might have. Not only will this improve your current customer retention, it will also draw new customers into the fold. After all, who doesn’t want fast, personal, expert service? 5. Tips for Selling: Partner with the Right Provider This one should be a no-brainer. In order to sell well, you’ve got to partner with someone who not only has a top-tier system, but also will let you have the control you need to sell it well. This includes not only a full feature library and cutting-edge functionality, but also an excellent administrator portal where you can manage your customers’ platforms, draft and send quotes, track bills, etc. Oh, and let’s not forget about margins. Some providers want you to believe 30% margin rates are “better than average,” and “good for MSPs who are just starting out.” That’s absolutely false. There are hundreds of providers – Yabbit included – that have allowed customers to grow their margin percentages to 70% and beyond! So don’t settle for less. Get All This – and More – By Partnering with Yabbit At Yabbit, we’ve got one goal: to see our customers succeed! Which is why we’ve put together these tips for selling and a comprehensive UCaaS platform that’s easy to set up, easy to use, and even easier to sell. Why? Because it’s got everything you need, and everything your clients want. But don’t take our word for it – read some of our customer ratings (they can’t stop yabbering about us) or just see it for yourself by scheduling your free demonstration with one of our experts! There’s always room

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Experts Agree: Yabbit’s Got a Fine Pedigree

Business Success / yabbit

Sick of companies singing their own praises with no facts to back it up? Believe it or not, so are we. So instead of giving you the same tired sales pitch as the other guys, we’re going to give you proof. Proof that when you choose our UCaaS solution, you’re really getting the best of the best. Let’s get started! Just a Bit of Yabbit’s Pedigree: The 2022 Communications Solutions Product of the Year Award. An all-around success, this one! Our solution received this award because it was considered an exceptional voice, data, and video communication product – one that has made great strides in these last twelve months. Pandemic Tech Innovation Award. It’s no secret that the pandemic forced us all to adapt to a new normal. Our UCaaS solution was awarded this honor because it empowered users to continue functioning well in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and other unprecedented circumstances. Teleworking Solutions Excellence Award. Speaking of remote and hybrid work models, our UCaaS solution was chosen as one of the most innovative teleworking products on the market for its softphone capabilities, feature-rich UI, and a whole lot more. Internet Telephony Product of the Year – Two Years Running! This award recognizes companies that have designed, and continue to offer, exceptional communications solutions to their customers. Keeping our solutions up to date is always one of our top priorities! Internet Telephony Excellence Award. Winners of this award are decided based on actual customer feedback and case studies. And they had good things to say! We were recognized for providing an industry-leading solution that’s easy to install, easy to manage, and simple to understand. Cloud Computing Backup & Disaster Recovery Award. According to recent reports, “the overall number of data compromises went up over 68% during 2020,” and it shows no signs of slowing down. This is why having proper backup and disaster recovery is so important. And why winning this award is such an honor! Recipients of this award offer cloud-based solutions that give customers maximum downtime – even in the most challenging circumstances. Unified Communications Excellence Award. This is another award based on customer case studies, and it honors companies who offer the best of everything UC – from hardware to software to the services themselves. We’re proud to be a leading provider in an ever-growing industry. Video Conferencing Excellence Award. Providers earn this award for offering top-tier video conferencing solutions for teleworkers and remote meetings. Our UCaaS solution offers that in spades. It not only brings you closer to your customers via a slick, easy-to-use, white-label platform but it also supports large-scale webinars. Put Our Award-Winning Solution to Work, Today! At Yabbit, we didn’t design our UCaaS platform to win any awards. We designed it so our customers could enjoy the best communication capabilities possible – no matter what industry they’re in! So, want to yabber about how we can help you succeed? We’re all ears – literally and figuratively! Get in touch with us today to jump into the rabbit hole to a better solution.

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Building Resiliency with Yabbit

Business Success / yabbit

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchhill For some, their business is a lifelong dream that has finally come to fruition. Having your own business can mean building everything from the ground up, and when you have worked that hard for something, the business ends up being so much more than just an income source. As you build your team, no matter how small it is, you are bringing talented people together; people who have their own lives and their own families, and whose lives are now intertwined with your business. Success is now not only an individual dream, but a necessity to give yourself and your team the salaries and benefits that any talented worker deserves. But like any path to success, you are often met with a few hurdles that make everything harder. That’s where resiliency comes in. Ups and downs will be part of any path you pursue. The key in resiliency is not to avoid bad moments, and to not always expect success, but to know that bad moments are not final. There will always be ways to overcome them. Control your own destiny There’s something to be said about learning the hard way. Take it from us, we’ve been there. Yabbit was born out of the desire to give services to small businesses, so we can make sure that someone is looking out for the little guy. It’s a long story, but at one point in time we had no idea how to keep going, and when everything feels like it’s crumbling down around you, keeping business just business is impossible. The situation starts to affect your health, your personal life, etc. That is just not fair. What we learned back then is, there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel. We also learned that large corporations unfortunately, don’t have your best interest in mind. They do not see your business the way you do. What might mean everything to you is often just another number for them. That’s why resiliency must be at the forefront of your day-to-day business operations. We know what being a small business entails, our mission is to be the one company that you can trust. Even though we went through fire, it taught us to take control of our own destiny and not leave it in the hands of others. As a business owner, you have an obligation to your employees, customers, and your legacy to control your own destiny. So how do you do that? For starters, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. There’s a reason financial experts recommend a diversified portfolio, because nothing is guaranteed. Having alternative or complimentary services or products that can row when one oar is down is crucial to your long-term success. Let’s hop into an example. Hop, hop! We’ve got Melanie providing personal tax services. However, the need for those services seems to slow down in the early months of the year. She knows that her firm will be very busy in August, September, and October. But what can she do to provide a steady income for the entirety of the year? Because Melanie and her team are great with numbers, she decides to add finance and budgeting services to help individuals all year long. This service is right in their wheelhouse and provides a fallback if tax season is slower than usual. Now Melanie’s firm has a steady stream of revenue and a high-margin cyclical service too! Resiliency doesn’t just mean you get up when you get knocked down; resiliency also means that you’re prepared for when something out of your control tries to knock you down. What to do when you don’t know what to do? Just keep swimming. Keep going. Mistakes and difficult moments are part of all business journeys; and what’s the good thing about difficult moments? You can learn from them. We know that when things start going south it’s easy to think that maybe you are heading in the wrong direction, that having a business isn’t for you, or even that it is because of you that things are going wrong. So, let us get you out of your head for a second to tell you that absolutely everyone that decides to have a business fails at one point or another. The difference between those who see their business to eventual success and those who don’t lies in whether they kept going forward or gave up. Yabbit’s advice? Never give up, keep going. Like Winston Churchill said failure is not fatal. There will always be ways to fix mistakes or to get out of whatever hole you feel you’ve fallen into. Remember that success is a personal journey, it doesn’t matter what others think, it matters what you believe will lead you to success. If that means ending something and starting again from scratch or finding solutions to keep going forward, that is only up to you to decide. Building Resiliency with Yabbit: We feel like we can’t stress this enough, so here we go again… We built Yabbit with small businesses in mind. Our goal is to be the tool you pick up along the way, that will become a big part of your business journey, and that you can always rely on. We believe we are the best telecom community today for businesses like yours. You can control your destiny by choosing us as your provider for communication solutions, we won’t let you down and we will never leave you behind. We’re all in. If you are ready to join our burrow, give us a call. We’re all ears and ready to chat about how our all-in-one, cloud-based communication system is just what you were looking for. See you on the other side, friend.

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getting sticky: building a lasting customer relationship

Getting Sticky: Building Lasting Customer Relationships

Business Success / yabbit

Now that you are using exceptional communication tools, it is time to use these tools to get sticky! After all, once you gain a customer it’s your goal to retain and build a lasting customer relationship. And there’s no better way to get your customers to stick around than giving them excellent customer experiences (CX). But if your customer service is lacking, your customers will find another provider. According to a recent report by PwC, 1 in 3 customers will leave a brand they love after just one unpleasant experience. But how do you know you’re providing excellent CX? Especially if your customer base doesn’t provide any feedback about it – positive or negative? After all, only 1 out of every 26 unhappy customers actually reach out to the company to complain. The answer is simple: look at the data. Having the right data is crucial to managing your business. This is why our communications solution comes packed with data-driven features that can help you improve your relationship with your clients. Using Your Features: If You Can Measure It, You Can Manage It The three fundamental areas of your communications solution are voice, video, and messaging. When you use the features of these areas to manage your customer experience and your business, your clients and your bottom-line benefit. This helps you build better and longer-lasting customer relationships. Below, we will focus on just a few of the data-centric features included within the three areas of your communications solution. Let’s measure these fundamental features that help you better manage your business. Voice While most phone services offer basic services including voicemail and hold, your new communications platform offers you so much more. Call features can add convenience for not only your employees but also your customers. As the manager of the account, you will have access to a portal to set your call rules to best suit your business. There is a laundry list of voice features that will make doing business easier, and in turn, benefit your customers. Just a taste of the features that will surely increase your customer experience include: Extensive call reporting – Administrators can pull relevant stats for any call on the system. This gives you an eye into how to improve call times and response rates. How many calls do you receive and how long does it take to answer those calls? How long are reps staying on the phone with customers? Does your team answer calls fast enough? Are more calls going to voicemail than necessary? And are you calling customers back like you say you will? All these questions and more can be answered with our call reporting. Voice transcription – Transcribing customer service calls allows you to review conversations and make changes to your script and CX processes as necessary. Did some of the questions an agent asked make the caller more confused or less confused? What did the agent say that made the interaction so positive? These data points will give you the starting point you need to meet – and even exceed – your customers’ service expectations. Call attendants– Call attendants will answer your phone calls and direct them to the correct department. Automated answering can be programmed through your portal. The greeting and menu options are 100% customizable by you. Find me/Follow me– These features allow you to program your calls to ring certain phones. Either all phones at once or phones in a particular order. In general, these two features combine to make sure that your business phone calls are answered quickly and by the right person or department. Softphone– Your phone system can be accessed via any mobile device through your new app. This includes mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and even your desktop computer. Your softphone can even allow you to message your customers and manage your calls through the app. Video When COVID shut down the business world, companies realized how important human contact is to the success of a business. Without the capability to physically visit a brick-and-mortar location and talk face to face with others, businesses suffered. One way to improve human-to-human connections and better customer relationships is through video. Webinars: A great way to communicate with clients is through webinars. This is an excellent way to have an interactive learning event with several clients at once or to capture an important visual asset you can reuse later. Video Conferencing: Similar to webinars, video conferencing can bring several people together. However, video conferencing is more closely related to meetings in a physical conference room. Product Demonstrations: The ability to refer to a video for product demonstrations can be beneficial for your clients. Offering a tool for them to empower themselves is a fantastic way to build a positive relationship with your customers. Messaging Nearly 80% of Australians own a smartphone. Also, more than 90% of texts are read by the recipient within 3 minutes of receipt. These statistics, along with your communications solution, can be used to your business’s advantage. You can utilize messaging to offer your clients special offers and updates. With Yabbit’s voicemail-to-text transcription, you get to respond even quicker to your customers without having to listen to the recording. Texts and SMS messages are often used as an ‘opt-in’ tool for businesses. When you offer this option to your customers, you have a direct avenue to deliver coupons, product updates, or events. Sending one to two messages a week is the best practice. Did we mention we also offer empathy analysis? It’s an AI-driven feature that identifies and categorizes a customer’s mood, opinion, and attitude. This is especially helpful for all written communication – like SMS messaging – because it can analyze what emotions lie behind the text. No more wondering what a customer really meant by that comment or text – now you can know for sure! These features are sure to help you build stickier customer relationships. Have Any Questions On Building A

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Keeping Business Information My Business

Business Success / yabbit

While remote work via unified communications has numerous benefits, one of the biggest concerns for businesses is security. With so many employees working from home, a lot of sensitive business information is being shared online via UCaaS products. Are those products truly capable of delivering this data to the right person safely and securely? The answer is yes! While relatively new, UCaaS offerings have what it takes to keep your business information your business. In fact, we’ve listed several security parameters that are automatically included in most, if not all, UCaaS solutions on the market today! Safeguarded Data Centers – Both Physical and Virtual All of your business information is hosted on cloud-based networks. These networks are housed in both physical and virtual data centers that require several layers of security. Physical data centers are protected by deadbolt or combination locks and a regular security patrol. Another level of protection is a redundant power supply, allowing data to securely be transmitted even in the event of an outage! Virtual data centers are locked down by either database or full-disk encryptions and are subject to regular security audits and digital tracking. These security measures are performed by trusted engineers skilled in cybersecurity and regulatory compliance. This and 24-hour expert monitoring allows UCaaS providers to maintain the highest security standard. Be sure to look at a provider’s security certificates and ask about their PCI compliance. If all of them are in order, odds are they’re a leading name in UCaaS security. SRTP & TLS-Enabled Communication Channels Yes, we know, that’s a lot of acronyms. But they’re both very important. But before we dive into their importance, we should briefly touch on VoIP. UCaaS services often utilize VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) a system that uses the internet to transform calls into data packets that can be transmitted over the internet. It’s crucial these data packets are protected. And this is where SRTP comes in. SRTP (Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol) encrypts the data packets – making sure they’re safe from any hacking attempts. Another level of encryption is TLS (or Transport Layer Security). This is a security protocol typically used to encrypt communication between web applications and servers – like when you activate your softphone on your desktop computer. But it can also be used to secure email, messaging, and VoIP. End-to-End Data Encryption As more employees use their cell phones as their office phones, conversational security can be a challenge. However, thanks to end-to-end encryption (E2EE), sensitive business can be protected no matter where it’s transmitted. E2EE applies a layer of encryption to any and all devices being utilized in a conversation. Data is scrambled, preventing hackers or other ne’er-do-wells trying to listen in. The message can only be unscrambled by its recipient, meaning it can’t be tampered with while in transit! E2EE can also protect communication you send in certain browsers. Controlled User Access A lot of business information is stored on a company’s UCaaS platform, from instant messages to call records to emails. You need to ensure only the people you approve of have access to that platform. All platforms are secured by strict password requirements, asking for longer words and phrases that include numbers, letters, and symbols. It’s basic, but effective. And while single sign-on (SSO) authentication is common, allowing users to authenticate their identity on multiple apps and websites with just one username and password, it can pose its own challenges. This is why many UCaaS platforms also come with multi-factor authentication capabilities. It requires users to go through two or more validation factors to prove they are who they say they are. This can be additional codes sent to their company email or desktop phone, or even simple questions about their alma mater or their mother’s maiden name. At every turn, UCaaS prioritizes the safety of your business information. Strict Account Management What about security at the administrative level? After all, if you must terminate or demote an employee, it’s important that their access to your business information is restricted. It also applies to hiring new employees. For example, you wouldn’t want junior salespeople to have unfettered access to call records for the entire company. UCaaS has you covered. The administrative portal for most solutions gives the admin team the ability to set permission levels for each individual employee. Admins can also set specific call destinations for users who only need access to certain customers or departments, access in-depth call records on a per-user basis, or even blacklist certain users from the back end. This hands-on opportunity to monitor and manage your business information is one of the biggest benefits of unified communications and virtual PBX offerings. It’s important that whatever offering you have comes with a robust account management system. Enjoy the Tightest Security Measures with Yabbit Our UC&C solution is equipped with everything necessary to keep your business information safe and sound. The secure portal has already been enabled with TLS and SRTP encryption services, STIR/SHAKEN support, and more – all housed in the safest data centers money could buy. Are you ready to take a trip down the rabbit hole? Call or click today to talk with a Yabbit rep and they’d be more than happy to listen to and advise you, after all, we’re all ears!

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Business Success