September 2022 Summaries

Effective communication is critical in contact centers, where poor network quality can lead to dropped calls, unresolved cases, and negative experiences for both agents and customers. As companies increasingly focus on improving the agent experience alongside customer experience, selecting a reliable voice provider becomes crucial. The integration of Unified Communications with Contact Centers complicates operations, making the choice of a high-quality voice network essential for minimizing friction and ensuring quick, efficient call resolutions. Businesses must choose between traditional carriers and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, considering factors like transparency, infrastructure innovation, and business continuity. Providers offering high call quality, robust infrastructure, and comprehensive analytics can significantly enhance the contact center experience, as exemplified by Bandwidth's approach with its redundant services and integrated tools.

Dialing from the U.S. to the U.K. involves different processes depending on whether you're calling a landline or cell phone. When calling a U.K. landline, type in the exit code (011), enter the country code (44), key in the area code, and finally dial the user’s phone number. For U.K. cell phones, after entering the exit code (011) and country code (44), dial the mobile code (7) followed by the mobile phone number. Be aware of the time difference between the two countries as it varies depending on the time zone in the U.S. Business calls should be conducted with punctuality, politeness, and fact-based arguments. The cost of calling from the U.S. to the U.K. can vary greatly among service providers, so it's important to check your plan or consider alternatives like VoIP numbers for lower international calling costs.

Microsoft Teams, a popular unified communications tool for businesses, does not have built-in texting features. However, third-party tools can be added to the platform to enable sending and receiving SMS and MMS messages. One such tool is Send-to, which integrates with Microsoft Teams and allows users to manage their contacts, reply to texts, and share messages across channels. To add Send-to or another messaging app to Microsoft Teams, follow these steps: pick a suitable texting app, set up Azure Active Directory, download and configure the messaging app, install the messaging app, and start texting from within Microsoft Teams.

During the lockdown, working days often felt longer due to not being tied to a specific office departure time. This always-on mentality would spill over into vacation time, making it difficult to truly disconnect from work and recharge. Recently, the author experienced a week's vacation in England's Lake District where they were able to fully unplug thanks to Bandwidth's vacation email embargo. The company encourages employees to observe this policy regardless of their position within the organization. This allowed the author to switch off from work, not come back to an overflowing inbox, and be truly present with family during the vacation.