With 8×8 phones, you can run an organized virtual office from your desktop or smartphone. And if that wasn’t enough, the setup is quick and easy, and it will cost less compared to most traditional solutions that are out there. Keep reading to find out how 8×8 communication can simplify your business and improve customer engagement.
What is an 8×8 Phone System?
An 8×8 phone system is a cloud communication software that gives your employees the exact tools they need to communicate, collaborate, access data, and contact experts. Because the system is cloud-based, you can access all your business needs from anywhere. So, you’ll never be left behind on important communication again!
You can access the 8×8 system from desk phones, laptops, desktop computers, and even smartphones. And the benefits don’t stop there! There are other features that can help your business productivity, like voicemail-to-email transcription, real-time analytics, team messaging, conferencing, business application integration, and more. So basically, with this system, you have an 8×8 virtual office. Communication will never be easier!
What are the 8×8 Phone System Features?
Need help getting your small business to stand out? With an 8X8 phone system, you’ll have no problem staying on top of communication and customer engagement. And the best part? You can tailor your plan to give your employees exactly what they need to collaborate with employees from anywhere.
Here are the standard features that come with 8×8 phones:
- 3-way calling
- Music on hold
- Unlimited calling
- Call transfers
- Call park
- Virtual offices for iPhone and Android
- Do not disturb feature
- Virtual office call recording
- Call forwarding
- Instant messaging
- Voicemail to email
- And more!
What Plans Does 8×8 Offer?
8×8 phones can service small and medium businesses as well as large enterprises. So, you can customize your plan based on your business needs.
Here are the 8×8 plans that are offered for a low monthly fee:
• 8×8 Express
This is the least expensive option that works best for small businesses. And the good news? It takes just minutes to get it set up. 8×8 Express is suited for businesses that have no more than nine users. So, if you have a home-based business or a small business with one location, then this plan would work best for you. You and your employees will have the freedom to manage your business calls on the go from your smartphones.
The plan includes basic business phone needs like call forwarding, team messaging, and conferencing. Unlimited domestic calls in the U.S. and Canada also come with the 8×8 Express plan.
• 8×8 X Series
Mix and match your business needs with the 8×8 X Series plans.
- X2 – This plan includes unlimited calling to 14 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. You can also use apps like Salesforce with this option.
- X4 – This is considered the most advanced business phone plan for an 8×8 phone system. It offers everything the other plans do but also adds unlimited calling to 47 countries.
• 8×8 Contact Center
These plans include Contact center plans. These are 8×8 plans that are geared more toward call centers and companies with large customer support teams.
Here are each of their features:
- X6 – The X6 plan comes with options for customer surveys and offers insights into customer experience analytics. You will get unlimited calls to 47 countries with 4,000 calling minutes. The contact center options include native CRM tools and call queues.
- X7 – This plan helps contact centers with inbound chats, emails, and social notifications.
- X8 – This is the top 8×8 Series plan that’s offered. It includes contact center features, call quality management, screen recording, and speech analytics.
What is an 8×8 Contact Center?
8×8 Contact Center is designed with customer engagement in mind. With an 8×8 Contact Center, you’ll never miss a customer satisfaction opportunity again. The software brings together web, chat, SMS, social media, and voice channels together, so you have everyone in one central platform for the ultimate customer engagement opportunities.
Want to make sure your employees are giving the best customer service? No problem! With the 8×8 Contact Center, you can even provide training tools for your employees and keep track of their performance. Ensuring customer satisfaction has never been easier!
Here’s what you’ll be able to do with the 8×8 Contact Center:
- Omnichannel Routing
- Skill-based routing
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
- Queued callback
- Web callback
- Inbound chat, email, social channels
- Increase agent productivity
- Co-browse
- Dialers
- Knowledgebase
- Access real-time analytics
- Customer experience analytics
- Speech analytics
- Integrations
- CRM integrations with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Zendesk, and more.
- 8×8 Secure Pay
- Supervisor Enablement
- Smart scheduling
- Individualized performance plans
- Coaching tools
- Voice and screen recording and archiving
- Internal chat for agents and supervisors
Why Your Business Needs an 8×8 Phone System?
Are you ready to boost workplace productivity and make communication more efficient? Then you need an 8×8 phone system. 8×8 is easy to install, affordable, and secure. But that’s not all. Here are some of the benefits of upgrading your telecom environment to an 8×8 phone system:
1. Simple and Affordable
An 8×8 phone system doesn’t require any special equipment or wiring. All you need to do is configure your router and make sure you have enough bandwidth. After you’ve done this, then you’ll just need to plug your phones into an ethernet port. So, it’s easy to get set up, and there won’t be an extra cost for pricy equipment that your IT team has to install.
2. Unified Communication
Employees will have one phone number across all devices. So, whether you’re calling from your laptop, desk phone, or mobile phone, there won’t be any confusion about who is calling.
And communication will be even easier than ever because employees will be able to track calls with clients to make sure there aren’t any wires that get crossed.
3. Reduced Office Space
You’ll be able to communicate with other employees so easily, if you choose, you can save on office space and just use an 8×8 for video meetings to catch up with the team. An 8×8 phone system gives you and your employees the flexibility to work from home or from another location instead of a traditional workspace.
4. Sense of Security
Don’t put your security in someone else’s hands. 8×8 communication can consolidate security safeguards and compliance certifications. So, you’ll always be ready in the case of an audit.
Frequently Asked Questions About 8×8 Business Phone Services
By now, you should know all the great benefits of upgrading your phone system to an 8×8. Still not convinced? Here are the 10 most asked questions for 8×8 phones:
1. How do 8×8 phones work with remote employees?
Remote employees can stay connected to all employees with the instant messaging and communication app integration features that come with an 8×8 phone system. And if you’re a manager, you can monitor your remote employees by seeing who is taking a lunch break, when they are on a call, or when they are on vacation.
2. What can an 8×8 phone system integrate with?
8×8 integrates with 20 third-party applications, including Microsoft 365’s Office suite, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google G Suite. The system also integrates with CRM apps like Salesforce, HubSpot, and more. Some of these integrations may depend on what 8×8 plan you subscribe to.
3. Does 8×8 have a mobile app?
Yes. The mobile app is called Virtual Office Mobile. You can download this on iOS or Android devices.
4. Does 8×8 have unified messaging?
Yes. You’ll be able to make calls, text, send emails, send faxes, and more with these unified messaging tools.
5. Can you use 8×8 for video conferencing?
Yes. You can host up to 100 participants at a time for video conferencing. Some of the video conferencing features include screen sharing, cloud recordings, and calendar integrations.
6. What are the security features of an 8×8 phone system?
8×8 phones comply with these security requirements and standards:
- Federal Communications Commission
- Federal Information Security Management Act encryption standards
- ISO/IEC 27001 for data security
- Privacy Shield Framework
- Cyber Essentials Plus from the U.K. government
- SOC Types I and II
7. Is 8×8 HIPAA compliant?
Absolutely. 8×8 business phone system protects the use and storage of personal data. 8×8 uses approved third-party certification to ensure products meet or exceed HIPAA data security levels to keep personal data protected.
8. Does 8×8 have online faxing?
You can fax on every 8×8 plan through the VoIP except for on the basic 8×8 express plan. However, you can fax through the mobile app on every plan.
9. Is 8×8 flexible?
Yes, the 8×8 services are flexible and scalable. You’ll be able to add new lines and extensions at any time through the online administration portal.
10. What if I need help with my 8×8 phone system?
8×8 offers 24/7 telephone, web, and chat support to all users, except those on the Express plan. If you have the Express plan, you can get help by submitting your problem online and wait for a response.
8×8 Solutions with IdeaCom NC
Do you have a small business, or are you looking to grow? No matter your business structure, an 8×8 phone system can provide the best communication for your company. And you can trust IdeaCom NC to provide you with the best service possible. Don’t wait! Start exceeding your customer expectations today with the superior communication of 8×8 phones. Call IdeaCom for a quote at (336) 854-4455.