When Alexander Graham Bell first patented the telephone in 1876, he likely did not foresee how his breakthrough would transform 20th and 21st century communication, especially on a business level. Bell and his brother, father, and grandfather were all dedicated to elocution and the spoken word, especially since Bell’s mother and wife were both deaf. Ironically, Bell wasn’t crazy about phones and didn’t keep his invention in his own study.
Fast forward 150 years and now we have VoIP and cloud-based phone systems that connect businesses instantly, practically anywhere on Earth. Among the leaders in business phone systems is Nextiva, and for multiple reasons. Here at IAP, we know first-hand how Nextiva functionality and versatile features extend to Messages-on-Hold (MOH), Overhead Music and Messaging (OHM), and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) capabilities.
What can Nextiva do for your operation? Here are a few of those popular features and functions that keep Nextiva in high demand.
Simplified Call Routing, Greetings, and Prompts
Making the caller/customer experience easier, streamlined, and user-friendly is a terrific way to rise above the competition. Nextiva delivers across the board, starting with the initial Auto Attendant greeting and carrying all the way through the call routing process. Advanced Nextiva technology lets callers glide through options hassle-free, and IAP can supply professional voicing and finished audio to guide customers along the way.
Routing and IVR functions help callers traverse the functions they need to complete a transaction without human involvement. Customers appreciate that freedom and saving time while freeing-up staff on the business side…a real win-win. These phone “tree” branches can take callers to specific personnel and departments, and help them with functions like ordering, making payments, and requesting service appointments. Greetings and prompts can be programmed by daypart and get callers to their destination faster. That reduces on-hold wait times and enhances the customer experience.
Effective IAP Messages-on-Hold Service and Nextiva Compatibility
Of course, even the most structured Auto Attendant and IVR setup doesn’t guarantee that callers won’t need actual human interaction from time to time, especially in medical fields, retail, education, and customer service. When hold-time becomes inevitable, give callers something meaningful to hear with industry leading IAP quality Messages-on-Hold.
IAP has been creating on-hold messaging for nearly 40 years and our expertise in MOH production makes a perfect match for Nextiva telephony. It’s an excellent tool for taking dead hold time and making it count, whether for marketing, entertaining, and/or educating. Here are a few areas where the IAP/Nextiva sound is being used by our own customers.
*Promoting new product launches
*Highlighting service specials
*Event and trade show invitations
*News about changes in policies or protocols
*Cross-promoting compatible products and related services
Other inventive clients have IAP MOH productions incorporating trivia, comedy, and celebrity impersonations. From a basic “Thank you for calling” to marketing to laugh-inducing audio, our combination of writing, voicing, and mixing with licensed music beds in a variety of genres turns mind-numbing silence or annoying radio into a more pleasing way to pass time on-hold. We’ll also work with you to determine the average length of time callers spend on hold so productions can be balanced accordingly.
Nextiva Up Above
Could Alexander Graham Bell have imagined his phone being used to play music and messages overhead? It’s always possible. Regardless, you can rely on Nextiva systems and IAP for great sounding OHM!
IAP offers over 90 licensed overhead music channels and the ability to mix virtually limitless combinations. Deploying recorded messages at pre-designated intervals can be achieved with quick and easy programming, and IAP support can help. User friendly controls let you take command of the options, and Auto Play keeps fallback tracks playing in case of an internet outage.
Nextiva Advantages
What else makes Nextiva stand out? From a messages-on-hold standpoint, Nextiva offers simple programming, even in larger partitioned systems. Departments within locations in a multi-location network can have their own select MOH file. That’s the kind of versatility often required for large medical groups, colleges, and corporate campuses. MOH can also be easily selected to play during Call Waiting and while callers are in Park mode.
Nextiva also offers advanced MOH features, like alternate sources for internal calls and the capability to specify custom files. And in case you’re wondering, Nextiva supports PCM u-Law .wav files 2MB and under. IAP can help match audio to your Nextiva requirements seamlessly.
Comprehensive IAP Services since 1986
Beyond Nextiva, IAP partners with many vendors, IT specialists, and leading business phone providers to keep the customer connection strong and clear. We’re among the early pioneers in MOH, as well as Auto Attendant, IVR, and Voice Mail recordings. Our skilled writers, voice artists, and studio techs all have broadcast experience and that’s a bonus when creating Radio commercials and TV voiceovers. IAP also specializes in video narration, e-learning, and voice tracks for YouTube and social media platforms. We recently began offering Digital Signage too, a perfect visual complement to Overhead Messaging or Storecasting audio.
Connect with IAP…and Nextiva
If you’re considering a phone system upgrade, your IAP representative can help with suggestions. Nextiva is obviously a smart choice, delivering streamlined call management and a better experience for callers and end users alike. Easy Auto Attendant and IVR functions benefit callers, and effective on-hold marketing is a proven revenue booster!
If you need further advice on phone system compatibility, we’ll do our best to help. More options are available, and we also know that certain phone systems might be more applicable to your infrastructure as well as your budget and business needs.
Just contact the professionals at sales@illinoisaudio.com or 1-630-552-9600 to see how IAP can give your operation a sharper edge!