What is a softphone?
Softphone is a software for calls using the Internet. Softphones enable you to place and receive phone calls via the internet, instead of using a landline or a mobile phone network provider.
Softphones use VoIP, just like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Viber, or Skype. More specifically, each one of these apps provides the option of the use of softphone software exclusively, or as an alternative to regular video/audio calling over the internet.
Skype is a good example of this, since it allows its users to connect a virtual phone number via SIP. This is achieved through their ‘Skype Connect’ app.
What are the features of a softphone?
Softphones typically include a user interface which provides a platform for communication between the user and the device or computer that is being used.
A typical softphone has a dial pad, contact book, call history, and a search bar. All of these features make dialing easier. You can go digit by digit, copy-paste the number, or find it in recent calls, or within the contact book.
How can the use of a softphone benefit your business?
Some softphones cover customization in their premium or pro versions: voicemail (Bria Teams), or call recordings and call forwarding (Zoiper 5 Pro).
But finding the one that includes everything you require is no easy task. You have to compare a dozen similar but different apps. Some won’t include a feature or two that you want. Others will ask you to pay for something you know you’re not going to use. It’s easier to customize your customer experience by configuring your IP PBX. Or, if you don’t have one, doing it with the help of your VoIP provider.
By using services such as Freezvon, your business can easily record calls, which is extremely useful for tracking the level of customer service you are regularly delivering, as well as providing a way for managers and employees to go back and review old calls, which is helpful for confirming client details, checking on orders, or to use as a reference point in disputes.
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is another excellent element involved with the use of softphones and VoIP services, which use various characteristics when setting up and terminating sessions. For instance, it monitors the location of users, the session’s setup , the user’s capabilities, the availability of the user, and session monitoring and management.
In terms of other personalization features, businesses can also implement an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) menu. This brilliant feature allows businesses to create a series of voice automated responses that clients will hear when they call you and access the IVR menu during a call.
It’s a particularly useful feature in terms of how it can help to guide the client to an answer, or to a specific customer service adviser that can help them get the answer they require.
