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VirtualPBX has updated the base services included with its Dash Business Phone System. Now all its plans – Basic, Pro, and Unlimited – include Conferencing and Call Recording for free.
This moves those options up from paid add-ons to free first-class citizens. All VirtualPBX’s current and future subscribers will see the changes reflected in their subscriptions. Audio Conferencing for three or more callers, and Call Recording for individuals and groups, are now just a click away in the Dash Dashboard.
VirtualPBX CEO Lon Baker provided more details about this product update and the future ambitions of his company.
Q: Why did VirtualPBX switch Conferencing and Call Recording from paid add-ons to free options?
A: The primary reason we made this change is that our customers showed a need for it.
We had a lot of customers coming to our sales department who talked about their multiple bills and service contracts. Time and time again, they said they were using one provider for voice, another for recording, and another for conferencing.
These multiple contracts created headaches for the heads of these businesses for a number of reasons. COO’s like myself had to keep everything straight, so they had to know which service performed what task. Then they had to make sure each service worked well with one another – especially when one in a bunch was updated. Sometimes, a service would break, and they would have to sit through hours of support calls to figure out exactly what went wrong.
VirtualPBX is able to combine these services, so by its nature, it deals with those problems up front. Heads of businesses can trust that all their voice traffic, conferencing, and call recording abilities will sit under one roof. When VirtualPBX updates its product, it makes sure all those services work well together.
Moreover, subscribers only need to look in one location for all their telephony needs.
Our ultimate decision to make Conferencing and Call Recording free comes from those basic customer concerns. We want to promise our customers that their communications systems will be simple, professional, and cost-effective, no matter the size of their operations.
By switching from add-ons to free options, we’re upholding that promise more firmly than ever. We’re making it possible for customers on any budget to get the advanced calling features they need.
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Q: How does this help small to enterprise businesses?
A: Many enterprises find that recording their calls makes internal processes like employee training much easier. Sales departments, for instance, may have their calls recorded in order to pass on the best of those interactions with newcomers.
Such companies can then transform their onboarding techniques by playing back a proper vs. improper sales call. Trainees can then hear what went well in a call and what went wrong. Then when the trainees make it to the sales floor, they’re more prepared than they otherwise would be without the auditory aid.
Small businesses may do less of that sort of hiring, but they are certainly active in making calls to company stakeholders. The CEO of a startup will undoubtedly have imperfect recall when it comes to their latest conversation with a board member. A quick replay in Dash will clear up any shortcomings.
Regarding conferencing, businesses large and small will necessarily have group meetings with other employees and stakeholders. A large bank’s C-suite might hold its quarterly board meeting with outside callers from multiple states. Similarly, a startup could meet every week to recap company goings-on with a handful of remote contractors.
Businesses of all sizes will find situations where recording can improve their training and factual recall. They will likewise find use for conferences with meetings between parties of employees and invested company individuals.
Q: How does the inclusion of call recording and conferencing set VirtualPBX apart from the competition?
A: VirtualPBX distinguishes itself by creating a professional, functional business phone system that customers can rely on.
Our developers make sure our phone plans address the concerns of businesses of all sizes. Our sales team places customers in the plans that best match their needs. And our support team is always available to assist customers with everything from product updates to technical maintenance issues.
Call Recording and Conferencing in Dash, for all its importance, is but one part of a unified whole. Our customers that begin using audio conferences and start recording their calls will receive the same level of care and support we put into all aspects of our products.
We’re simply offering more to our customers up front because they called for it. They demonstrated a need for conferencing and recording. We listened to their concerns and responded in kind.
Recommended: Q: What’s the next big development for VirtualPBX and its business phone plans?
A: Currently, customers are able to store their recordings only within Dash. You can see in our Product Roadmap that we’re going to open our storage options to meet customers on the platforms they’re already comfortable using.
Businesses will soon have the ability to store their recordings on Amazon S3, Google Drive, and Dropbox, in addition to native Dash storage.
Our customers have been vocal about their desire for linking the products they use most. Since many clients already make heavy use of Amazon, Google, and Dropbox to store their documents, it only makes sense for VirtualPBX to support those platforms as well.
