By now, Microsoft Teams has become the base of our daily work routines. But did you know that Teams can be used for more than just meetings, chatting and sharing documents? Teams also offers the ability to make phone calls. But does Teams Phone provide the same features as your familiar traditional phone system? How does it work and what does it offer? Let’s find out.
With Teams Phone, you can link your existing phone number(s) to your organization’s Microsoft Teams environment. This means employees can make and receive calls using their Teams account, no matter where they are. In a nutshell, this includes:
Many organizations hesitate to switch from traditional telephony to Teams Phone, fearing the loss of key features. But there’s no need to worry—all the functionalities you rely on with traditional telephony are also available in Teams.
With your desk phone, you can easily dial numbers, return calls, listen to voicemails and of course, receive calls. Teams Phone offers these same features. You have access to a phonebook, a dial pad, call history and voicemail. Plus, all incoming and outgoing calls are logged, so you can review them anytime.
When you're unavailable, it's important to ensure calls are handled properly. With traditional telephony, you can forward calls to a colleague or voicemail. Teams offers the same functionality, ensuring that your callers are always taken care of.
Sometimes, you need to transfer a call to a colleague. Whether you’re doing a cold transfer (without an introduction) or a warm transfer (with an introduction), Teams provides this option, making it easy to route calls to the right person.
In traditional telephony, you can place a caller on hold. In Teams, this feature is called ‘Call Park.’ You can park the call and retrieve it later by entering a code. This is particularly useful when managing multiple conversations simultaneously.
Just like with traditional telephony, Teams displays who is calling with the Caller ID feature. A pop-up shows the caller’s name or number, allowing you to see who’s on the line before answering.
Sometimes a call needs to be forwarded to an entire department. Teams allows you to forward calls to a group, with the option to ring everyone simultaneously or in a specific order.
When you call a customer service line, you’re often placed in a queue. Teams provides the same call queue functionality, including waiting music and a notification of how many callers are ahead of you.
The Auto Attendant is a familiar feature when a welcome message is played, and the caller is guided through a menu of options. This can be customized based on your working hours or availability. Once the caller makes a choice, they’re transferred to the correct person or department.
In addition to these traditional features, Teams offers some extras that enhance the experience:
Teams Phone offers a wide range of functionalities that you already know from traditional telephony. But that’s just the beginning. How about group calls and external calling with other organizations that also use Teams? We’d be happy to discuss these and more possibilities with you.
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