Cloud Telephony for Education Institutes and its Advantages

The sun had barely risen, but the admissions office of Bright University is already buzzing with activity. It is peak admissions season, and prospective students are flooding the phone lines. Sarah, Avi, Isha, and Dev, the admissions counsellors, are swamped with calls.

Sarah: (frantically answering calls) “Hello, Bright University Admissions. How can I assist you?”

Avi: (simultaneously answering another call) “Yes, hello, this is Avi. How can I help you today?”

Sarah: (disheartened replying back to the student) “Ohh, you want to know about the MBA program. Let me connect you with Dev.”

Isha: (Waving her hand in the air) “I can’t keep up with these calls!”

Dev: (Nodding in agreement) “We need help; this is madness!”

The counsellors are overwhelmed as the calls keep pouring in one after the other, creating chaos and confusion in the office. 

Just when it seemed like they were losing control, Charu, the IT specialist, entered the scene with a big grin.

Charu: (excitedly) “I have a solution, everyone! We’re implementing a cloud telephony.”

Sarah: (confused) “Cloud telephony? What’s that?”

Charu started explaining:

What is a Cloud Telephony?

Cloud telephony is a technology that uses cloud-based services and infrastructure to manage and handle telephone calls. Instead of relying on traditional on-premises phone systems and hardware, cloud telephony leverages the internet and cloud servers to provide various telephony services and features.

7 Advantages of Cloud Telephony for the Admissions Process

Think of cloud telephony as the magic wand for your admissions team that swipes away all kinds of calling haphazards. Here’s how: 

• Call Handling and Routing: During the admissions process, education institutes receive numerous inquiries from prospective students and their parents. Cloud telephony systems can efficiently route these calls to the right department or staff member, ensuring that inquiries are addressed promptly and accurately.

In the above scene, the inquiry call for an MBA could have been automatically routed to Dev.

• Scalability: Admissions periods often see a surge in call volumes, which can overwhelm traditional phone systems. Cloud telephony allows institutes to easily scale up their phone lines and resources during peak admission times and scale them down during quieter periods, saving costs.

Bright University’s admissions cell could have been more streamlined and chaos-free.

• Remote Access: With cloud telephony, admissions staff can access and manage calls from anywhere with an internet connection. This is especially useful in situations where remote work or off-site admissions events are necessary.

The calls made by counsellors who are unavailable at the institute can still be tracked.

• Automated Responses: Cloud telephony systems can incorporate interactive voice response (IVR) systems that provide automated responses to common admission-related queries. This reduces the workload on human operators and ensures consistent information is provided to callers.

You, every counsellor, do not need to answer generic queries.

• Voicemail and Call Recording: Cloud telephony solutions often include voicemail and call recording features. This allows admissions teams to capture important details from inquiries, review calls for quality assurance, and retrieve missed messages.

The counsellors can hear the entire conversation with the student for more personalized follow-ups.

• Analytics and Reporting: Cloud telephony systems typically offer analytics and reporting tools. These tools can help institutes gather insights into call traffic, peak calling times, and the effectiveness of their admissions phone lines. This data can inform decision-making and resource allocation.

Every call made, missed, or received is tracked and analyzed.

• Cost Efficiency: Cloud telephony eliminates the need for expensive on-premises phone hardware and maintenance. This cost efficiency can be particularly beneficial for educational institutions with budget constraints.

In the era of fast dialling, go for click-to-call.

Charu takes a deep breath after speaking non-stop for 10 minutes straight.

Sarah, one of the counsellors stood up and asked the most important question-” Where will we store all the student data? Will cloud telephony alone can solve our challenges?”

Charu (replied with pride): Have already thought through it. We will opt for an education CRM that offers cloud telephony alongside!

Why is cloud telephony packed with CRM best suited for education institutes?

It is often said that two heads are better than one.

In the same way, when it comes to implementing cloud telephony solutions, choosing a standalone approach may not be the wisest choice. Instead, a more advantageous strategy would be to integrate it with a robust education CRM. Here’s why:

• Automation and Efficiency:

Integrating cloud telephony with a CRM system allows for the automation of various tasks, such as call logging, lead management, and appointment scheduling. This reduces manual administrative work, enhances data accuracy, and boosts overall operational efficiency.

•  Personalized Engagement:

CRM integration empowers educational institutions to gather and leverage data about students, parents, and other stakeholders. This data can be used to personalize communications, such as sending tailored messages, notifications, and updates to cater to individual needs and preferences.

• Improved Student Engagement:

CRM integration enables institutions to monitor and analyze interactions with students and prospective students. This data can be utilized to identify trends, preferences, and behavioural patterns, allowing for more targeted outreach and improved student engagement strategies.

•  Informed Decision-Making:

Cloud telephony combined with CRM provides access to valuable call data and analytics. Educational institutions can leverage this information to monitor the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, track conversion rates, and make data-driven decisions to enhance their operations and outreach efforts.

• Enhanced Customer Support:

CRM integration ensures that staff can access relevant student and parent information swiftly when handling inquiries or resolving issues. This leads to quicker issue resolution, improved customer satisfaction, and a more positive overall experience. 

Sarah: (relieved) “That would certainly make our lives easier. I’m tired of transferring calls all day.”

Avi: (smiling) “And we won’t have to worry about missing important information or inquiries.”

Isha: (enthusiastic) “I can finally keep up with the calls!”

Charu: (confidently) “I’ve already been working on it. We’ll need to choose a reliable education CRM provider that has integrated cloud telephony. This way, we can keep track of all our student interactions, leads, and inquiries in one place.”

Dev: (grateful) “Charu, you’re a lifesaver. Let’s get this set up right away!”

With Charu’s innovative solution, the overwhelmed admissions team at Bright University could see a glimmer of hope on the horizon. The implementation of cloud telephony in conjunction with an education CRM promised to bring order to the chaos and enhance their ability to provide information and support to prospective students.

To Sum Up 

The chaos and confusion that often accompany peak admission seasons can be effectively managed and streamlined with the power of cloud telephony. Imagine a scenario where admissions counsellors can effortlessly route calls to the right departments, handle inquiries efficiently, and access vital information remotely. 

But there’s more to this story. As educational institutions strive to provide exceptional experiences for their students and prospective students, the integration of cloud telephony with a robust education CRM system becomes essential. This dynamic duo takes efficiency to the next level.

And speaking of the perfect solution, let me introduce you to ExtraaEdge – the education CRM powered by cloud telephony. ExtraaEdge offers a comprehensive platform that combines the advantages of cloud telephony with advanced CRM capabilities tailored to the unique needs of educational institutes. 

So, whether you’re a bustling university admissions office or a growing educational institution, embrace the power of cloud telephony integrated with ExtraaEdge’s education CRM. Say goodbye to chaos and confusion, and welcome a new era of efficiency, personalization, and success in your admissions journey. Your students deserve it, and so do you.