Call whisper is a telephony feature found with many voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) providers. It is a call screening technique that triggers an automated message identifying the source of the call before offering you the decision whether or not you’d like to pick up the phone. Call whisper can also help you to track your callers’ locations and find out where the lead originated, helping you to better build your marketing campaign.
How Call Whisper Works
Call whisper features work by announcing the caller to you when your phone rings; for example, while the caller continues to hear a ringtone, you might hear something like “Business call for XYZ Company” when the whisper feature is enabled in a supported business phone system. This differentiates your business calls from your personal ones and allows you to answer the phone professionally.
Who Call Whisper Is Right For
Any environment that receives a heavy call volume is the ideal audience for the call whisper feature, whether the organization is big or small. Call whisper helps companies to filter spam and robocallers while answering legitimate calls and routing them to their proper extension. It is a useful tool for all business settings, but those who can find the best use of call whisper include:
- Educational establishments: Screening calls with the whisper feature can help teachers and lecturers prioritize telephone calls while they’re giving lessons. For example, hearing who is calling without answering the phone can help teachers stay focused on students and ignore unimportant calls while lecturing.
- Help desk and support centers: In an environment that depends on telephone communication to keep customers afloat, the call whisper feature can help agents to answer important calls as quickly as possible while filtering out less important calls.
- People avoiding spam: Anybody who is tired of spam calls can use the whisper feature to filter out unknown calls. By telling you ahead of time that a spam caller is on the other line, you can simply send them straight to voicemail or decline the call altogether. If you’re interested in an answering service to outsource answering calls altogether, check out our buyer’s guide to learn more.
Call Whisper Pricing
The service that you choose will determine the final cost of the call whisper feature; it is included in some plans, but is an add-on feature with others. It will be up to you to figure out what service appeals to you and whether or not the feature is included.
Call Whisper Providers
If you’re not sure where to begin looking for a service that provides call whisper services, we did the work for you. Below is a list of five of our favorite technologies that include a call whisper feature.
RingCentral
A full VoIP business solution that includes SMS texting, video conferencing, and mobile and desktop apps, RingCentral also offers a wealth of included features. There are four service tiers, but only the two most expensive tiers, the Premium package (priced at $34.99 per user, per month) and the Ultimate package ($49.99 per user, per month) include the call whisper feature. Give RingCentral a free 15-day trial before committing if you’re unsure, and check out our buyer’s guide to learn more about VoIP phone features.
CallRail
CallRail is a marketing software with many different analytics options to learn more about your business. One of these analytics is CallRail’s tracking system, which lets you learn more information about your customers—including how they found your business. Call whisper is among the main advanced features included with CallRail’s software. Start your free 14-day trial with CallRail to see if it’s a good fit for you.
Invoca
A technology that helps companies launch marketing campaigns, Invoca offers users many different features to help customers learn more about their small business via call traffic. More than simply announcing incoming calls, Invoca also goes an extra step by identifying who is calling, as well as letting you know the nature of the call. This is especially handy for people who wish to avoid spam callers.
Twilio Flex
Twilio Flex is a business contact center that lets you customize your package to the last detail. Beyond offering call whisper features, Twilio Flex also gives users access to API and business integrations, as well as web apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Get in touch with a sales rep today to start with Twilio Flex.
CallTrackingMetrics
CallTrackingMetrics helps companies learn more about customers through call tracking. One of its most convenient tools is its call whisper feature, since it is more advanced than others on this list; for example, not only will CallTrackingMetrics alert you who is calling, but it can also announce the source of calls: “John Smith is calling via Facebook Messenger.” The service is currently having a sale that reduces the normal prices of its plans, as well as an offer for 30 days of free service.
Types of Call Whisper
There are several different options regarding how you’d like to use the call whisper feature. Some people like the simplicity of being told that there is an incoming business call, while others prefer more information like the caller’s company and where the call is coming from. In general, there are two main ways that the call whisper feature can help your business.
Call Screening
Efficiency is maximized when you decide to only pick up calls that are worth your time. Using the call whisper feature can help you to decide if you want to pick up specific calls, whether you know who is on the other line or not. Services like CallTrackingMetrics can not only help you learn more about your callers by logging data about them, but also because you are told where a call is coming from as well as who is calling. It’s a great way to screen your calls and eliminate wasted time talking to spam callers.
Call Tracking
Marketing and analytics heavily come into play when you decide to use call whisper for call tracking. Call whisper analytics identify the source of the call and log it into the software, which can help you figure out marketing and call volume trends. You can also use call whisper to route several different telephone numbers to one destination, allowing a greater number of telephone calls during the day.
Remember that not all software offers this feature, though; while RingCentral will announce calls, for example, Invoca dives more deeply and will tell you the nature of the call as well as identify and announce the caller. If you would like to learn more about your call volume through analytics and tracking, call whisper features can help you accomplish that goal.
Call Whisper Pros | Call Whisper Cons |
|---|---|
Convenient: Having a call announced to you makes it easier than ever to sift through spam callers. | Training: Prepare to spend time training employees and answering a lot of questions; the onboarding process can take a while. |
Efficient: By screening all incoming calls, you can spend more time answering only the important ones. | Robocalls: You will encounter spam calls at some point, for better or worse. |
Green: Call whisper and its features require no paper, making it an option for a paperless office. | Unreliable data: Though slight, some percentage of your tracked data will be tainted from spam callers and non-serious inquiries. |
Call Whisper Alternatives
You might find that the call whisper feature is simply not an option for your small business. Whether you are on a budget or you feel that it’s more than what you need, try looking into an alternative to call whisper features. Whether you want to track your calls or screen them, there is an alternative for each.
Ask Your Customers
Lead tracking doesn’t have to be done digitally; in fact, it can be as easy as asking your clients how they found you and scribbling it on a sticky note. If you’d like a more organized system, consider asking your clients to fill out a survey—on paper or digitally, the choice is yours. Free tools like SurveyMonkey offer you the chance to customize a customer satisfaction survey asking whatever you like, including how they were led to your business.
Virtual Numbers
If you’re looking for the telephone features that call whisper can offer, we suggest Google Voice. It is a completely free service as long as you have a Google account, giving you access to a second telephone number as well as many convenient features. These include call logs and history, voicemail, and caller ID, among others. The price is free and it’s ideal for startups and small businesses, giving your company a much more professional presence.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does call whisper cost money?
If it is a feature included with your service, then no, it will not cost an additional fee. If it is an add-on to an existing package, it might cost you a monthly fee.
Can callers hear my call whisper message?
No, callers will only hear a ringtone.
Why is call whisper important?
Maintaining quality customer service should be one of the top priorities of small business owners, and call whisper helps you to do that. Rather than do extra research to find out where your leads originated, for example, call whisper’s features help you to instantly track your leads. It adds a layer of professionalism to your company and helps your agents learn to prioritize their clients.
Bottom Line
Call whisper is a convenient feature that is offered by many telephone services. It announces calls to you ahead of time, eliminating the guesswork and helping you to decide whether or not you want to answer the call immediately. It can also help you with marketing purposes, letting you track down your callers and finding out where your leads are originating.
If you’re unsure where to start, we recommend RingCentral. It is a full business package and also includes other features like SMS texting, video chat, and a multitude of call handling options—including call whisper. Visit RingCentral and learn how you can start your free 15-day trial today.
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