Click to Dial Enthusiast
February 17, 2017
Click to Dial Enthusiast
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Fonality
Fonality is being used by my entire organization. It aids in the sales process by routing callers to the proper people, it helps to save time through the "Click to Dial" feature, it helps me manage the company through cp.fonality.com and helps my employees manage their time through the HUD. I am pleased with the level of support and the functionality of the product. I am anxious to see how it helps with telemarketing and training. In the future, I will be using the training features of being able to listen to employees' calls so I can coach them and help them to better traverse a sales call.
- The Click to Dial feature is one of my favorites. Especially because it integrates directly with Blitz Lead Manager - the CRM I am using. Simply clicking the number in the lead or prospect starts the phone dialing. It saves time with every call, adding time to my day.
- Setting up the phone tree can be a little cumbersome, but it is a great feature. I know that, when a call gets to me, the person on the other end of the line is looking to get a quote for insurance. Once you have a system in place, it works very well.
- Call quality, thus far, has been more than satisfactory. The calls are clear and consistent
- The web launcher has been causing me problems. After it did not initially work (despite numerous attempts to set it up), it started to work improperly. It is still not doing exactly what it is intended to do.
- Negative aspect: Setting up the system is extremely difficult, especially if you want to have a phone tree with more than one option. The administration website is difficult, load times are long, and functionality is lacking. Once it is set up, it does work well and I hope that it proves dynamic when situations change or if other options are needed.
- Positive: Misdialed numbers and dialing times have been eradicated. I spend more time working on quotes and talking to people than I do dialing the phone. Once a lead is entered into my CRM (which connects directly with Fonality), I do not have to worry about a wrong number or spending the time to dial ever again.
- Negative: The free Polycom phones are very basic and lack some functionality that I would probably like to see for my office at some point in the future. However, they work great for calls, which is all I need at this point in time.
- None
I have not used any other VoIP system that I have been paying for. I hope that Fonality proves itself enough to where I will not have to switch. So far, for the price and the functionality, this is my recommendation for small businesses. I might recommend going with a more high end phone to increase functionality, but other than that, the system is one I would definitely recommend.
NetFortris Feature Ratings
Using Fonality
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use | Unnecessarily complex Difficult to use Requires technical support Not well integrated Inconsistent Slow to learn Cumbersome Lots to learn |
- The Click to Dial set up is awesome. Whether you are using the browser plugin (the only one I had the most success with was Chrome - IE and Outlook cause unintended problems to occur with those applications) or using it through a CRM (I use Blitz Lead Manager), this is a great feature that totally kills wrong dials and reduces the amount of time spent calling clients, prospects and leads.
- Recording VM and other greetings is very easy. Simply choose which extension will ring and the individual there can quickly and effectively record the necessary message. It is easy to do for the first time or to redo one of the greetings if you choose.
- Retrieving voicemails is also very easy. It is great that they appear in multiple places, like in your email and on the phone itself.
- Setting up phone trees and what the system does when someone calls in is extremely difficult. I found it very hard to get through, especially because you have to set up menus within menus. There was very little training on this when I was installing the system and figuring it out on your own is a nightmare. I recommend that you ask a trainer for help.
- Queues and the HUD are not the most elegant systems I have seen. I do not think there is any automatic sign out for the queues if a person is permanently logged in (something I will experiment with) so the phone does not ring the way you intend it to. While trial and error is a part of getting used to any new system, I feel that has taken up a lot of my time since signing on with Fonality.
- The Web Launcher still is not working properly. I have it integrated with Blitz Lead Manager to pull up a lead when I answer the phone. First, the web launcher opens a new page before the call is answered. Second, it never finds the person calling, so the new page is simply in the way. No information to help me assist the client or discuss policy options with a prospect appears at my fingertips.
Yes - I tried using the mobile HUD and I am sure I will use it more once I am not in the office at all times. It was fine and provided the desired effect (showing that I am calling from my office, even if I am at home). However, I have yet to experience how well it works when someone calls me while I am logged into the mobile HUD. That functionality is not yet tested on my end.