If your business grows fast, the number of people calling your office will also grow. You may miss a few calls, and some of them are mishandled because it is not easy to handle several calls simultaneously. That is where stress starts to get to your team. Answering all the calls, resolving all the issues and ensuring that the right specialists are dealing with each issue will help you save time and money. You will need more staff members to handle a large number of calls, and communication requirements will also be increased. New employees will need new phone numbers to communicate with their colleagues. In larger organizations, phone extensions are necessary for effective communication.Â
Making your employees work as a team is one of the primary tasks of any successful business, especially when handling calls. That is why advanced phone systems like VoIP have office extension numbers.Â
If you want to know more about phone extensions and how to use them for your business, this comprehensive guide will help you get all your answers.
What Is A Telephone Extension?
A telephone extension number is a brief supplementary number allocated to a staff member, a group working on a project, or a department within your primary business line. It derives from your primary phone number and can expand to encompass numerous sub-sections or team members within your company.
Extensions allow employees of different departments to connect. It saves you time and increases collaboration within the company. You may find several routes and shortcuts designed for VoIP extension, saving you and your callers time. Suppose any customers call your company and want to talk to a specific employee or need information about the services of a particular division of your company. In that case, they can be automatically connected to the right person by extending a phone number.Â
Your callers can also bypass the auto-attendant by dialling the extension number of the person they want to talk to. That is why the feature of VoIP is known as extension dialling.
How Does A Telephone Extension Work?
Typically, an extension number is a 4-digit number such as 1226 or 4423. Traditional phone systems did not offer the possibility of shorter or longer extensions. Fortunately, cloud-based phone service providers offer this option to choose 3 or 5-digit extension dialling. It even allows you to assign extensions such as 5 or 64 to employees.Â
Different teams and departments can also have their extensions. It allows users to contact colleagues in other departments of the company. However, small businesses do not need department extensions, but as the business grows, it is a useful feature.  Â
Phone extensions complement the auto-attendant feature for business phone lines. In cases where customers are unaware of the extension number they need, the auto-attendant enables them to choose the relevant department and forward the call to the appropriate extension. Conversely, if customers possess the extension number, they can bypass the auto-attendant prompts and dial the extension directly.
Home Vs Business Telephone Extensions
Phone extensions have been present for so long that we can say this feature is as old as the traditional landline. However, phone extensions work differently for businesses and individuals. Â
An extension for a residential phone line allows one to answer a call from anywhere in the house. It means they must have a second or third device connected to their primary phone number. When anyone calls on your number, all the connected devices ring, allowing you to receive a call from any
When someone calls you, all devices in the house will ring, allowing you to answer the call from anywhere. However, it is important to remember that there is only one phone line in the house, which means if you are talking to someone from one device, no one else can make a call outside from another device. The line shows a busy tune for everyone not on the call.Â
On the other hand, a business phone extension works differently. It allows companies to purchase fewer phone lines than the total number of employees. It is possible by sharing some of the external lines via extensions. This approach works because employees will not always use the phone line.
How is Phone Extension Different From Virtual Phones?
The functioning of extensions is very similar to virtual numbers because they both forward calls to another endpoint. Both are virtual because they are not connected to a specific zip code or extension. Another similarity is that both are made up of numbers; extensions, however, are shorter numbers. The difference between the extension and virtual phones is basically due to the context in which they are used. Â
A VoIP number or a virtual phone number is generally associated with the IP address of a particular device, whether this device is a computer, cell phone or desk phone. Whenever a call comes on a number, it will be forwarded to the device attached to that IP address. On the other hand, when making a call using a VoIP phone, this is the number that appears on the screen of the person you call. It allows your employees to make and receive calls from different devices using the same business number.Â
In contrast, an extension is not associated with a certain device or IP address. Instead, it is a part of the VoIP phone system. The VoIP service providers set the cost of creating and using a virtual number, but extensions are usually free, although there is a limit on the number of numbers you may have. Extensions are shorter than a complete business phone number. Extensions can directly take you to a department, individual or even a voicemail inbox.
How To Add Users Or Extensions?
Most VoIP phones offer a simple way to add a new user or extension. You only need to sign in to the online dashboard and choose the option to add a new user. When setting up a new employee, you can assign them a specific number or extension. Â
The next question is, what if you already have your employees and user accounts created but want to add an extension? You will have the option to edit the existing user and add the extension that you want to add. If any of your employees move to your office at a different location, you do not need to change anything; their existing extension will still work even if the physical location changes. If you have department extensions, you need to update your employees’ numbers if they switch locations or get a promotion. Â
It is also easy to delete or remove users. If you no longer require the services of an employee or the extension assigned to them, you can simply delete their profile and make necessary updates to the auto attendant system. Even if your provider is not charging extra for phone extensions, you want to delete unused extensions for easy management.
How To Dial A Number With An Extension?
You can dial the phone extension in the same way as dialling a VoIP phone number. They only differ in the way internal and external calls are handled.Â
Internal calls are referred to the calls originating within an organisation regardless of the physical location. It means the two employees in different offices or countries can talk to each other without any additional charges. Your employees can call each other by calling their extension numbers. Extension dialling is essential for your business if your team is dispersed in various locations.Â
External calls originate from outside the organisation and go to an endpoint within a company. Your customer, suppliers and partners can reach your employees by dialling the extensions usually added to the main business phone number. Moreover, if the auto-attendant feature is enabled on your business, even callers unaware of the extension can be directed to the appropriate person.
Within a business, not all individuals require a dedicated extension, while some may benefit from having one. Typically, high-level executives and positions such as receptionists require a fully-fledged virtual number. Conversely, individuals within a department, such as technical support or accounts, can manage with an extension.
What Are The Benefits Of Telephone Extensions?
VoIP services have numerous benefits, as they bring advanced tools to the table and act as game changers. Primarily because it brings all your communication under one umbrella.
One significant benefit it offers your business is allowing you to assign extensions or virtual add-ons to your employees. Here are some most significant benefits of a phone extension:
1. Share Multiple Lines
When your business grows, extensions become a necessity instead of a luxury. Small businesses can benefit from extensions instead of assigning a single line or number to every employee. The savings quickly increase whether you have ten or a thousand phone numbers.Â
It is not only the price you have to pay for an extra line, but you also need additional bandwidth since hosted VoIP adds traffic to the network, and every extra line means more bandwidth. So, extensions help you make the most out of available resources.
2. Easy Internal Calling
Extensions make it convenient for colleagues within a business to communicate with each other without the need to remember lengthy phone numbers. Instead of memorising complex numbers for each individual, a simple 3 or 4-digit extension can suffice.
This convenience becomes particularly useful when a worker needs to interact with multiple teams throughout the day.
Although this may not be significant for small businesses with few employees, shorter extensions make communication easier for everyone when dealing with larger teams.
3. Improve Productivity And Save Time
Enabling extensions for individual users can result in significant time savings for organisations. It makes calling more efficient, and smaller extension numbers can also prove beneficial in other scenarios. With extensions, employees can transfer incoming calls to the appropriate person much faster, reducing the chances of mistakes as they only need to dial a few digits. This streamlined process can save valuable time and boost productivity within the organisation.
Extension dialling can significantly expedite the process if you need to add a few users to an ongoing conference call. While saving a few seconds per call may not appear to be a considerable gain, the cumulative effect over a week, with numerous calls on your network, can be substantial. The productivity benefits of extensions are tangible and can positively impact the overall efficiency of your organisation.
4. Enhanced Mobility For Employees
Location independence allows employees to work from anywhere, resulting in time saved on commuting and increased flexibility in scheduling. Working from home also allows sick employees to continue working without spreading illness.
Phone extensions enable employees to work from multiple locations and stay connected while on the move. With mobile apps, employees can attend to customer calls without missing out on anything.
5. Enable Customers To Bypass Auto-attendant
The auto-attendant feature benefits larger companies with several departments or divisions. It enables first-time callers or those who don’t have the correct phone number to reach the right person. However, returning callers familiar with the company’s structure may find it tedious to sit through.
In such cases, extensions offer a swift and direct way for customers to contact the manager or account representative as long as they have the correct extension number.
Conclusion - Telephone Extension
In conclusion, telephone extensions are a crucial aspect of modern-day communication systems, allowing organisations to optimise their workflow and enhance productivity. They streamline communication by simplifying transferring calls, enabling remote work, and facilitating access to the right departments or individuals within the company.
Whether you are a small business owner or part of a large organisation, understanding how telephone extensions work and how to implement them can help you improve your communication strategy and stay ahead in today’s fast-paced business world.
By following the tips and guidelines outlined in this complete guide, you can take advantage of the benefits of telephone extensions and set your business up for success.
