What Is Direct Inward Dialing (DID) & Why Does Your Business Need It?

Understanding Direct Inward Dialing (DID)

DID works in two main ways: through public switched telephone networks (PSTN) and cloud-hosted VoIP.

Public Switched Telephone Network

PSTN service is used to set DID on a traditional phone system. This method uses primary rate interface (PRI) circuits and leasing trunk lines to route incoming calls to the extension.

Besides high maintenance costs, this method only allows a certain number of calls, depending on the number of trunk lines. This means that if an organization has ten trunk lines, only ten calls can go through simultaneously.

Cloud-Hosted VoIP

This telephone system uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. With it, your clients can reach you through audio and video calls if you have an active internet connection, as the technology adopts virtual extensions to enable DID calls. After establishing the virtual extensions, your service provider routes the call to the designated DID number in no time.

This method is way better and more popular among businesses than PSTN because your business can receive as many calls as you want at a time. Besides, this service facilitates scalability, flexibility, and convenience for businesses. Customer satisfaction is served at its peak by allowing external users to call your departments and get their specific queries attended to.

Benefits of DID for Your Business

There’s so much to the benefits of DID in a business setup. The low-hanging fruits are improved caller experience, enhanced customer satisfaction, scalability, and flexibility.
Here’s more!

1. Enhanced caller experience

Think of getting direct calls from clients and negotiating deals with them without wasting time. Callers are often placed on hold as they wait for the available agents. This is considered time-consuming if the client barely has time. So, you may miss your clients' calls who can’t wade through automated menus.

But with DID, you can designate specific numbers for particular departments. Assign one staff member to each department’s callers’ desk, which gives your clients direct access to the relevant expertise. If an agent is not available, the call can be automatically forwarded to the next available one.

2. Increased operational efficiency

It’s no longer enough to use a hotline. In the event of a miscommunication with an agent, the client will have to go through long menus and queues before accessing an attendant. Conversely, receptionists are overloaded and may not efficiently attend to each client’s needs. Additionally, simply getting in touch with an agent is not enough; they need more patience to get to the most relevant assistant. 

The back and forth is often unpleasant to many clients who’d give up at the thought of making such calls. However, a client can enjoy time and convenience with DID as the calls get directly to the concerned agent. Besides, such a service allows for multiple calls to come through simultaneously, so you can have a DID number in each department, reducing the receptionist's workload.

3. Privacy and personalization

Having your customers reach you directly without needing an assistant or receptionist builds better relationships. They can call you anytime to request anything without facing many hurdles, and clients generally prefer calling businesses rather than emailing or sending SMS. Hence, a DID number gives them the convenience they need to voice their requests without restrictions.

Direct calls enhance personalized communication and privacy for clients. Callers won’t have to explain their needs to a receptionist before transferring their call to an attendant. So, clients can be free to air their queries, knowing their information is safe.

4. Scalability and flexibility

Since DID adopts virtual extensions, you can locate call centers anywhere in the world. The main factor informing your location choice would be an internet connection, which is now available in most parts of the world. Besides, your employees can work remotely and get the same results. In this way, you can disseminate your call attendants to different countries and personalize your services.

You and your employees don’t have to miss DID calls. You can forward the calls to your mobile phone or tablet. This should be an option if you keep receiving calls beyond working hours. In this way, you can scale your business and hook up your international customer base without moving to those countries or states.

5. Customization of communication workflows

With DID phone numbers, you can use such features as call forwarding, voicemail, and automated routing. These features reduce the number of calls that go unanswered. Through call forwarding, you can automatically transfer calls to other department agents or your mobile number in case a call comes after you leave your desk.

6. Cost-effectiveness

DID helps reduce operational costs by allowing remote work. This means your call attendants can work from anywhere, including their homes, sparing you office rent. Allocating calls to different departments also helps you reduce the workload for receptionists. This means you don’t have to hire many receptionists. Also, you don’t need special staff in each department to receive calls; you can assign the existing employees without making any additions.

7. Integration with VoIP systems

With VoIP systems, your DID services support many incoming calls without limitations. Depending on your service provider, your company can receive multiple calls at a time. This reduces the delays caused by a jammed phone number or long queues. If you keep losing client information after calls, you can subscribe to services like VoIP CRM. As such, you have more efficient client interactions and can cater to every detail of their requests.

8. Global reach and virtual presence

In 2023, the number of people with an active internet connection surpassed 5.3 billion. This is roughly two-thirds of the world's population, and DID permits you to advertise your company to a sizable audience.

Be sure to add your DID numbers to your online advertising campaigns to entice callers from anywhere worldwide. It's a good thing these numbers are virtual, making the calls less expensive.

9. Implementation and setup

Evaluate your business’s communication needs, including the number of internal extensions you need and the geographic requirements of the DID number. Then, choose a reliable service provider to meet every communication need you’ve identified. Depending on the DID package you choose, you can access additional features like voicemail, call forwarding, and toll-free numbers.

After providing relevant business information, select your preferred number ranges and configure your call routing settings to run the system.

10. Security considerations

With DID, you’d need to implement encryption security measures where applicable, set access controls, and monitor for unusual activity. As such, you’ll block every security loophole, including unauthorized access to direct calls and internal extensions.

Choosing the Right DID Service Provider

There’s no one-size-fits-all for DID service providers, with different features and benefits, making the sifting process even harder. Fortunately, below are a few tips you can use to hire the best provider.

• Available features: Do the features coming with the service meet your needs? If not, can you access additional features? Typically, voicemail, call forwarding, and toll-free numbers are additional features
• Customer support: A good service provider will help you throughout the transition and implementation of the DID number
• Reliability: You want to hire a provider whose services can be depended upon whenever needed. A good service provider has the least downtime to ensure you receive calls from most, if not all, of your clients
• Pricing models: Compare your DID plans and what the provider offers. Sort out the plan that’s closest to what your business can afford to ensure the service is sustainable

Conclusion

Direct Inward Dialing (DID) is a strategic tool to streamline business communication. The tool allows for an enhanced customer experience by personalizing the calls. As such, clients can feel heard and valued. The use of VoIP improves operational efficiency by offering you a virtual and global presence. With that, you can scale your business to international and global standards.

If you already have a DID number and wish to expand your reach beyond your state or country, VoIP makes it possible by making the calls virtual. Also, you enjoy reduced operational costs owing to the service’s flexibility. You can monitor your calls from anywhere worldwide without geographic limitations.

To find the best providers for your business, we recommend reading our reviews and comparing each one to find the best cloud-based system. Furthermore, you can take a look at our blog page for more information on the industry.

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