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Call Centers Go Virtual A VoIP service provider that's really more of a virtual call-center enabler

By Dan O'Shea

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Succeeding in business would be easy if it weren't for those darn customers. It's hard enough just figuring out who and where they are, and what's the best way to reach them. Once you have customers, taking care of them is a full-time job. It's not just the time you spend answering calls and formulating responses, but it's also the time you spend finding out what it is a customer wants and who on your team can best deal with it.

You need a way to effectively manage those interactions, as well as the marketing and advertising promotions that bring those customers in the door.

A modern call center, with interactive voice response systems to classify and route calls, is the ideal answer, but it's too expensive for most entrepreneurial small businesses. Where can you find an alternative? In the clouds, of course.