The telephone should be seen as one of the most important links we have between other businesses.  It is a fast method of communication and can enable contact to be made with the minimum of effort.  The telephone system is also relatively cheap and so making even international calls is a realistic option for any business allowing customers to contact their suppliers and vice versa virtually anywhere in the world.  However, the it isn't just a one-to-one tool, its systems can be networked to allow incoming calls to be routed to the appropriate person through a switchboard. 

As your business grows and develops so will the level of incoming calls: customers will be calling to enquire about your products and services; others will  want to order new stock. How you decide to answer, rout or deal with these incoming calls needs to be carefully considered so that: Business isn't lost as a result of engaged tones or long queues, and customers are greeted quickly and  professionally without feeling as if they are dealing with a robot. Today there are an increasing number of new technologies to help growing businesses deal with the increasing telephone traffic:

Computer Telephony Integration
The most recent development allows the telephone network to be connected to a computer that is able to act as an electronic receptionist; this system is called Computer Telephony Integration (CTI). 

Part of this system, Call Line Identity (CLI) deals with incoming calls and automatically identifies and recalls the customers' details from its database.  This facility has major advantages to departments such as the accounts or sales department who would benefit from viewing customer details instantly. The customer can now be greeted by a person who knows their name and can interact as if they remembered their last call and remember them as a customer; this placed a personal touch to the call and helps the customer feel as an special.