Even though hosting an international conference call is relatively
simple, problems can occur.
No matter how advanced the technology that connects participants from around the world to your conference call
-obstacles can occur.
Usually it is very easy for all participants
to join a conference call. Your guests dial in to a local toll free number, enter their passcode and can then talk,
be heard and listen. How easy is that?
However, occasionally a problem may arise such as the attendee may for some reason not be able to connect to a
toll free number from within their country.
It can is prohibited by some countries to dial a toll free number without
first obtaining permission. For example, Japan's KDDI mobile network
insists that Japan mobile customers must notify KDDI before they can dial a toll free number.
Or an attendee may be using a mobile phone that has a marginal signal strength and the digits can not be understood
by the conference bridge.
International conference calls
take place at all hours because of the time zone differences making it essential that you have 24/7 support no
matter where in the world you are and the current local time.
As the host of the international call, you may need operator assistance during the international
conference call. When you do, simply press [* 0] on your phone's keypad
and an operator will provide you with the help you need.
An operator can also dial out to any participant that may have forgotten to join the call, freeing you to interact
with the other attendees while the operator tracks down absentee guests.
Some international attendees may have restrictions imposed on them by their local phone companies and may not be
able to enter your conference as a result.
Just as an operator can dial forgetful guests, the operator can also connect those who are experiencing access
problems to the call.
Operator assistance is crucial
Operator assistance is also crucial when either you or your attendees are located in countries that do not have
toll free access numbers.
When this happens, you can have the operator dial those attendees directly - a cost-effective way to ensure that
attendees in non-toll free countries are able to participate in your international conference call.
Per minute rates for "dial out" calls are often less than those for toll free access in some countries,
making operator dial out a smart choice for connecting callers from countries with expensive per minute toll free
calling rates.
In addition to dialing attendees who may have forgotten about the international conference call, or perhaps lost
the access number, or are having trouble dialing, an operator can help with issues that arise during the call.
For example, what if a participant has successfully joined the international conference call but their phone or
connection generates a great deal of static?
An operator can determine which caller's line is generating the static and mute the line so the rest of the group
doesn't hear it.
As useful as many international conference call features are, nothing can replace the competence and assistance of a live operator.
With 24/7 operator assistance for international conference calls, you can spend your time communicating with attendees
instead of being concerned about behind-the-scenes tasks.
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