What is Direct Inward Dialing? All You Need to Know

Being in business means you will often need to communicate with specific individuals within different companies. However, directly reaching these people can be challenging as you need to go through a receptionist. While this might be acceptable initially, it can become frustrating over time. Similarly, customers may feel upset when they have to wait for long time.

To avoid making customers feel neglected and ensure timely help, investing in a Direct Inward Dialing (DID) service is worth considering.

What is a DID?

A DID, or Direct Inward Dialing, is a telephony feature that allows individuals or businesses to set up virtual numbers for incoming calls. Nowadays, most VoIP phone systems and PBX (Private Branch Exchange) systems offer this functionality.

What Is a DID Number?

With a DID number, callers can directly reach a specific extension or device within an organization, bypassing the need for a receptionist or switchboard. Businesses can assign unique numbers to different destinations instead of using traditional phone numbers tied to specific lines.

DIDs are commonly used in business phone systems to streamline incoming calls and facilitate efficient call routing. Companies purchase DID numbers from telecom companies or service providers and allocate them to internal extensions.

Types of Direct Inward Dialing Numbers

Depending on your business requirements, there are various types of DID numbers available:

Local DIDs: These numbers are associated with specific geographic regions or cities, allowing businesses to establish a local presence and receive calls from customers in those areas.

Toll-Free DIDs: Enable customers to call without incurring charges. Commonly used for customer support or sales hotlines, these numbers typically start with prefixes like 800, 888, 877, or 866.

International DIDs: These numbers are assigned to specific countries or regions. They allow businesses to have a local presence in different countries and receive calls from international customers.

Vanity DIDs: Customized phone numbers that spell out a word or phrase using alphanumeric characters. For example, a business might choose a vanity DID like “1-YEASTAR” to make their number more brandable.

Mobile DIDs: Associated with mobile devices, they are ideal for businesses requiring mobility or a dedicated mobile line.

How does Direct Inward Dialing work?

DID can work in one of two ways – through a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or a VoIP phone system.

Direct Dialing on PSTN

In the PSTN way, the Direct Inward Dialing works by Private Branch Exchange (PBX).

When using PBX, the DID provider allocates trunk lines to the customer’s phone system. Then, they allocate several telephone numbers to those trunk lines. The numbers are assigned to customers and act as their direct-inward-dial numbers. When people make inbound calls, the DID phone number is transmitted and routed to the right person.

Recently, many phone services provide Direct Inward Dialing via PRI circuits. However, if you don’t have enough lines, the next caller will hear a busy signal and have to wait until a line frees up.

DID on VoIP

When it comes to DID and VoIP users, it is even easier to use and manage, mainly due to the SIP trunking. The trunk lines connections are not actual physical lines – instead, they are virtual, and the phone numbers are linked to all the extensions your business uses via software.

This solution is a lot more convenient than using PSTN, as you don’t have to rely on a telephone company to take care of the hardware installation.

What are the benefits of VoIP DID?

Reduced Costs

Physical lines come with expenses for hardware, installation, and maintenance. However, with direct inward dialing, these costs are eliminated. VoIP allows direct access to the telephone network, eliminating the need for new phones or hardware. Furthermore, VoIP enables the forwarding of DID phone numbers worldwide, resulting in savings on international calls.

Increased Flexibility

In the era of hybrid work environments, businesses require greater flexibility and mobility in communication. Adopting DID allows virtual direct numbers to be added to employees’ existing phone lines or cell phones, making it easier to onboard a remote workforce.

Better Customer Service

With DID, you can assign different numbers to different departments and agents, enabling accurate performance tracking and improvement, thereby enhancing the customer experience.

Additionally, you can provide customers with personal numbers of specific employees, ensuring accessibility even during peak call times, making them feel cared for and increasing satisfaction.

Enhanced Team Collaboration

Regardless of geographical location, teams can efficiently communicate via dedicated extensions. This eliminates the need to wait for others to finish calls (e.g., if a department has only one main phone) and enables direct connections with the required individuals.

Local Presence

Some customers prefer local businesses. With DID phone numbers, even if your company doesn’t have a physical office in a particular city or town, you can create a sense of being part of the local community. Having multiple local presences also opens up opportunities for business expansion.

Agents anwering calls after interactive voice response route the caller to the agent

What is Direct Inward Dialing used for?

Lead Generation Tracking

DIDs allow sales team to track the performance of specific numbers, enabling better analysis and improvement.

Efficient Customer Service

Customer support departments can set up DIDs for different purposes like billing questions, technical support, or general inquiries. By having dedicated numbers, calls can be routed more efficiently to the appropriate team or agent, resulting in quicker and more effective customer
service.

Multiple Location Integration

Organizations with multiple locations can set up a DID for each office. This facilitates seamless transfers between branches and ensures smooth internal communication within the company.

Marketing Campaigns

Marketing teams make use of unique and temporary DIDs for specific advertising campaigns or events. Assigning a specific DID helps them gauge response rates accurately and assess the success of their marketing initiatives.

Direct Inward Dialing(DID) – Common FAQs

DID vs DOD: What is the difference?

DID (Direct Inward Dialing):

Inbound Calls: DID is primarily focused on handling inbound calls to an organization.
Assigning Direct Numbers: With DID, a range of phone numbers is assigned to a company’s PBX (Private Branch Exchange) system.
These numbers can be directly dialed by external callers to reach specific extensions or departments within the organization.
Call Routing: When an inbound call is received, the call is routed through the PBX system and directed to the appropriate recipient based on the dialed number.

DOD (Direct Outward Dialing):

Outbound Calls: DOD, unlike DID, is concerned with facilitating outbound calls made by employees or users within an organization.
External Dialing: DOD enables individuals to directly dial external numbers (outside the organization) without going through a receptionist or operator.
Access to External Lines: DOD allows users to access external lines directly from their telephones or other communication devices, bypassing any internal routing or restrictions.

In summary, DID assigns direct numbers to extensions or departments for managing incoming calls, while DOD enables users to make outbound calls directly without intermediaries. Both features enhance communication efficiency internally and externally.

How do I get a Direct Dial-in?

DDI (Direct Dial Inward) routes external calls internally while DID assigns them direct to internal extensions.

To get a direct dial-in (DDI) or direct inward dialing (DID) number, you should choose a service provider that offers this feature and contact them to discuss your requirements. Once you have selected the desired numbers, the provider will activate the service and guide you in configuring your phone system to appropriately handle incoming calls.

How to set up DID on Yeastar phone system?

Configuring inbound routes on the Yeastar PBX System to route calls based on DID telephony is easy and no need to pay extra money. And all editions of Yeastar phone system support this feature.

For a detailed step-by-step guide, please refer to the video and links provided below.

Can I have multiple DID numbers?

Yes, you can have multiple DID numbers.

In fact, having multiple DID numbers is a common practice for businesses that require separate phone numbers for different purposes. Each DID number can be associated with a specific department, employee, geographic location, or function within your organization.

Having multiple DID numbers allows for better call management, routing, and customization based on your business needs. It also enables you to establish a local presence in different regions or countries if desired.

Can I add and remove DIDs?

Yes, you can add and remove DIDs based on your needs.

As a user or administrator, you typically have the flexibility to manage your DID numbers. Adding a new DID involves acquiring it from your service provider and configuring it to route calls to the desired destination.

Similarly, when you no longer require a specific DID, you can request its removal or cancellation. The ability to add and remove DID numbers provides businesses with scalability and adaptability in managing their communication infrastructure.

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What is a DID(Direct Inward Dialing)?