How to Customise Microsoft Teams for Better Business Calls

Microsoft Teams has become an important part of everyday communication for businesses across the UK and Ireland. From internal catch-ups and project meetings to conversations with customers and suppliers, the quality of your Teams set-up can have a noticeable impact on how effectively your people communicate.

Taking a few minutes to customise Microsoft Teams can make meetings easier to manage, reduce distractions and help employees communicate more professionally wherever they’re working.

In this guide, we’ll look at the Microsoft Teams settings worth changing, practical ways to improve your calls and the technology you need to support reliable hybrid working.

Why Customise Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is designed to work for a huge range of organisations, which means its default configuration won’t necessarily be the best configuration for your business.

Adjusting your Microsoft Teams call settings, notifications and devices can help employees stay focused while making calls and meetings more productive.

For businesses embracing hybrid and remote working, this is particularly important. Your people need to be able to communicate consistently whether they’re in the office, working from home or travelling between locations.

Yellowcom provides Microsoft 365 solutions to help businesses get more from tools including Microsoft Teams, Outlook, OneDrive and the wider Microsoft ecosystem.

1. Customise Microsoft Teams Around the Way You Work

A good place to start is the Teams interface itself. Small changes can remove unnecessary distractions and make the tools employees use every day easier to access.

Personalise Your Teams Workspace

Head into Settings > Appearance and accessibility to adjust how Teams looks and feels.

Depending on your preferences, you can switch between light, dark and high-contrast themes. You can also organise chats and channels so important conversations are easier to find.

Keyboard shortcuts can make everyday tasks quicker too. Microsoft provides a full Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts guide, which is useful for employees who spend a significant part of their working day in Teams.

Get Your Notifications Under Control

Constant notifications can quickly become distracting, particularly when employees belong to several Teams, channels and group chats.

Review your notification settings and decide which conversations genuinely need your immediate attention.

For example, you might:

• Prioritise direct messages and @mentions.
• Mute less important channels.
• Adjust notifications for individual conversations.
• Use Do Not Disturb when you need uninterrupted focus.
• Set appropriate quiet hours outside your working day.

The objective isn’t to switch everything off. It’s to make sure Teams alerts you when something actually needs your attention.

2. Review Your Microsoft Teams Call Settings

Good video meetings depend on more than simply clicking “Join”.

Checking your Microsoft Teams call settings before an important meeting can prevent common problems with microphones, speakers and cameras.

Choose the Right Microphone and Speakers

If you use a dedicated headset, make sure Teams is actually using it rather than automatically selecting your laptop’s built-in microphone.

A good-quality headset can improve clarity while reducing background noise and echo, particularly in busy offices and shared home-working environments.

Teams also provides noise suppression features. Microsoft offers additional guidance on reducing background noise in Teams meetings.

Check Your Camera

Position your camera at approximately eye level and make sure your face is clearly lit.

You don’t need an expensive studio set-up. Natural light, a simple desk lamp and sensible camera positioning can make a significant difference to how professional you appear during customer and supplier calls.

Background blur can also be useful when you’re working remotely or don’t have a dedicated office space.

Test Before Important Meetings

Don’t wait until a customer joins the meeting to discover that Teams has selected the wrong microphone.

Check your camera, microphone and speakers beforehand, particularly if you’ve changed location or connected a new device.

It takes less than a minute and can avoid an awkward start to an important conversation.

3. Make Microsoft Teams Meetings More Effective

Technology can make communication easier, but good meeting habits matter just as much.

One of our simplest Microsoft Teams tips is to establish a consistent approach across your business rather than leaving every employee to use Teams differently.

Share an Agenda Before the Meeting

Give attendees a clear idea of what the meeting needs to achieve.

Adding an agenda to the calendar invitation helps people prepare beforehand and gives the conversation some structure once the meeting begins.

For internal meetings, this can also help teams distinguish between subjects that genuinely require a meeting and those that could be handled with a quick message.

Make Larger Calls Easier to Manage

Features such as Raise Hand can prevent people talking over each other when several attendees are involved.

Live captions can also make meetings more accessible and help attendees follow conversations more easily.

For larger meetings, alternative layouts such as Together mode or gallery views can make it easier to see participants and follow the discussion.

Record and Follow Up When Appropriate

Recording can be useful for training sessions, demonstrations or meetings where colleagues need to revisit information later.

However, recording shouldn’t simply become the default for every meeting. Make sure participants know when a meeting is being recorded and follow your organisation’s policies around recording, privacy and data retention.

Where transcription or meeting recap features are available within your Microsoft 365 configuration, they can also make it easier to review discussions and identify follow-up actions.

Finish With Clear Actions

A productive meeting should end with everyone knowing what happens next.

Before finishing the call, confirm actions, responsibilities and relevant deadlines. Where appropriate, use Teams’ meeting recap functionality to make information easier to revisit afterwards.

This is particularly valuable when teams are spread across several offices or working remotely.

4. Create the Best Home Office Set-Up for Video Calls

Even perfectly configured software can’t compensate for an unreliable internet connection or poor audio.

For businesses supporting hybrid working, the best home office set-up for video calls should focus on four essentials: audio, video, connectivity and comfort.

Prioritise Clear Audio

People will usually tolerate an average camera more easily than a call they can’t hear properly.

A quality USB or wireless headset can provide clearer audio than a laptop microphone while reducing background noise.

Soft furnishings can also help in rooms with a lot of echo. Something as simple as curtains, a rug or bookshelves can improve the acoustics of a home workspace.

Improve Video With Simple Changes

Place your camera around eye level and position yourself so your face is well lit.

Avoid sitting directly in front of a bright window, as this can leave you looking like a silhouette. Instead, face towards your main light source where possible.

You should also consider what is visible behind you. A tidy, neutral background or Teams background blur can help create a more professional appearance during external meetings.

Make Your Workspace Comfortable

If you’re spending several hours each week on video calls, comfort matters too.

Position your screen at a comfortable height and make sure your chair provides appropriate support. A second monitor can also make it easier to view documents or applications while remaining visible in your Teams meeting.

The goal isn’t to create an elaborate home studio. It’s to create a workspace where employees can communicate comfortably and professionally throughout the working day.

5. Don’t Overlook Your Business Connectivity

Microsoft Teams relies on connectivity. If your broadband connection is struggling, changing Teams settings alone won’t solve dropped calls, frozen video or poor audio.

Where practical, use a wired Ethernet connection for employees making frequent or business-critical calls. Wired connectivity can provide greater stability than relying solely on Wi-Fi.

Businesses should also consider whether their connection has sufficient capacity for the number of employees simultaneously using cloud applications, video conferencing, VoIP and other online services.

Yellowcom’s business broadband solutions are designed around the demands of modern organisations, helping businesses keep their people and cloud services connected.

For businesses looking at the wider network rather than broadband alone, our connectivity solutions cover broadband, leased lines, business Wi-Fi and other options.

6. Think Beyond Microsoft Teams

Teams can be an important part of your communications strategy, but it doesn’t have to operate in isolation.

A modern business may need to connect office-based employees, remote workers and mobile teams while providing customers with a consistent way to get in touch.

Cloud communications can help bring these different requirements together.

For example, Yellowcom’s business phone systems provide flexible communication options for organisations looking to modernise how their teams handle business calls.

For organisations that need voice, video and instant messaging across different devices and locations, solutions such as iPECS can also support flexible and hybrid working.

The wider iPECS ecosystem can extend business communications across browsers, mobiles and other devices, helping teams stay connected whether they’re in the office or working remotely.

The result is a communications environment built around the way your organisation actually works, rather than forcing your employees to adapt to disconnected systems.

Microsoft Teams FAQs

How do I customise Microsoft Teams for my business?

You can customise Microsoft Teams by adjusting notifications, appearance, meeting preferences and device settings.

Start by reviewing which alerts employees receive, selecting the correct microphones and speakers, and organising frequently used chats, channels and apps.

For businesses using Teams across multiple departments or locations, having a consistent approach can make communication easier and reduce unnecessary distractions.

How do I change my Microsoft Teams call settings?

Open Settings in Microsoft Teams and review the relevant device, call and notification options.

Here you can choose your preferred microphone, speakers and camera, as well as adjust other meeting preferences.

It’s worth testing these settings before an important customer or supplier call rather than waiting until the meeting begins.

How can I improve Microsoft Teams call quality?

Start by checking your internet connection and audio equipment.

A reliable business broadband connection and dedicated headset can significantly improve the experience compared with unstable Wi-Fi and a laptop’s built-in microphone.

If poor call quality affects multiple employees, the underlying connectivity may need attention. Yellowcom offers business broadband solutions designed to support cloud applications and modern business communications.

How do I stop Microsoft Teams notifications during a meeting?

Review your notification settings and reduce alerts from channels or conversations that don’t require immediate attention.

You can also use Do Not Disturb when you’re in an important meeting or need uninterrupted working time.

The aim isn’t to disable every notification, but to make sure important messages remain visible without unnecessary interruptions.

Why does my microphone sound muffled on Microsoft Teams?

First, check which microphone Teams is using.

If you have a dedicated headset but Teams has selected your laptop’s built-in microphone, changing the input device may immediately improve the sound.

Noise suppression can also help reduce unwanted background noise.

What is the best home office set-up for Microsoft Teams calls?

A good home office set-up should include a reliable internet connection, a quality headset, a camera positioned around eye level and suitable lighting.

Where possible, use an Ethernet connection for important video calls. A second monitor can also make it easier to view documents or applications without constantly switching away from your meeting.

What’s the best free way to improve video call quality?

Start with your camera position and lighting.

Raise your laptop or webcam so the camera is approximately at eye level and position yourself facing a natural light source where possible.

These simple changes cost nothing but can noticeably improve how you appear during business video calls.

Is Microsoft Teams suitable for hybrid working?

Yes. Microsoft Teams supports video meetings, messaging, file sharing and collaboration, making it useful for teams working across offices, homes and other locations.

However, Teams works best as part of a wider technology set-up that includes reliable connectivity and properly configured Microsoft 365 services.

Yellowcom provides Microsoft 365 solutions alongside connectivity, IT and business communications support.

Can Microsoft Teams replace a business phone system?

Teams can handle many business communication requirements, but whether it should replace your existing phone system depends on how your organisation operates.

Businesses with more complex requirements around call routing, customer service, mobile employees or reporting may benefit from combining collaboration tools with a dedicated business phone system.

The right approach should be based on your users, customer communication requirements and existing technology rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all solution.

Can Yellowcom help businesses with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365?

Yes. Yellowcom supports businesses with Microsoft 365 alongside IT, connectivity and business communications services.

This means businesses can bring Microsoft 365, connectivity, phone systems and wider technology requirements together rather than managing multiple disconnected suppliers and services.

Quick Microsoft Teams Checklist

Before your next important Teams meeting:

• Check the correct microphone and speakers are selected.
• Position your camera at eye level.
• Make sure your face is clearly lit.
• Review unnecessary notifications.
• Test your audio before joining.
• Use wired connectivity where possible.
• Share an agenda before longer meetings.
• Use captions and meeting tools where appropriate.
• Confirm actions and responsibilities before finishing.
• Review whether recurring call-quality issues are actually connectivity problems.

Small changes can make a substantial difference to everyday communication.

Get More From Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 With Yellowcom

Microsoft Teams works best when it’s supported by the right Microsoft 365 configuration, reliable connectivity and a communications strategy built around your business.

Yellowcom helps businesses across the UK and Ireland bring these technologies together, from Microsoft 365 and business broadband to cloud-based phone systems and wider IT and communications support.

Whether you’re improving hybrid working, reviewing your existing Microsoft set-up or looking for a more joined-up approach to business communications, our team can help.

Speak to Yellowcom about improving your business communications.

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