The business phone system your company chooses directly impacts its bottom line, customer service, and team productivity. Conventional phone systems rely on separate copper wires and costly hardware that require regular maintenance.
As you evaluate options, look for these key features to find a provider that meets your business needs: scalability, collaboration, and customer service.
Reliability
Businesses can only operate with a reliable business phone system. From sales operations to customer service, brands depend on a professional and efficient communication system to build trust with customers and staff.
While landlines are tried and tested, many companies choose a more modern and advanced business phone solution, such as VoIP. This technology transports calls over the Internet, which offers a variety of advanced features and tends to cost less than traditional landlines.
Consider a provider that makes it easy to understand your monthly bill and doesn’t charge hidden fees or expensive set-up and installation costs. This helps you manage your communications-related expenses more efficiently. And it allows you to stay flexible in case your needs change over time.
Scalability
Choosing the best business phone service provider is an important decision. It should fit your calling needs and adapt as your business grows, creating a stellar customer experience.
Look for providers that offer advanced calling features, like virtual receptionists, call analytics, and integrations. They should also allow access to your communications on multiple devices, including VoIP phones, adapted landline phones, smartphones, and desktops.
Look for a scalable business phone system that can quickly add lines as your company grows. This feature is essential for increasing businesses, launching promotions, or expanding into additional markets. Some systems require that users purchase physical phone hardware to add new lines, while others, such as VoIP, can be added over the Internet without requiring complicated hardware installations.
Security
The type of business phone system you choose directly impacts your budget, customer service, and team productivity. When recommending solutions, look for a provider with the latest technologies and a consultative approach.
A cloud or hosted business phone solution enables users to access the system on any device, including VoIP phones, adapted landline phones, mobile devices, and desktops. These platforms decrease pressure on your team by handling call routing and allowing you to connect with clients anytime, anywhere.
If your team members prefer to communicate through text, look for a unified communications platform offering business SMS messaging and team messaging capabilities from the same app where calls and meetings occur (like Dialpad). These features can help you keep track of conversations with customers, employees, or other partners.
Flexibility
The best business phone systems offer more than core voice elements. They integrate with CRM tools to provide a unified interface for communication, file sharing, and instant messaging. These systems are designed to meet your budget, customer, and team needs as your business evolves.
Most business phone services are metered, but some include unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada. They also offer advanced features like call and skills-based routing, visual voicemail, and intelligent call waiting.
Unlike traditional landline phones, these business phone systems can be used on any device, including smartphones, desktop computers, and tablets. They also allow you to utilize analog desk phones with ATAs, which convert them into VoIP devices. This will enable you to hire and retain workers who prefer hybrid work models.
Value
Business phone solutions offer value in the long run as a cost-effective way to stay connected with customers and employees by streamlining operations and providing advanced tools that enable businesses to be more productive. Many providers now offer unified communications (UC) systems with business calling, video, chat, SMS, and online faxing, all bundled in one affordable monthly billed solution.
To find your company’s best business phone system, assess its needs and current capabilities by talking with team members about their work processes and noting any areas where they experience friction or inefficiency. Then, consider how the new business phone service provider will address those needs and improve efficiencies. This will help you determine if the system is worth the investment for your organization.