This is a great foundation for a business phone line. You can buy these online very easily, or through your carrier – it doesn’t make much difference. The main thing to be aware of is whether you want a system with PBX functionality. If you do, you then need to find out what that means and how important it is to you.
What PBX means is that your business line has a phone system that can handle multiple calls at once, which is known as “Multi-Line Operation”. This will be named something like ‘PBX Extension Lines’ where the number of lines are equal to the product you buy, for example four lines.
Advantages To A Multi-Line PBX System:
You can set up lines for different departments, and distribute calls correctly.
There’s no need to dial an outside line when you want to call someone, as they are all part of the same system. So there is no misdialing and calling the wrong person.
This will also mean that people can call you without paying too much, because calls to multi-line numbers are cheaper than normal outside lines.
Disadvantages To A Multi-Line PBX System:
It can be a bit complicated for some businesses to configure PBX systems.
A regular phone system costs less than a multi-line.
The only real disadvantage is the cost, which for many businesses is not really an option. You can even have phone systems installed in rented offices or homes so you don’t have to worry about long term commitments and it just being another bill to pay each month.
This will vary from carrier to carrier, and device to device. This is really important because it can mean the difference between a good business phone system and a great one. Quality of service (QoS) is also important for online businesses who rely on fast internet connections, such as web developers or management teams for example.
The main thing with QoS is that if you are in a heavily populated area, it may be that the carrier you are with gives you very poor QoS. This means your business phone system can end up dropping calls because of congestion on the network.
Slowness is another problem when discussing QoS, particularly if you are using VoIP technology for your phone service. If there are any slow points in the network, then calls can drop or become unintelligible because of packet loss.
It’s unlikely that any carrier will give you perfect QoS every time you make a call, so if this is important to your business, try and find a service provider who has very little congestion when it comes to their phone lines.
Privacy is another option that should be discussed. Do you want your business phone to have a standard prefix, or do you want it totally private? This can make quite a difference if you are looking for security. For example, if someone wants to reach ‘Empire Business Systems’ they would dial ‘1-800-326-2276’, if they were reaching a private number then it would simply say ‘Empire’.
What privacy means is that the number you give out to customers will not change when you move phone carrier providers. This can make a big difference to customer goodwill and retention, because your potential customers won’t have to keep calling your old number and wonder if you’re still in business.
There’s not much to say about this one – it is what it says on the tin. If you want to record calls, then you need a phone that has this functionality built into it. You can buy devices that are just machines for recording telephone conversation, but these will cost you extra money and take up more space.
Voice messages are a good way of giving customers information about your business to callers who can’t get through. This might include messages about new promotional offers, the company holiday schedule, or a variety of other things that relate directly to your business.
Having a phone that allows for this functionality will smooth over the customer experience, and make people who need to know what’s going on feel more secure about keeping your company in business.
Having a phone system is important for businesses of all sizes; you don’t want to be left behind when it comes to things like communications technology. Try and look for phone systems that will benefit you, but also stay within your budget. There are many deals to be had out there if you look hard enough.
1. Low Monthly Costs
2. Quality Of Service (QoS)
3. Privacy Or Standard Prefix Setting For The Main Number
This helps save space, and makes the phone systems more competitively priced too.
Many of today’s phone systems are able to work with modern technology, so bandwidth isn’t really a concern when it comes to making calls. However, if you rely heavily on VoIP, then it may be worth researching which carriers have the best network for this type of service.
Having high-quality service can ensure that your customers get the best possible experience when they’re talking to you on the phone. Customers tend to abandon companies who have poor quality of service, because it usually translates into them having a bad customer experience.
Being able to choose how calls are set up is important for business too, particularly if you deal with sensitive information. You might not want to give out your number at all, and instead have it set up so that ‘Empire’ answers the phone as a name. This helps security-conscious businesses avoid giving away vital information over the phone too easily.
1) Look for low monthly costs
2) Find a good provider for Quality of Service (QoS)
3) Look for phone systems that allow you to either have a professional prefix or private number depending on your business’ needs. This helps make the customer experience better, and saves you money in the long run by cutting down on accidental missed calls.
Partner with menetalk – UK’s leading business VoIP provider to experience a hassle free business phone system.
