In today’s hybrid and remote work environment, there’s nothing more important than communication. Communication is crucial among your employees and customers. And a good phone system can help you stay connected with customers. But the best business phone systems also function as collaboration and customer experience tools. And they play a crucial role in enhancing customer experience, improving collaboration, and boosting productivity. If you’re in the market for a new phone system, you might be wondering, “how do I find a system like that?”
Well, we’re here to help! Here are some factors to consider to ensure you make the best choice for your business for a new business phone system.
Scalability
As your business experiences growth, a huge obstacle holding you back can be your phone system. That’s because adding users and features to a traditional phone system usually takes a call to your provider and a visit from their technicians.
However, a scalable cloud system can easily adjust the number of users (and features) your system has with just a few quick adjustments…without the hoops of a traditional phone system.
Software Integrations
A business phone system allows you to seamlessly integrate your current software, providing a single pane of glass to view conversations and contact information. For instance, if you use CRM software to manage customer interactions, your phone system should be able to integrate with the CRM system to allow for easy call tracking and recording. Calls are tracked, and you can add notes within the contact record for accountability.
Reliability
A reliable phone system is critical for the success of your business. You want a phone system with a high uptime guarantee and minimal disruptions or downtime. Traditional phones are becoming outdated and susceptible to outages. Plus, if something happens to the hardware, parts are becoming rare to find. And that means more money. So look for phone systems that have backup power supplies, redundancy, and failover mechanisms to ensure that your business is always accessible to your customers.
Business phone providers are now cloud-based, so their systems are hosted on servers and data centers with redundancies in place. Downtime can be a killer. A new business phone system is your protection against downtime.
User-friendliness
You want a business phone system everyone will enjoy using. The phone system you choose should be easy to use, with an intuitive user interface. This will ensure employees can easily make and receive calls, transfer callers, and access essential features like voicemail and call recording. A user-friendly phone system will save time and reduce the likelihood of errors, leading to improved productivity.
Recommended Features
Different phone systems come with different features. Some of the essential features you should consider include voicemail, call recording, call forwarding, conference calling, and automated attendants. But above all, consider the needs of your employees. What do they need to be more productive and efficient? Other features include:
- Mobile Apps. Connect to your system from any mobile device.
- Hosted Call Center Suite. Manage and train your customer service teams quickly and easily from the cloud
- Integrated Messaging. Text-enable your business lines for even better customer engagement.
Cost
When choosing a phone system, the cost is undoubtedly a crucial aspect to consider. Of course, you’ll want a system that fits your budget, but you’ll also want to ensure that you’re getting the best value for your investment. It’s wise to assess the total cost of ownership, including installation, maintenance, and upgrades, and then select a phone system that provides the greatest return on investment.
Thankfully, if you opt for a cloud-based system, you won’t need to worry about pricey hardware purchases or significant upfront expenditures as you can rent your phones or do hardware-as-a-service. (With the option to buy phones outright, as always.) This can be a huge relief for businesses that want to keep their financial commitments manageable while still benefiting from a top-of-the-line phone system.
Support
It’s essential to choose a phone system provider that prioritizes supporting its users. A great way to assess this is by researching vendors with a proven track record of providing excellent service. Speaking with previous customers can be a helpful way to gather information about the quality of support provided by a vendor. Sometimes, word of mouth recommendations can be the most reliable way to gain insights into the level of service you can expect to receive from a phone system provider.
Security
Security is another critical factor to consider when choosing a phone system for your business. You want a phone system that can protect your sensitive business information with the latest and best security measures. Look for phone systems that use encryption to protect your calls, offer user authentication, and have firewalls to prevent unauthorized access to your network. Some industries require additional security protocols to comply with industry regulations.
Mobility
Mobility is a need, not a “nice-to-have.” Your phone system needs to support the mobile user. This enables your employees to make and receive calls from anywhere using their mobile devices or laptops without giving away their personal numbers. Look for phone systems that support mobile integration, remote access, and softphones.
Analytics
Finally, consider the reporting and analytics capabilities of the phone system. A good phone system should be able to provide detailed analytics on call volume, call duration, and call quality, among other metrics. Analytics identify trends and allow you to make data-driven decisions to optimize your processes, instead of operating on hunches.
Take Pathwayz for Your New Business Phone System
Are you looking at these features and thinking “man, do I need that,” then it’s time to upgrade your phone system! The experts at Pathwayz can tailor a new business phone system to meet your needs and, most importantly, your budget. Contact us today, and let’s start the conversation on how a new business phone system can improve your business’s processes.