Why Your Business Telephone Service Provider Matters
Your business telephone service affects the way competitors, associates and clients view your company. The quality of a phone call tells vendors and customers alike, what they can expect from your business.
If communication is smooth and clear, that’s a very good thing. However, too much static or dropped calls may deter potential partners, weary of bad communication in the future. When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter why it happened. It’s just not professional.
Taking Care of Business
It can take time to find the right business telephone service provider. Jumping in with too little information can lead to issues later on down the line.
It’s better to gather all the facts from the start. Then, you can set the stage for reliable, efficient, and secure business communications. Trust us; your coworkers will appreciate it.
What to Look for When Choosing a Business Telephone Company
So, the boss asked you to find a new business phone service provider. Where do you begin? Well, every business has its own unique communication needs. The first step is to identify the needs of your business and explore your options.
To start, make a list of all the features you need and those you want, but can do without. Then, you can quickly disqualify companies that do not offer what you need and weigh the value of plans with the ones you want.
As you continue your search, keep these things in mind:
Ease of Use
- How long will it take to set up and install your new phone system?
- Will it be easy for your employees to learn and adopt the new system?
Uptime, Quality & Reliability
Service Level
Most business telephone service providers agree to provide a minimum level of service. This is usually a percentage, which guarantees a refund for downtime, should your service level dip below what was promised.
Quality of Service (QoS)
These days, many providers offer a system-in-a-box. This model may make setup a bit easier for the average Joe. However, it sacrifices Quality of Service (QoS), leaving the door wide open for a whole slew of call quality issues, such as latency and jitter.
The other option is VoiceSpring. We set aside a portion of your bandwidth from the get go, to keep your calls flowing as clear as the water from the cooler in your break room. We also monitor your system remotely, so we are notified right away if any issues arise.
Then, we take action on these issues as soon as they come up, instead of waiting for you to call for help. You’ve got better things to do than spend all day on the phone with your business phone company.
Disaster Recovery
Cloud hosted business phone systems allow you to bounce your virtual PBX to another server if there is an issue with the one it is hosted on. For the most part, this affects your level of service. However, it’s worth noting your privacy and security may also be at risk if your system is not handled properly.
Lastly, find out what happens if your internet service goes down. VoIP phone service providers can reroute your calls, so your customers can still reach you if there is an outage.
Customer Care & Support
When you invest in a new business telephone system, you expect it to work. In that light, phone companies that tack on fees for support and system maintenance are charging you for something you already paid for. Some more food for thought:
- Available 24/7
- Helpfulness
- Friendliness
This one is tough, since you can’t rate the support quality without signing up. Just remember, experience is key. It may be helpful to speak with other decision makers, browse business review sites, or ask for reviews from long term customers.
Addons
- Make sure your plan includes unlimited local and long distance calling.
- Check international calling rates for countries you know you will need to contact.
- Check the price or addons, such as eFax, 800 numbers, or video conferencing.
Overall Value
At the end of the day, your goal is to save money. We get it. However, the cheapest option isn’t always the best for your business. Instead of analyzing costs, we recommend focusing on the value of the service as a whole.
What will you get for how much?
Of course, if you have questions, VoiceSpring is here to help. Give us a call at (866) 654-1800 or email info@voicespring.net any time, day or night. Good luck to you!