There are important facts that should be taken into account before purchasing a business phone system. For all of the technological changes in our lives, the 2015 Global State of Multichannel Customer Service report by Parature found that the vast majority of people—over 80%—still prefer to use mobile or landline phones when communicating with businesses. While other methods of communications, such as email, chat, and fax, remain important, the fact is that the telephone is still the most used tool for business and customer interactions. This means that businesses must continue to place the greatest priority on high quality voice communication.It also means that features and functionality in a phone system are key for businesses that wish to meet customer needs.
We’ve identified three of the most important factors that must be taken into account before purchasing a communication system for your business.
1. Mobile Integration: The days of employees staying at their desks from 9-5 are over. Modern daily schedules are more diverse and transitory, with employees expecting to be able to use their smartphones both at work, and for work purposes. Instead of fighting it, embrace it: the more reachable your employees are, the better and faster they will be able to take care of your customers. A good business phone system will allow for your employees to integrate their mobile devices seamlessly into your company’s communication infrastructure. In addition, letting your employees use their smart phones will ensure they have ready access to email, instant messaging, and other important communications channels; although the phone is still king, email is catching up quickly. With the high demands of today’s customer base, providing your employees with easy access to diverse, unified communications channels is not a luxury, it is a business necessity.
2. Cloud Hosted: Equally important is ensuring that your business phone system is flexible and scalable. When your business grows, your communications needs will grow with it. When purchasing a business phone system, ensure that it is cloud-hosted. In addition to other benefits, the strength of a cloud-hosted system is that it is incredibly easy to scale up or down as needed, since almost all necessary changes can be done over the internet, and at a fraction of the time and cost needed for a traditional phone system. An additional perk of a cloud based system is that employees can work (and be hired!) from anywhere, since an internet connection allows them to access their communications remotely. This kind of flexibility is available without any need for capital outlay, and communications can become a predictable operating expense.
3. Continuity: For businesses, having communications interrupted can seriously affect customer satisfaction and revenue. If a disaster caused a power outage in your building, what would happen to your telecommunications system? If it’s a premise-based system, there’s practically no chance of a quick recovery. But a cloud-based system, like the one AireSpring runs, resides in a secure facility safeguarded with backup power, backup equipment, and redundant connections. In the event of an issue at your business, the calls would be re-routed to your preferred backup phone, which could even be a cell phone, ensuring that your business remains connected.
Good business, from smooth operations to excellent customer service, is based on communication. That is why having the right cloud phone system for your business isn’t just important, it’s an absolute necessity. When shopping for a business phone system, use this guide to make sure you’re getting everything you need.
To learn about an award-winning cloud phone system with end-to-end Quality of Service and 24/7 network monitoring, click here.
