Things To Consider When Choosing A Business Phone Provider?

The mistake that so many people make is thinking that all business phone provider services are the same. That’s probably a result of today’s fast-paced, tech-savvy world being more interested in other innovations like business internet, which is constantly evolving almost daily and relegates the less “sexy” types of communication to the backseat. This is, of course, until a business’s phone system fails, forcing the realization of how essential it is, and then suddenly the differences in services offered by a business phone provider is a hot topic. Don’t rely on hindsight to stimulate your thinking – here are some things to consider before you choose.

Type of System

Phone service has come a long way similar to the evolution of the internet. There are now three main types of systems to choose from with business phone hookups – landline, VoIP or virtual – and this is a good place to start when picking a business phone provider. 

Traditional Landline

Landline systems are tried-and-true phone systems for businesses, but they lack a lot of features available today from virtual and VoIP services. They are supported by local and regional telephone companies and are what’s known as analog systems that operate on copper wiring. To get the features that many businesses commonly use, like call waiting, directories, and multiple extensions, you will need a PBX (private branch exchange) hardware on-site. This is a very reliable means of communication, but has become so obsolete that it is increasingly hard to get from a professional-grade business phone provider.

Virtual

Virtual phone systems are a way to connect calls made to a central location, then to remote workers’ mobile devices or home telephone. Virtual phone systems are a handy call-forwarding and transferring service that keeps everyone connected – from employees to clients – in an easy and professional manner. However, it is not a phone service in the purest sense, as calls are still processed on the mobile or landline systems going through them. 

VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is a means of making phone calls over the business internet a company uses rather than an analog telephone system. Whereas installing an on-site PBX typically costs a lot of money, VoIP can handle the same features as PBX (sending voicemails to email inboxes, for example) for less. There are a couple of ways in which to host a VoIP service:

• On-site: All of the hardware for keeping the VoIP system up and running is kept inside the business. This means that you have to pay a large amount of money up front to purchase the hardware and PBX from a business phone provider, and an IT team will need to be on standby to make configurations and fixes.

• Cloud-based: No hardware or maintenance as your business phone provider handles it all in the cloud. You pay a monthly fee for service and only need to worry about acquiring the telephones.

Cost

The price that a business phone provider charges is often the first consideration taken, but there’s more to look at than the initial price alone. Rock bottom prices are something that you should avoid, as these are the services that are most likely to fail, and those outages can come at critical times that will actually cost you more money in the long run – either by lost business, the cost to fix, or both. 

But that is not to say that you should gravitate towards the most expensive business phone provider on the market. You should assess what your business needs most, whether that means service with all of the bells and whistles or something simpler. That could mean a basic analog service or one that is PBX equipped, or a hybrid type that bundles business internet into it. A good way to start deciding is by breaking down the individual elements of your business’s needs and its budget as follows:

• Number of phones your business will require

• Number of phones your business will need to acquire in the near future

• How much your business is projected to grow 

• Number of employees in your business that need a phone

• The overhead costs of your current business phone provider or the business phone provider you are considering (contract fees, repairs, etc.).

Features

Features of a business phone provider were touched on a little bit with business internet bundles in the last section, but there are many more to choose from. Not every business phone provider offers the same functionality, and that should be a make-or-break factor for you when taking into account the everyday procedures that happen within your organization. This includes the business-client as well as employee-company interactions, and some common features that various carriers have or don’t have will illustrate it better:

• Automated directory services
• Caller ID
• Call blocking
• Call forwarding
• Call logging
• Central office line ringing
• Custom greetings
• Distinctive rings
• Do not disturb
• Express conferencing
• Extensions
• Hands-free alternatives
• Hold options
• Multiple lines
• Multiple voicemail recordings
• Music on hold
• Public address voice paging
• Shared message boxes
• Speed dialing
• Speakerphone
• Transfer capabilities
• Unified Communications (UC)
• Voicemail
• Voicemail-to-email
• Welcome message

Features should make your business run smoother on the inside, and give customers a better experience when trying to communicate with it from the outside. Internally, your employees may benefit from things like hands-free capability, call holding, transferring, or multiple lines. Externally, your customers may be better served with voice messages, multiple extensions to reach a representative by department or after hours. But this all depends on what your business needs and how often these features will be used. Of course, if you are planning on expanding, having these features readily available now will save time and upgrading costs when scaling in the future.

Comcast Business Solutions

Miscommunication is one of the biggest disruptors in business. That’s why choosing a business phone provider is easily the most important decision your company will make. Comcast Business provides business internet and phone solutions to help your business stay connected, no matter your size. Contact us for a free quote at connectnationwide.com/comcast-business.