An office phone system shouldn’t be a source of stress. In fact, it should work seamlessly whether your team is at their desk, working from home or on the go. Choose the right system and your business turns along. Choose the wrong one and you are wasting your time and your customers trust down the drain.
This guide is for Brisbane based small and medium businesses, especially those with a mix of office and remote work. If you want a clear and practical part to a better phone system, read on.
Why VoIP is your only real choice these days?
The old copper landlines are being phased out across Australia. The new standard is Voice over Internet Protocol, essentially making calls over your Internet connection.
The good news Is that the NBN is built for this. Business grade VoIP service can prioritize your voice calls. They ensure that everything is crystal clear so you don’t have to worry about sounding like you are in a tunnel.
What you need to know before talking to salespeople.
A little bit of prep will save you time and grab an outbreak and answer these questions.
- What is the quality of your Internet? Check the speed and its consistency. If your office internet sometimes has shaky connection, you’ll need a plan for that.
- How busy are your phones? When is your call peak? Know your busiest hours.
- Who’s on the phone? Count how many people need to make outbound calls at the same time.
- What other tools do you use? Do you need your phone system to talk to you like CRM, Helpdesk or Calendar?
- Work on your Plan B. How should calls be handled if the Internet goes down for an hour?
As a business owner, you have to be prepared when you talk to providers, ask them specific questions and understand the real cost.
The cost of office phone systems
- Hardware like new desk phones, headsets, or any other type of equipment will impact the cost.
- Monthly subscriptions usually are per user. Fee is the core cost.
- Consider Call charges rates for local, national, mobile and international calls.
- You need to pay fees for moving your existing phone number over to new setup and porting.
Most businesses lean towards cloud hosted systems with low upfront costs. Don’t just compare the monthly price tag, consider the total cost of ownership over the year or two.
What do you need to know about Brisbane specific phone management systems?
The NBN is your lifeline. The voice quality depends entirely upon your Internet connection. Ensure that your modem or router is configured correctly for VoIP.
Wi-Fi versus works for anyone who spends all day on the phone, a wired Ethernet connection is more reliable than Wi-Fi.
If the power goes out, so does your Internet. Unless you have a backup plan, consider a battery backup for critical stuff to ensure calls can be recieved to mobiles.
Features you need to have in the phone management system
- Call routing sends call to the team so that the next available person picks up and there are no more missed opportunities.
- Mobile app lets your team use the desk number from their laptop or smartphone. It’s perfect for hybrid workers.
- Call queuing and hold music. It professionally manages call volume during busy periods instead of giving customers a busy signal.
- Voicemail to e-mail. You can get a voicemail delivered to the inbox. You can listen on the go.
- An easy to use admin portal can allow you to change a voicemail message or add a new user.
It’s essential to pick features that solve real business problems. If you need to track sales calls, analytics are key. If you have a remote team, you need a robust mobile app.
Choosing a provider
Speak with them during a demo to see past the sales pitch. Here is what you should be pushing for.
- Can we do a live test calling into our office?
- What’s the process and time frame for porting the local number?
- What are the support hours and what’s your typical response time?
- Provide a step by step guide on what would happen if the Internet stops working.
Before you speak with the vendor, run a quick Internet speed test to check for jitter and latency. Write down your top three must have features. Book at least two vendor demos for Brisbane’s latest office phone systems. Insist on a live call test. You don’t need a high-tech system, you want one that works reliably for your Brisbane team. Start with your network and you’ll find the right fit.