Best Business Phone System

What is Business Phone System?

The business phone system is a multi-line phone system that offers unlimited calling, automated choices, ring groups to reach numerous employees at once, voicemail-to-email capabilities, and call recording features.

The phone systems used in business today are much more than merely about receiving and making calls. They are now regarded as a comprehensive communication solution called unified communications. A business phone system has multiple tools on a single platform, making communication within and outside the organization very effective.

Unified Communication systems completely change the way the employees of a company communicate with their clients, customers, or co-workers. It is not just regular calling; a lot is handled with the right business phone number.

A good business phone system generally exhibits these few capabilities,

1. Phone calls
2. Conference calls
3. Video conferencing
4. Instant messaging
5. Text messaging
6. Faxing

What are the Benefits of Using a Phone System for the Business

1. Automation

   Its automation feature is a great advantage of using the modern phone system for business. There are three different kinds of automation,

2. Inbound

   As the name suggests, the inbound call system is for incoming calls. The receiver of the call can choose to answer the call or perform functions such as replying to the call with a pre-recorded message.

3. Outbound

   The outbound automation feature functions very similarly to the inbound one. However, this feature works for outgoing calls instead of incoming calls. 

4. Hybrid

   The hybrid automation is for both incoming and outgoing calls. The business phone system has automation features for Inbound and Outbound systems.

5. Conference Call

   Another common feature of phone systems is call conferencing. It makes talking to two or more people at the same time much easier and uncomplicated. It is quite simple to use. The caller must dial the number that adds it to the current call. Some phone systems also allow joining ongoing conference calls by displaying it on the screen for users.

   Conference calls are a great way to save money since the employees do not have to travel around for important meetings, and much can happen on a conference call. This is a great way of improving communication.

6. Voicemail

   Most businesses do not operate 24x7, but this does not mean that they have to lose their valuable customers. The voicemail feature of the phone system helps customers reach out to you, even when they call outside of the working hours of an organization. Voicemails are also a great way of communicating directly with customers and giving them important information. Besides, they are the most professional way of communicating to the customer how important they are.

7. An Improvised 'On-Hold' Experience

   One of the trickiest times is when a customer’s call is on hold. And this can become exasperating for a customer if the wait gets long. This often happens in small business organizations that do not have enough customer support agents to answer the calls. The voicemail feature in a phone system is the best solution for this issue. The time to hold a call can be effectively used to communicate with the customer and educate them about the running offers, discounts offered, and tips on how to use the products and promote them.

   With too many choices on offer, it can be an overwhelming experience to find the perfect phone system for one’s business. Since different systems come with different features and tools, it is advisable to look into the personal requirements of your business and then choose a business phone system that fits your bill.

8. Shared Phone Lines

   In a traditional phone setting, you must install a separate phone line for each employee. Not only will this increase your operational costs, but it will also increase the administrative burden of managing multiple phone lines.

   With an internet business phone system, your employees can share phone lines with different extensions. This helps you save extra expenses and resources.

9. Auto Attendant

   As discussed, auto-attendants are becoming the new normal in the telephony industry. An online business phone system has an auto-attendant feature allowing you to provide customers with a seamless experience. Besides, it creates a solid first impression and helps you with powerful branding.

10. Abbreviated Dialing

    A call center floor consists of hundreds of employees. If one employee has to speak to another seat on the other side of the floor, he would need to walk over to the person's desk. This doesn't seem efficient in any way.

    Business telephone systems allow employees to communicate with each other via telephones. This eliminates the need to walk across the floor, increasing employee productivity.

11. Reduced Conference Call Expenses

    Call bridges largely reduce conference call expenses. You'll have to pay for phone line expenses without a call bridge. These costs may sound insignificant, but they can pile up if you have multiple phone lines. Call bridges eliminate this hurdle and reduce your conference call-related costs.

12. Call Transfer

    So, one of your call executives is on a call when the customer suddenly asks something tricky. Call center guidelines suggest calling agents to transfer the call to their seniors if they cannot answer a query.

    An affordable business phone system allows you to transfer calls easily with a button click. This eliminates the need for manually asking another employee to pick up a line.

What are the Key Features of the Best Business Phone Solutions

A Modern-day small business phone system comes with many advanced features and capabilities. But most businesses struggle to unleash the full potential of these systems.

Here are the key features to look for in a business phone system.

1. VoIP Functionality

   The best business phone system features VoIP capabilities that enable you to communicate without cords. With VoIP features, you can interact with prospective clients and customers online.

2. Auto Attendants

   An auto-attendant system works like an email autoresponder program. It gives a professional greeting to the caller and enables call routing to cell phones. Though nothing can replace live interaction, auto-attendants can be equally handy in peak rush seasons.

   And now, with AI, auto-attendants have become the new normal in the telephony industry. Some well-programmed auto-attendants can even resolve customer queries without any human involvement.

3. Mobile Twinning

   Mobile twinning allows you to link one phone number to two cell phones. Thus, when there's an incoming call, it will ring on both cell phones. With this feature, you can make your mobile phones an extension of your business telephone. Therefore, you can easily take calls even if you're out or working remotely.

4. Voicemail to Text or Email

   Customers send voicemails a lot. The voicemail-to-email feature automatically sends the received voicemails to the email. This way, you don't have to check your voicemail inbox and your email separately.

   Furthermore, sending voicemails to email enables faster retrieval of messages, mobile listening, enhanced record-keeping, and improved responsiveness.

5. Conference Bridges

   A conference bridge allows you to dial into a virtual conference with a group easily and quickly. The traditional video conferencing process is lengthy and tedious. First, you must call one member and manually add people individually.

   Conference bridges resolve this hurdle. They allow you to host a video conference immediately without any management hurdles.

6. On-Hold Messages

   Customers hate waiting in call queues, and they're more likely to get frustrated and disconnect if they hear nothing but silence.

   A VoIP business phone system offers tailored music and on-hold messages to avoid losing callers. It also helps you improve customer experience and develop a professional image for your brand.

7. Call Recording and Accounting

   Understanding the behavior and demands of your customer is critical. Many businesses focus on completing as many calls as possible but overlook the necessity of analyzing their call performance.

   The call recording and accounting feature automatically record all calls made through a cloud business phone system. This allows you to analyze each call executive's performance and conduct effective training and coaching exercises accordingly.

   You can also assess the recorded calls to capture missed details, ensure regulatory compliance, and improve customer experience.

How to Select the Right Business Phone System For Your Organization?

A robust, feature-rich business phone system can skyrocket the efficiency of your customer support and telemarketing team. But with so many small business phone solutions, making the right choice can be tricky.

Here are a few things to consider when selecting the best small business phone system.

1. Create a Staffing Plan

   First, analyze your business plan and determine the number of probable users. Don't only count the number of employees you have now but also how many you're expecting to have 3 or 5 years down the line.

2. Select the Required Features

   Virtual business phone systems can vary when it comes to features. Some small business phone companies might only offer call sharing and auto-attendant, whereas advanced solutions come with abbreviation and integration features.

   But you won't need most of the advanced features if you're a small business with 10-15 employees. Therefore, understand your business's requirements and find a solution accordingly.

3. Consider Your Location

   Your requirements will differ if you're located in one city only compared with a business in other cities, states, or countries. With the company’s expansions and international presence, the number of locations and the need for top small business phone systems with remote capabilities also increases.

4. Select the Phone Technology

   As discussed before, you have options for KSU-less, PBX, or VoIP systems to choose from. KSU-less systems have phone line limitations, so they're ideal only for microbusinesses with less than ten employees.

   A PBX or hosted PBX system could be a suitable pick if you're a small business with under 50 employees in one location. And if you're an enterprise with offices and teams in multiple locations, opt for a cloud-based VoIP solution.

5. Conduct Thorough Testing

   You never know how easy or hard adapting to a new telephony system will be. It might take your team a few days or months to get entirely accustomed to it. Therefore, it's essential to test the new system thoroughly. Review the usability and training requirements to ensure your team doesn’t struggle using the new system.

Different Types of Phone Systems

Though you may find dozens of options in the market to choose from, there are broadly four different types of phone systems:

1. Virtual Phone Systems

   In the virtual phone system, when a client calls the main business phone number, their calls are transferred to the workers' mobile phones or home phones instead of desk phones. The system works as a call-forwarding solution.

2. Landlines (Traditional Landline Systems)

   The traditional landline systems are conventional phone systems supported by a local phone company. Their work also depends upon the traditional copper wiring of a telephone company.

3. VoIP

   One of the most popular phone systems, VoIP, uses an internet connection to make calls. Using a VoIP phone system, the company workers can access the business phone number via their mobile phones.

4. Cloud-Based VoIP Systems

   The biggest advantage of cloud-based VoIP phone systems is that there is no hardware and maintenance except the phone itself. The service provider is completely responsible for maintaining and updating the technology for the client. It is a great choice for a growing business since scalability is easier.?

5. Key System Units (KSU)

   The original phone systems used key system units (KSU). This type of phone system could accommodate a limited number of phone lines. Hence, it was mainly used by small businesses with less than 40 employees.

   A KSU is easy to use and functions like a home telephone system. It has all the basic telephony features, but it lacks portability. These systems use a central switching device to select phone lines manually.

   KSU-less systems are also available. These systems are portable and much more flexible. But they also have line limitations. Most KSU-less systems don't allow for more than ten phone operators. Therefore, they're suited for micro businesses only.

6. Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

   PBX systems are more advanced than KSU-less systems. They operate with programmable switching devices that enable the automatic routing of calls. Besides automation, these systems have an uninterruptible power supply and can function without electricity.

   Hosted PBX is the newer variant of PBX systems. In these systems, the telephone provider hosts the programmable switching devices instead of you installing it on-premise. This provides a bit more flexibility and helps you reduce installation and maintenance expenses.

Market Trends and Statistics of Business Phone Software

As of 2018, the global VoIP and telephony software market was valued at $20 billion and was projected to reach $55 billion by 2025 with a 12% CAGR. Several factors are driving this growth, and as technology is advancing, new trends are also emerging.

Let's delve into some future trends in the business phone software market.

1. The Rise of UCaaS

   Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platforms are gaining popularity. VoIP powers these systems, but they include additional capabilities. In addition to calling, they offer features like video/web conferencing, faxing, text messaging, and team collaboration. The biggest benefit of UCaaS is that it centralizes all online communications within a single platform.

2. AI for VoIP

   Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn't a new name, but it's certainly a newcomer to the telephony sector. Modern-day VoIPs come with AI capabilities that enhance and optimize the auto-attending capabilities of a business phone system. With AI, you can create smarter, human-like digital assistants that can perform real-time sentiment analysis of the caller.

3. In-App Integrations

   Integrated VoIP capabilities have become the cornerstone of modern-day business communications. Moving to and fro between different apps and tabs can adversely impact your call executives' productivity. Platforms with integrated in-app communications resolve this hurdle by assembling all communications into a single dashboard.

4. Increasing Mobility

   Telemarketing and customer support teams are becoming increasingly remote. VoIP vendors now have mobile versions for various mobile platforms to keep up with this trend. This means your call executives can work efficiently while traveling or working remotely.

5. The Disappearance of Traditional Phones

   The use of landlines or analog phones has been decreasing over the past decade. Not only in business settings, but landline phones are disappearing in households, too. Thus, VoIP providers are focusing on cellphone-centric business phone solutions. And it'll be no surprise if landline phones entirely disappear by the end of this decade.

6. 5G Technology

   5G has almost made its way to mobile phones, and one of its primary applications will be in business telephone systems. Despite several developments in VoIP technology, call quality and latency remain important areas of concern. With superior latency and Quality of Service (QoS), 5G is a VoIP trend to watch out for.

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