What to Look for in a Business Phone

To know if a business phone solution will work for your business there are several things that need to be taken into account. Considering a phone system that will meet all your needs is not easy, here are a few important things to keep in mind.

Business Phone Systems – What to Look For

Call recording?

This is fairly straightforward, does your phone system vendor offer call recording? Many phone system vendors don’t. If this is a must-have then that will limit your options significantly.

Customizable dial plan?

Some phone providers are limited to just single-line key operations, while others have a full-blown call center capabilities and world-class functionality. A lot of the hosted business telephone providers have a “box” that you are placed in and you can’t go outside of that. If you need any customized features or functionality, it could be an uphill battle with many providers.

In-Depth Reporting?

Does the reporting package that the phone system vendor offers meet your needs? It’s difficult to get the data you need from some vendors to see if you’re running your business effectively. Can you see when you get the most calls per hour so you know when to staff up? Can you see how many times calls didn’t get answered? Can you measure service levels? Consider the impact in-depth reporting can have on your business when selecting a business telephone company.

Integration with CRM?

Do you need a vendor who allows business telephone integrations with Salesforce, NetSuite, and Others? Many vendors don’t have this. If you need it, you will have to limit your choices.

24-hour support?

Do you need 24-hour support or can you get by with Business Hours only?

Guaranteed Quality(QOS)?

Do you need guaranteed voice quality, (QOS)? Most “internet/VoIP” providers cannot give guarantees on the voice quality and will deliver the service on what is known as “best effort”. This is the number one issue that plagues many companies in selecting a good business telephone solution.

Only telephone providers who also handle the bandwidth (voice t1, fiber) will be able to do guaranteed voice quality. Most of the VOIP providers will not be able to do it. If your business phone communication is critical, then going with a hosted VOIP solution that doesn’t offer any guarantees might not be a good option.

Learn more about Call Quality, QOS and ‘Best-effort’ plans.

Introducing RingPlan

RingPlan is our new phone platform that can provide all of these features. While other providers can offer one or two of these features, only RingPlan can provide all of these features you need to maximize your call center.

ZTelco is a business internet and business phone provider in San Diego. Contact us today to get a quote and to learn about how you may be eligible for one free month of service.