Despite the rise of video communication platforms such as Zoom or messaging platforms like Slack, phones are still the preferred communication channel for the vast majority of businesses - whether for communicating internally or speaking with customers.
In fact, choosing the right business phone system can reduce your costs, improve business efficiency, enhance team collaboration and help build a more productive workforce.
Yet choosing the right business phone system is more complex than it has ever been before. It’s no longer a case of just having a phone system for internal and external calls, new developments like remote work and new technological advancements have changed what small and medium-sized businesses require from their phone system.
That’s why, in this blog, we take a look at the most important office phone system features to keep in mind when looking to invest in a new solution.
What types of phone systems are available for your small business?
A small business phone system is a telephone system that your business uses to make outbound calls and receive inbound calls. It can be used externally to connect your business with existing and potential customers, as well as internally to connect different departments, offices and team members.
There are three main types of business phone systems:
Traditional, on-premise PBX
A PBX phone system is a traditional solution in which a PBX box sits on your office’s premises somewhere, controlling all aspects of the phone system through analogue or digital lines. The PBX takes all incoming lines, and all of the calls on those lines, and directs them to the correct extension (each person using the system has a unique extension).
VoIP PBX
An updated version of the traditional PBX phone system, VoIP PBX uses your internet connection to make and receive calls. The actual system is similar to that of traditional PBX, but often at a cheaper price point (up front) and higher-quality calls.
Hosted VoIP phone systems
Hosted VoIP is the most modern and flexible type of business phone system. This solution completely removes the ‘box on the wall’ models, and delivers your phone system entirely through the internet and cloud technology. Hosted VoIP typically has better call quality, is easily scalable depending on your company’s unique needs and has a rich list of features and functionalities.
The top office phone system features to consider when buying a solution
As you try to build new processes that are more efficient and productive for your employees, it may seem confusing to want to invest in a phone system when there are a range of different collaboration tools out there.
The thing is, phone systems have come a long way in the past couple of years, and they are still a hugely important component to the way your business operates. With that in mind, we’ve listed some of the key office phone system features to consider when purchasing a phone system.
#1 - Auto attendant
Does your organization have multiple departments that someone could be phoning in to speak to? Auto attendant is a business phone system feature that answers inbound calls and directs them to the appropriate person within your business, based on the caller’s response to the automated greeting and menu system. This is an efficient way to quickly and accurately route calls to the appropriate person.
#2 - Voicemail to emails or text
Checking the voicemails on your business phone system can be a laborious process, especially if your organization receives a large number of calls every day. Having your voicemails sent directly to your email address can dramatically improve the efficiency and productivity of your team.
#3 - Compatibility with mobile devices
With remote work on the rise, it’s likely that your business has implemented either fully remote work, a hybrid model or some kind of flexible work environment. That means your employees need to be able to access the business phone system from outside of the office.
A cloud phone system is a solution that isn’t tied to a specific location or office, allowing your employees to access all of the features of your phone system from no matter where they are working from. An alternative solution for more traditional phone systems is mobile twinning, which allows mobile devices to operate as an extension of a business phone.
#4 - Call recording
There are a number of reasons why small and medium-sized businesses can benefit from call recording, whether it be to analyze customer service conversations to improve the overall experience, to review pitches to clients for future improvements or if you are interviewing a client to gain further information for a project. Call recording is far more efficient for your team than trying to rapidly take notes during a conversation.
#5 - Conference bridges
The ability to conduct video or voice meetings with multiple employees or clients across different locations is a highly popular feature in modern business phone systems - and is important for managers. This functionality allows businesses to organize a virtual conference with a large group, no matter where those people are located.
#6 - Call encryption
If you ever discuss sensitive data and information with internal departments or clients over the phone, then your business needs some level of in-call security. Call encryption secures calls and keeps them private through end-to-end encryption, providing your business with peace of mind that the conversation stays between you and the person you’re talking to.
Here at OT Group we can upgrade your business phone system for as little as $19.95. We would love to hear your company’s unique requirements and build a business phone solution that improves the efficiency and productivity of your team.
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