Access to information regarding the creation of a small business can help people plan wisely and avoid common pitfalls.
The voicemail features and business voice system integrations listed above this section pertain largely to hosted setups – otherwise called cloud-based or voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone services.
.
In my experience, many provides allow you to keep your number. Number portability is required of telecom providers in the US and I’ve successfully “ported” landline numbers to both Vonage and Packet8. I can’t speak for other providers though.
Multi-tier call menus ( a.k.a. sub-menu) provide additional call menus for teams and departments. Use this feature if you have a department that requires its own call menu. For example, if you have a customer service department, you can set up a multi-tier call menu customized just for that team - 'Press 1 for product support' and 'Press 2 for billing questions'. From here, you can direct callers to colleagues who are specialized in these areas.
XBLUE X16 Small Business 8 Phone System Bundle - Six Outside Lines & Sixteen Phone Capacity - Includes Auto Attendant, Voicemail, Caller ID, Paging & Intercom 4.2 out of 5 stars 81 $898.00 $ 898 . 00
Vonage Business Solutions is a cloud-based communications solution suitable for small and midsize companies. The solution offers a business phone system that enables businesses to connect their VoIP phone system to internet-enable... Read more
One of the main advantages to the call center technology is that Mitel's system integrates well with programs you're likely already using, including Salesforce. While the hosted option is likely to be as reliable as your equipment and tech support, the Cloud-based option's reliability is upwards of 99%. Five global data centers pretty much ensure that if one system goes down, your system will still be functional. Customer service is supported by phone 24/7, as well as via the website. Customer reviews indicate that calls are fielded by live technicians who are competent to answer the majority of questions.
Google voice offers all individuals who need to separate their business calls from their personal calls a second number to use for no monthly fee. Most calls within the United States and Canada are completely free. The price to call certain U.S. numbers that are not free and international phone numbers begin at a penny a minute.
Let us know in the comments if you want to suggest an addition to our list of small business phone services. We’d love to hear about it. We’ll check it out. How Can Your Alma Mater Help Your Small Business? The Importance of a Great Logo for Your Business Sponsored by Fiverr Humanizing the Customer Experience with Technology The A-Z of VoIP Phone Systems and How They can Transform Your Business 6 eCommerce Customer Service Benchmarks for Your Business What Can Small Business Learn From the Rich and Successful? TJ McCue served as Technology/Product Review Editor for Small Business Trends for many years and now contributes on 3D technologies. He is currently traveling the USA on the 3DRV roadtrip and writes at the Refine Digital blog.
This will require the purchase of an analog telephone adaptor (ATA) that connects your desk phone to the VoIP system.
Your business miscommunication issues will immediately lessen with the 8×8 system. You can make better relationships by ensuring the delivery of messages is no longer getting in the way.
Assessing the number and quality of features available can also staggering. We assumed you'll want the basics of call forwarding, voice mail boxes, and a standard menu that lets customers select where they want to direct their calls. But consider other features, like applications that will allow portability from business to cell phone, features that will translate voicemail to text or email, call recording, fax services, and even features that will work with Google documents, Salesforce, or your office software. How much of these additional features does your company really need, and how much are they worth to you?
Nextiva is a powerful small business phone system. You can get toll-free numbers and an auto attendant to answer calls 24/7 along with many other features. There’s a fantastic app for audio and video calls and chats. You can also purchase phonesets for a full voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) phone system. Nextiva is really unified communications, bringing voice and other forms of communication together. For example, voicemails can be sent as an audio file to your email, for ease of checking messages especially when traveling. Feature We Like: its product leadership — Nextiva has a broad feature set and the company keeps expanding it adding business analytics, a CRM platform and more. You also get a dedicated account representative for great service.
Mood can also play an important factor in your recording. Record the greeting in a quiet place, remember to smile, and focus on leaving a positive message that’s sure to please your customers. (Tendant provides an example script you can leverage for your voicemail greeting.) Cut through the noise by speaking clearly. From honking horns to spotty cell service, callers often have their own background noise to contend with. The last thing you want is a missed message due to a lack of clarity, so make sure your outgoing greeting is clear, concise, and recorded at a reasonable pace.
Expand your opening to with 'Thank you for calling [insert company/individual name]' or 'You've reached the voicemail of [insert company/individual name]'. This personal touch goes a long way towards building a rapport even when you're not available to answer the call directly.
For a VoIP system to work, it needs a means of routing calls between users or to the outside world. In a cloud-based system, this gets handled by a virtual PBX. In the cloud, this routing is managed by your VoIP provider, which is part of why you're paying them. Whatever vendor is supplying that is also running a large PBX operation in a data center somewhere, and slicing off a little of it to dedicate to your organization in exchange for your subscription fees.
We’ve mentioned the significance of relaying a simple, easy-to-understand message in your business voicemail greetings, but we need to talk about word choice now. Pay close attention to your word choice in your business voicemail greetings. Certain words trigger certain actions before a person realizes what you actually meant. Here’s a specific example of how word choice can lead to confusion between a client and accountant: