How to choose the right phone system for your business

Phone SystemAs technology advances the choices now available to you have dramatically increased. If you are considering a new phone system, you need to know that you are getting the best service from a specialist who understands your requirements and will help you select the right phone system for your business.

Is it time to switch?

A phone system can revolutionise the way you work. It can save you time, whilst also increasing your revenue, staff productivity and profitability. To check if now is the right time for you to switch, see if any of the following are true for you:

  • You are relocating premises
  • Your workforce has increased
  • Your need for voice capacity has increased
  • Your old system has become unreliable
  • You are looking for a more cost effective solution
  • You want to generate more sales
  • You need more flexibility or functionality.

What do you need from your new phone system?

Before contacting suppliers for a new system, there are a number of things you should consider. Ensure you have answered the following so that you can challenge any supplier to fully deliver your needs.

  • How many users would benefit from a phone on their desk?
  • How reliant is your business on the phone system operating?
  • Do you need to monitor staff performance more efficiently?
  • Do any calls go through an assistant before reaching the desired contact?
  • Will you be taking on new staff in the near future?
  • Will your staff be working remotely in the future?
  • Will your new phone system be expected to work alongside databases?
  • Are you looking to invest in a new system or prefer to pay nothing upfront?
  • How much downtime can your business sustain?

What features should I expect?

Choosing the right features for your phone system will drive both efficiency and productivity, while saving you money in the long run. Functionality of your current system will be a necessity. It’s also important to consider new features offered from your new provider that will increase your productivity, marketing reach and generate more revenue.

VOIP versus traditional phone lines

VOIP refers to voice over internet protocol, meaning that call data is carried over the internet, rather than via traditional phone lines. VOIP offers substantial cost savings over traditional long distance phone calls. The main disadvantage of VOIP is a greater potential for dropped calls and degraded voice quality when the underlying network is busy. If you are considering VOIP you should check your broadband capability first to see if it will be able to support this. Some suppliers can offer a hybrid system, which gives you a backup if your broadband fails.

Support, service and after care

Your phone system is a key platform to running your business successfully and communicating effectively with both internal staff members and external clients and suppliers. You need a system that you can rely on, and if something does go wrong, a supportive, fast-reacting service is there to help you get you back to normal. Make sure your supplier has a support service level agreement, this should give you the confidence that you are in safe hands. The industry works to a standard of two hours for most faults to be rectified with major faults taking a maximum of 24 hours.

Pioneer Business Systems offers bespoke phone systems designed around your business with features to improve your business, contact Pioneer Business Systems today to find out how it can help.


To find out more information please visit www.pioneercomms.co.uk.

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