Common Features of a Business Phone System
Business class Telephone systems can be expensive. It would be good to know all of the features available in a business phone system before making a purchase. One of the most important factors when choosing between phone systems, are that the functions of the system you’re buying will be useful to your business.
Remote Phones
Make and receive calls like you’re in the office via your mobile phone app (Apple iOS and Android) or a physical VoIP handset in your home office. A phone system that adapts to your business needs!
Call Waiting and Transfer Function
One of the foundations necessary for success to a business is a good phone system. The main purpose of telephone systems is to provide a variety of functions to manage calls, customers and employees. An important function of any telephone system is the hold and transfer function. The hold and transfer of phone systems usually refers to the ability to place a call on hold while you select the location you need to transfer to, and let the receiver know that you have a call before the transfer. This may be an essential function for customer service. For example, how many times has this happened – a call is transferred, but there is nobody to receive you call? This can cause a high degree of frustration. When choosing among phone systems, consider having the transfer function a part of the telephone network for your company. It is a great feature that can help alleviate the frustration of the customer and employee, by allowing the call receiver to be made aware of the situation before responding. This can also help ensure fast and reliable service to your customers. One of the most important functions in a business is to effectively manage customer traffic. With the hold and transfer function you can expect the phones to be available in your office; you are one step closer to customer satisfaction.
Conference Calls
The conference call feature is another essential characteristic of a business phone system. Conference calls are designed to allow people who might be in different buildings, floors or even different countries to talk together at the same time. This can save valuable time and money. Many companies have a line in, usually 800 numbers that can be called, for example, telecommuting employees can have meetings with a central manager. This can be a great asset to a company. Conference calls, depending on the type of PBX phones used, can also be video capable. If you are using a simple telephone system, there is often a function to put the other party on hold or mute to allow the necessary privacy during a conference call. This can help in situations where negotiations are taking place with parties in multiple locations, offices or with a number of companies. There are a variety of conferencing functions and options available on phone systems and office telephones in today’s market. You should give careful consideration when choosing the functions of a phone system in the office. A company must have the functions it intends to use, while minimizing the number of functions in the phone system that are not used very often. In business, it’s all about being innovative and cost effective, certainly something that can be accomplished with conference calling features.
Integration of multiple phone numbers, lines and extensions
In business, even small ones, there are usually multiple phone lines. If you have enough employees to consider a phone system, then you probably noticed that one of the features of phone systems and its main benefit is the integration of extensions, lines, and even multiple phone numbers that can be sent through a single business phone system. This can greatly increase your company’s ability to handle customers and employees effectively, which is the main objective behind the use of business phone systems. The main thing to look for when considering a phone system is how much capacity the phone server you are using is going to be able to expand and grow. It’s also a good idea to consider and compare traditional services with voice over IP when it comes to bringing together extensions, lines and multiple phone numbers. There are even phone systems that can handle your data needs as well as analog. After all, a central system has its benefits such as the ability to change the line if something goes down, or directing call volume automatically, rather than having to make modifications at the last moment. With integrated lines for the entire company, you can implement things like voice activated au attendants, which allows customers to run through an automated system to help get to the place that can best serve their needs. This can free up employee time and / or reduce unneeded staff.
Line Designations
One of the most difficult tasks of any phone connected to the system is line designation. Phone systems have come a long way from the previous office telephones and telephone systems. As your company grows, you can add new lines, move lines, and change the names of the lines. This is one of the main advantages of having a telephone system for your business. Anticipating the needs of your business, you can ensure that the telephone system you are going to buy for your office is something that can grow with you in the future. Because PBX phones can grow with your company and offer a wide variety of useful functions and features. This is true even if some features, such as changing names and locations of the line are used very rarely. Having the ability to update your system quickly and efficiently is one way of doing business. It also ensures that your customers and employees can communicate with the right place at the right time, all through your telephone system.
Music on Hold
Music on hold is a feature offered by business telephone systems. Music on hold allows individuals, customers, and employees who have to wait hear music. One thing that can cause serious problems with customers is the absolute silence while they wait, making the wait seem even longer. Listening to music while waiting on hold makes the time seem to pass quickly, even if the waiting time becomes long. Playing music on hold has a calming effect, and can keep clients somewhat calm while they wait. This can have a number of benefits for customers and your business. Phone systems with music and other types of messaging systems are used very often. The music on hold feature is easy to set up and can be a worthwhile consideration for anyone who runs a company that deals with high call volume and customer service, especially if the hold time could be several minutes. When you’re selecting features of a business phone system, the music on hold is one of the important features that should be considered. The benefits far outweigh the traditional silence that is accompanied in an original office telephone.
Central Voicemail System
Another benefit and useful feature of business phone systems is a centralized voicemail system. This is where all the voicemail is stored, in a central location. It is usually a standard set of features that can be offered through a phone system. These may include customizing or automating messages and personal messages for various extensions. There are even options for a voice mail system that allows a person to leave a message or be transferred to another operator. This can be a great help in situations where several people have to help a client. A voice mail system allows you to collect your voicemail from any phone or location, rather than be appointed by that extension the telephone system has assigned to you. The voice mail systems also usually have a central number or PIN to permit the review of voice mail from a remote location. This can be a very profitable and useful feature of a phone system and office telephones in general. The voice-mail systems usually have a series of away messages that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as out for lunch and vacation messages. In reviewing the different types of phone systems, consider a telephone system that has a voicemail system.
Multiple Lines
Another benefit for a single phone and a role that can be very useful is the ability to have several lines. These are the types of lines where a single phone line can have a large number of extensions, or manage a large amount of traffic on a set of lines. This is especially useful in the search of phone systems that can manage traffic in call centers. With this course, it is important to ensure that the telephone system can direct the traffic properly and ensure that calls are directed to the correct locations. You can create serious problems in customer service if the calls are lost while waiting to be placed, during transit or after they have been transferred by the telephone system. One of the features you need to carefully consider when purchasing a phone system is its ability to handle the inbound traffic of your business.
Auto Attendant
An auto attendant is a wonderful and innovative feature of the phone system. The auto attendant is a system message that gives you the menu options and information during your call. This system may be essential for routing and addressing high-volume calls, or even creating a small business to target a particular department. This undoubtedly deserves consideration. You can configure the wizard to automatically gather information for you as well as routing and directing calls. This may be a function that saves time and other resources. When a caller hears the options of the auto attendant they can select the proper destination of their call. This means faster and more efficient customer service. When viewing the market for phone systems, consider the possibility of telephone systems that have an automated attendant function. Not only can this feature be used during normal business hours, but can also send calls to voicemail. Phone systems that come with a wide variety of features and options, the role of automated is one of the many options available, depending on the phone system.
Directory Services
The directory service can be different depending on which routing is easier to use and maintain. The directory service options are on the menu, usually auto attendant menus, which asks if you know the party you are trying to reach, or if you would like a list. This directory is usually created either by name or department and search options. The customer does not need to spend extra time looking for the department they need. They can simply use the directory and go directly to the appropriate person. These are all the essential functions of a phone system. When deciding on a phone system for your business, consider all the options that will save you time and money.