How to determine that it is Time to replace your Office Telephone System

Office telephone systems are an integral part of a business because it serves as the primary medium of communication between the customer and the business. That is why it is important you acquire an office telephone system that will do everything that you need in terms of voice communication. However, some business owners think that their current communication does the entire job for them; well it may or may not.

To help you determine if it time to replace your office telephone system, here are some general guidelines you can gauge your existing system on and see what you could be missing out.

Adequate capacity – Are your customers always complaining to get the engage tone when they call you? Or do you always have to wait for a free line to make a phone call? If yes, then it is time to replace your office telephone system because the insufficient capacity of your current is holding business back.

Cost ineffective – Do you think you’re paying too much on local, national, mobile and international calls? On top of the mind boggling line rentals? Then now is the time to replace your office telephone system.

Lack features – Is your current system doing all the things you need it to do? Or do you have to adjust your business process because your phones cannot cope with it. Are you able to work in flexible conditions without having to worry about missing a call? If not, the now is the perfect time to replace your office telephone with a more flexible system that will let do all the things you need it to do without costing a fortune.

Lock in contract – are you fed up of a lock in contract that prevents you from getting out a provider despite their inefficiency? Then it is time to get out before signing a new contract and look for a provider that will not lock you into one.

CRM integration – Have you always wanted to integrate a CRM with your phones? But your traditional system just couldn’t do it? Then you might want to look into replacing it now.

Remember communication is not enough in a business, it should be an effective communication stream otherwise the whole idea of it will be futile.

Ideal Office Telephone Features for B2B Enterprise

Without a doubt everyone will agree that communication is important for a business to succeed. Whether it is internal or external communication both are equally important to effectively offer good services and sell products with ease. However, it there is probably one market that needs a step beyond an effective communication system then it would have to the B2B market.

B2B or business to business is defined as the trade of commerce between an enterprise and another enterprise. Communication should be taken into better consideration because you will be likely dealing with business owners or someone of high value in the buying company. As such here are some of the must have office telephone features for B2B enterprises.

Professional greeting message – Impress your callers and give your business a high value during the initial contact with a professional greeting message. First impressions do last especially if you are dealing with business owners or managers.

Menu system – Make your customer smile and be BIG in front of them with a sophisticated designed menu system.  Don’t transfer calls from the receptionist to the concerned department, get the caller connected to the concerned department straight away with your very own office telephone menu system.

Dial by extension and or by name directory – Already done with the initial contact? Let your callers contact you directly to your own extension or name just by directly dialing your extension number or your name at the beginning of menu option.

Dedicated message bank with customized busy message –Already engaged with another customer? You don’t want your second caller to hear just the engaged tone. Send them to your voice mail with a customized message to create a sense of courteousness whilst you are with somebody else.

 Automatic call forwarding options – Let you potential customer still contact you in your advertised number even if you are away. With a feature called automatic call forwarding you can direct calls from your main business number to your mobile or home number automatically with just a few press of the button so you’ll never miss a call ever again.

Queue system with customized messages – Can’t avoid putting callers on queue? Then you might want to at least improve their experience with your business with a queue system that will automatically transfer the call to the next available representative. Coupled a customized message that not will not only entertain the caller but can also serve as an up sell medium, you’ll surely hit two birds with one stone.

Office Telephone System – Ideal Set up for Restaurants

We all know that communication is important in any business and restaurants are no exemption to the rule. Apart from remarkable marketing strategy, good menu and courteous staff a good and reliable office telephone system is to conveniently take delivery orders, accept reservations and possibly book birthdays parties and other functions.

Ideally here’s how a Restaurant’s office telephone system should be set up:

Professional greeting message – greet your customer with a professionally designed greeting message, so even if your receptionist is busy assistant walk in customers, callers will still receive high quality service. Additionally, a greeting message can help improve customer impression. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes, where are you likely to order your dinner, a restaurant that greets you when you call them up or a restaurant that immediately tries to grab your order?

Menu system – connect your customers to right person instantly with a menu system. Ideally at least 3 or 4 options are enough to accommodate all the departments of a restaurant.  It is ideal that you allocate an option for, orders, information, corporate and at times the kitchen. This will ensure that all possible queries of a customer will be serviced by your departments accordingly without having to transfer the call.

On hold messages – as part of an up sell strategy it is important that you integrate your products and services with your on hold messages. A caller might be trying to book a dinner but is looking for a function for next week’s business conference may not realize you have one. With the help of on hold messages you can open the door for bigger sales opportunity without having to lift a finger.

Automated booking system – Well, this feature is optional but if you have always dreamt of having a sophisticated office telephone system that will do most of the work for you then this feature is what you have been waiting for. 

Cloud recording capabilities – To ensure the quality of service your staff is providing it is also a must to record all phone call conversation and be able to retrieve anywhere you are. The Cloud call recording feature will let you download or listen to the recordings from any computer and at times even from your smart phones. On top of that, the recordings can also be used to verify orders, bookings and function details.

How to Effectively Compare Business Phone Plans

Before heading out and collecting quotes from different providers. It is best that you start with your needs. List down all your possible requirements in a clean sheet of paper and rethink all the items you have written down. It is also advisable that you categorize the items you have just listed down whether it is an urgent requirement or not, a luxury or a need and create another column that explains why.

After getting your requirements it is now time to seek multiple quotes from various and compare their business phone plans by using the following key points below:

Local calling charges – Compare the local calling charges whether it is a per minute basis or untimed. Blatantly it is better to pay for an untimed business phone plan rather than paying a per minute basis because local calls will be relatively used more and most of the time calls last more than 5 minutes.

National calling charges – A national call is defined as any call that is within the same country but is more than 25 KM of distance. Some providers offer a flat untimed rate for all landline calls regardless whether it is local or national whilst some charge more for national calls. It is best that you clarify the rates especially if you are operating in multiple areas to avoid paying ridiculously priced calls.

Mobile calling charges – There are quite a few considerations you need to bear in mind for mobile calls. Firstly is the actual per minute rate. Secondly is how it is being charge, whether it is billed in 60 second increments, 30 seconds or smaller. The smaller the increments the better, for an instance you are paying 20 cents per minute if the provider is billing it every 60 seconds then you are going to pay 40 cents for a 1.5 minute phone call when it should only be 30 cents if it is billed in 30 second increments. Thirdly, is the flag fall, which is a fixed start fee, some providers have flag falls on top on their dial rates whilst others don’t. So it is best that you put this on top of your list because it can save you tons of money.

International calling charges – Check the dial rates of the possible countries that you might be calling and keep a tabulated comparison handy. This will give you an idea how much you could be spending on your international calls and will also help you decide whether or not to call a number.

Line rentals – Last but not the least are line rentals. Typically this are charges you see in your bill tagged as service and equipment. Compare the cost how much does it cost to own a number across providers and how much is the cost to give the number the ability to receive and make calls which is called the channels or lines.

Office Telephone System – Ideal set up for Hotels

Running hotel entails a lot of responsibilities, you have to ensure that your guest experience superb relaxation, luxury and comfort throughout their stay. One solution that can help you improve your customer’s experience as well as attracting more customers to your business is by streamlining your communication system.

An office telephone system plays a pivotal role in making sure that internal and external communication is up to speed and is available when you need it. With that said, here is a quick overview on how hotel rooms can maximize office telephone systems whilst still cutting down cost.

Unlimited extension capabilities – It is important for hotel rooms to have their own extensions, so it is just a must to seek an office telephone system that offers the ability to add an unlimited number for extensions without paying for any extra cost.

Unlimited outgoing lines – You cannot predict when a guest will place a call. There will be quiet periods wherein no one is actually using the phone whilst there may be a time when everyone is trying to call out. So it is also a must to acquire a business phone system that will offer unlimited calling lines at absolutely no additional cost. This will ensure that your guest will always be able to pick up the phone and call out.

Line sharing – Although it is not very often that your guests will receive incoming phones calls It is still a must for you to have enough lines just in case the phones get a little busy. By sharing incoming lines across the reception and the hotel rooms you are guaranteed that lines will be pulled where it is needed the most during busy time whilst saving money from line rentals.

Smart call transfer options – It is a common scenario in hotels that callers get in touch with reception rather than directly dialing the extension allocated to the person they are looking for. So, it is a must for your receptionist to be able to transfer the call in a manner called the attendant transfer wherein she calls the guest first and ask whether they wish to receive the call or not before transferring it to them.

Automated booking system – Whilst the internet is the main avenue for booking a hotel these days it still pays to have an automated phone booking system in place. This will cater to individuals who are not fond of the internet.

CRM Integrated – Centralization is the key in running a hospitality business. You need to have all information spot when the guest request for it so it is only a must to have a CRM integrated with your phones. A CRM does all the storing and sorting files and the phone does all the communication – a perfect combination.