The virtual phone system craze is in full swing. Everything from small startups to national chains has started to use virtual phone systems to ditch their conventional, high-cost options, and quite a few providers have sprung up due to this.
However, they’re not all built the same.
With the uptick in service providers, some options have hit the market that just doesn’t stack up. In this quick guide, we’ll give you a list of the must-have features any good virtual phone system should have to help you get the most from your investment.
1: Solid Communication
The most basic feature any virtual phone system should have is reliable communication. You should be able to make, receive, and maintain calls without worrying about service dropping, calls being cut off before they reach you, or unclear signals making communication difficult.
You can check the quality of a service’s communication features by reading online reviews.
2: Texting
Your virtual phone system won’t just be used to communicate with customers. It will be an invaluable tool for your team to relay messages. Sometimes, messages are brief enough to not warrant making a phone call over them. In that case, texting is necessary. Rather than Jim having to call you in the middle of a meeting to tell you about the coffee machine breaking, he can simply text you, and you can read it at your convenience. It’s a small, yet important, feature of any virtual phone system.
3: Call Forwarding and Holding
Let’s say you have a customer on the line, and they have a question you can’t answer. With call forwarding, you can forward them to a team member who knows the answer, or with call holding, you can put them on hold while you find a solution to their problem. Without these features, you’re forced to keep them on the line, probably eavesdropping on your office activity or wondering where you went until you can find the answer you need.
Not every service offers this, and it’s crucial for running a professional business.
4: Phone Number Options
Your busi’ness needs to look and function professionally. Having your business number is key to do that. A good virtual phone system provider will offer to let you transfer an existing number or create one from a slew of options. Things to look for include 1-800 numbers, toll numbers, and international numbers. You’ll need to pick the option that suits your business model, but having options is 100% necessary.
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5: Customization Options
Let’s face it. Giving every team member full access to your virtual phone system is a bad idea. Settings can be altered and affect your business, or someone might gain access to conversations and features they don’t need to see. Being able to customize the set of permissions each user has is critical.
A good virtual phone system will let you turn different features on and off depending on which user is logged on.
Minor options such as personalized messages, hold music, etc are also a nice touch to look for.
Choose the Right Provider
Don’t just pick the cheapest option available. Make sure your virtual phone system provider offers all of the options above, and it’s nice to look for additional features that may benefit your business.