Know Your Phone System Options Before Contracting Phone Installers

A phone system is one of the most fundamental yet significant purchases a business will make. True, times are changing and communication methods are evolving to a more digital platform. However, there is currently no comparable substitute for the telephone, and many customers prefer it over digital communications such as email or online chat.

There are several aspects to be aware of before choosing one of the many available phone installers. For instance, the phone system chosen will need to support not only the business's current needs, but also have room to support future growth. This will require some internal forecasting along with comparing various systems' capabilities as determined by phone installers.

When discussing system capabilities and size with the phone installers, there will typically be two main factors to focus on:

• Lines: These may also be called 'trunks'. The number of lines refers to the total number of outside lines the company will need.
• Extensions: Extensions will be required for every appliance within the office that needs to connect to the phone system. This includes not only telephones, but devices such as fax machines, modems, credit card terminals as well.

Another important step before contracting any phone installers is to determine what system features your business will require. Office telephone systems offer hundreds of options for switching calls and directing phone traffic. It is best to narrow down the ones that your company will need by determining which features will improve workflow and workplace productivity rather than creating chaos. A few popular features that come as a standard in most systems include:

• Conferencing: These features can vary a great deal. When making a decision, be sure to consider how often conference calls will be made and how many people may be calling in. If you discover that the conferencing elements your company requires are not easily available, ask the phone installers about separate teleconferencing options.
• Auto-attendant: This refers to a recorded message that answers the phone and instructs callers on how to reach certain people or departments. Depending on the volume of calls your business receives, this may be a valuable choice rather than hiring someone to answer each call.
• Dial-By Options: These options offer callers the ability to find who they are looking for through dial by name, dial by extension, or dial from directory services.
• Music-On-Hold: Rather than leaving callers to wait in silence while on hold, music-on-hold allows you to apply a music source that will provide them with tunes to keep them entertained for that time.
• Automatic Call Forwarding: Phone installers highly recommend this as a valuable feature to include in your system. Incoming calls are routed to a different number, such as a cell phone. This allows callers to directly access your employees even when they are off-site, rather than being directed to a voicemail or having to hang up and dial the cellular number.

Purchasing a business phone system may seem like a simple task there are numerous features and capabilities that you will run across. It is important to educate yourself and do some internal evaluations prior to contracting one of the abundant phone installers available. They will all be eager to help, but only you will know your business's specific requirements and what features may become a hindrance rather than a benefit.

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