Have you ever considered a VOIP telephone system for your business?
If so, you’ll know that it’s a difficult decision because it’s probably completely foreign to you (as it was for me, even though I had been working in IT for over 14 years at that stage).
How does this whole VOIP thing work? Why have I heard people complain about their VOIP telephone systems? Should I not just stick to my trusty copper-based landline system? Will I really see the amazing cost savings that everyone is promising? How do I know that I’ll be getting a quality system and one that suits the specific needs of my business?
I also had these questions (and even more) when I was the IT manager of a pretty large company and was tasked with replacing our 250-extension telephone system… and I had no clue.
So, what do you do? Many people have found success by:
a) Doing their own research and spending quite a bit of time understanding the technology, learning what to look for, and how to make a good decision (my respect to you).
b) Asking family, friends, and fellow business owners for advice and referrals (always a good option).
c) Taking a chance and going for a solution where you can quickly and easily build and order your system online and hoping for the best (not highly recommended).
But there are a few things you should know before you buy and implement a VOIP telephone system to ensure you avoid the frustration and uncertainty I had when making this very important and often quite costly decision for your business.
In this post, we will tell you what you need to know to make sure you select the right system and the right company (to ensure that you get the great service and support that you deserve) that will let you successfully transition from your old analog telephone system to a modern VOIP telephone system with a multitude of new features and benefits that will help your company grow and, amazingly, also save you a bunch of money every month.
If you’re looking for a new VOIP telephone system, the best method to ensure you end up with something that delivers on the goal of increasing productivity and ensuring you don’t frustrate your customers with busy lines or, even worse, lines that are completely down for days (the stats say you’ve already had to deal with this and probably more than once over the last few years) is by looking for these things:
Make sure the VOIP company you choose builds and designs a custom system for your business after doing a thorough site inspection (we’ll give you a FREE report on what we found) to ensure that we design the system according to what you already have and add what you need to ensure that when your brand new VOIP telephone system is installed, it works as it should from day one. If they don’t, you’ll have trouble (we know this from the sad stories we had to endure in the boardrooms of companies that were highly frustrated and at their wits’ end with their current system).
When making your decision, ensure that the VOIP telephone system you choose is well-known in the industry and widely used. We use Yealink handsets, which are now the No.1 IP Handset brand in South Africa and the world! (How’s that for peace of mind?)
Any good VOIP company that’s worth their salt should let you cancel your service with a 1-month notice period. This is important because if they don’t, then you have to wonder why they would have the need to lock you into a long-term contract. For us, it’s simple – if you’re not happy with our service, then you should be free to move on (who wants to stay in a relationship if one of the parties doesn’t want to be there anymore?)