Choosing the Best Business Phone Services For Your Small Business
Small business phone service providers have a very important role to play in today’s competitive world. Competition is fierce and it is essential that businesses are on their toes. The good news is that the small business phone service market is one of the fastest growing segments in the telecommunications industry today.
It is no secret that people prefer to conduct all of their business through the internet. It is also no secret that businesses need to remain flexible as far as the tools that they use to communicate are concerned. No doubt, staying up-to-date is important. This is why many business owners are choosing to utilize hosted PBX phone solutions for their company. Hosted PBX phone services offer the benefits of a tailored phone service plan and a unified communications platform that fit into any kind of office environment.
There are several virtual phone service offerings available today. The Vonage and the Grasshopper best virtual phone service options include instant dialing, voicemail, call forwarding, call waiting, conferencing, caller ID, music on hold, caller ID block, voicemail to e-mail, call recording, voicemail to e-mail, fax to email, and an integrated voice management system. These two packages alone are quite useful.
For a small business, however, these aren’t enough. Business owners need to look at additional phone service options that are more specialized. For example, Vonage provides web conferences with up to date VoIP technology. The Grasshopper also offers a web-conference option but unlike Vonage, this package doesn’t incorporate voicemail. The Grasshopper is an excellent choice if you need additional features like voice mail or receptionist assistance.
Business phone service providers today often offer business owners a third option known as a voicemail to e-mail. The advantage of this feature is that it enables business owners to use their business auto attendant phone system to make calls without having to rely on their personal cell phones. This allows you to still make calls from your personal cell phone, even if you are away from the office. The best auto attendant phone system should have this functionality, as well as an in-house or external e-mail auto attendant. The ability to make calls using your personal cell phone, even if you are not at the office, is a very valuable business feature.
With the introduction of Skype, the world of instant messaging has expanded significantly. Most major corporations now have their own dedicated virtual phone system that can be used to make calls and send text and voice messages. If you currently have a dedicated virtual phone service plan, you may want to consider upgrading to a Skype calling account. Skype is actually superior to some of the other instant messaging systems on the market today.
Business phone service providers typically offer packages that include both a landline and a cell phone plan. It is important for small business owners to understand that these packages are generally targeted at different audiences. Landline phone service tends to target business owners that may have multiple locations. Cell phone packages generally target younger individuals who generally access the internet through their cell phones. You will need to determine what your specific needs are and what package best fits your needs.
Small business phone services typically provide great customer service and a wide range of features. The most important thing that you should be looking for in a phone provider is easy access to customer service. You should be able to easily contact them regarding any complaints that you may have and resolve them quickly. Customer service is critical in order to grow your business and to ensure that customers remain satisfied with the services that you provide.