Common Mistakes When Buying Business Telephone Systems
A business telephone system is a major investment. It can cost hundreds or even thousands of pounds, so you need to make sure that you choose a system that will work well for your business now and in the years to come. With so much choice available, many businesses find choosing business telephone systems difficult. This can sometimes lead to them making rash decisions and buying a system that doesn’t adequately meet their needs. This can negatively impact business operations and hold a company back, preventing it from being competitive and reaching its true potential. The right business telephone system will deliver a rapid return on investment, improving performance in many areas of your business. In this article, we cover the most common mistakes made when buying a business telephone system and help you learn how to avoid them.
Failing to consider all of the options
When it comes to business telephone systems, there is a wide range of options available. Unfortunately, it is common for businesses to limit their options before they have even considered all of the possibilities. Often, people are intent on sticking to what they know, whether this a particular type of system or a specific brand. Others have preconceived ideas about different systems and decide to avoid certain types of phone systems, without researching the potential benefits. Some of these preconceived ideas are unfounded and although different systems fit in to different categories, there are increasingly variations within these categories and there are even hybrid systems available. For example, many modern business telephone systems offer the best functionality of both VoIP and traditional PBX systems.
Instead of limiting your options before you even begin, take the time to consider what you want from a new business telephone system. List all of the features that are essential as well as those that are desirable. Consider the specific needs of your business; do you operate across multiple sites? Do you have mobile and remote workers? How many employees do you have? What is your budget? Also, make sure that you have a clear understanding of what it is that you would like to achieve with your new telephone system; would you like a rapid return on investment? Do you need to increase efficiency or reduce costs? Do you need to enhance call centre performance and improve customer services? Once you have a good idea of your needs and desires, invite providers in to discuss your criteria and see what solutions they can offer. It might be that the best solution is something that you never would have considered otherwise.
Avoiding new technologies
This is related to the first point. It is extremely common for businesses to avoid new technologies and this is primarily due to fear of the unknown. For example, many businesses are delaying switching to SIP/VoIP technology despite the fact that it could save them a substantial amount of money. Some assume that new technologies will always be more expensive whilst others have concerns about security or the quality of calls. However, these assumptions are largely unfounded and it’s better to take the time to do a little bit of research before arriving at a judgement. SIP is an extremely cost-effective option, compared to conventional business telephone lines such as analogue and ISDN. The monthly cost of SIP trunks is much cheaper and they will enable you to enjoy much lower call costs too. Therefore, it is at least worth considering a phone system that is compatible with SIP technology.
Buying a phone system that isn’t scalable
Some businesses purchase a new phone system based solely on their present needs, without considering how these might change in the future. Whilst current requirements are important, it’s also important to think about future growth. Most businesses need a phone system that is easily scalable, to make it easy to add new users and additional features when they are required. You don’t want to have to replace your entire system a year down the line because it is no longer adequate for your needs. Nor do you want to have to call an engineer out every time you need a new extension, unless this is a rare occurrence, as this will prove costly and inconvenient. If you have plans to open new offices, you could save your business a fortune later down the line by investing in a system now that is capable of being a centralised platform for offices in multiple locations. This way, you won’t have to install an entire new phone system in every office that you open. Talk to your provider about your future growth plans and make sure that the solution they offer is going to meet both your current and future needs.
Watch our video – “Help Choosing a business telephone system from Midland Telecom Networks”