How to simplify shopping for your office phone system
If you are a small business owner or someone who has recently been tasked to “fix our phone system”, I am sure you have many questions as to where you are suppose to start. Here’s some simple steps get you going in the right direction when replacing an existing phone system or setting up a new phone system, specifically in terms of VoIP.
1) How many phones?
You really should only have to purchase the number of phone you are going to actively use. Most VoIP companies charge monthly service based on number of extensions (or “seats”) and additional extensions can be added very easily. Having a phone on the empty desk will be costly and unnecessary.
2) Available Internet provider?
VoIP heavily relies on the Internet connection. Shopping for a high-speed Internet that is reliable is key to having the best experience on VoIP. When looking for the Internet plans, be sure to look for download AND upload speed to make sure you have an adequate bandwidth. For simplicity, use the number 0.1Mbps per phone download and upload to dedicate to the phone use + your computer data use. There are many Internet providers that you may not have heard in your area and Telonium Sales Team can definitely help you find the right Internet carrier for you during this process.
3) Inbound Caller Experience?
Every phone system is customizable to define how a caller is greeted and routed when they dial your business number. For many, this will be the first impression to your business and should sound professional and consistent. You should consider the initial greeting (if any), followed by call routing option. Do you have a person or group of people that typically answers the phone? Should you offer options to the caller to properly route the calls to a person or group of people in your office? Again, these types of options can be discussed with our sales team to create your customized phone system.
4) Switch-over date?
Please allow ample amount of time for your timeline when it comes to switch-over date. Consider any contracts you might be in for your phone service and Internet service to avoid any cancellation charges. The longest part of the switch-over is the porting process (moving of your existing number). This can take few weeks and we advise your prospect to start this process as soon as possible. The next longest is the ordering of the phones, which typically takes 5 business days to arrive. Everything else can be done over the phone. If you don’t have an existing phone number, Telonium can assign a new phone number right over the phone within minutes!
Shopping for the phone service provider or setting up a new phone system for your office can be daunting, but it’s really simple if you have the right staff to assist you along the way. Telonium can walk you through the entire process with you so that you are never lost in the process of infinite options. When you are ready to setup your phone service at your office, let us know!
