You’ve probably heard of voice over IP (VoIP) phone systems, but if you’ve never looked into getting one for your business, here are the best reasons to do it sooner than later.
1. A full-service VoIP provider is affordable
First, if you’re concerned about the cost of switching to VoIP, don’t worry. Today’s providers are affordable and many don’t even require a contract. For example, sipVine is a popular VoIP that doesn’t require a contract, hasn’t increased its rates since 2015, and provides local, live tech support.
If you’re working on your company’s budget and trying to see if a VoIP phone system will work with your finances, you’ll find the cost surprisingly low compared to relying on cell phones.
2. Traditional copper landlines are dying
One of the best reasons to switch to VoIP now is that traditional landlines that use copper wire are dying out and are no longer the standard. If you happen to have landline services for your business currently, your provider is required to maintain the existing infrastructure, but if you move, your new location may not even offer a landline.
It’s much easier to get on board now with VoIP phone services than to wait until you have no choice. If you postpone making the switch, you’ll have to scramble at the last minute to change your phone number on all of your marketing materials, your website, your customer service portal, and everywhere else. You will have an easier time transitioning away from landlines if you start early.
3. Automated call routing
When your customers call your support number, VoIP allows you to program a virtual attendant that will ask them to make a selection in order to properly. This cuts down on the number of agents transfers a customer has to experience and gets them to the right department quickly. If you have extension numbers for your team, you can also give customers the option to dial an extension to reach someone directly.
With call routing, you can give customers different options based on the time of day or even the weekday. For instance, if someone calls after hours, you can give them the option to leave a voicemail. If someone calls on Tuesday, but you don’t offer certain services on Tuesday, you can provide different options to support people who need those services.
4. Virtual faxing
Although fax machines are old technology, they’re still pretty useful for instant, simple communication without having to scan pieces of paper. With a VoIP business phone service, you can get a fax number that will route incoming faxes to an email address so you don’t have to have a fax machine.
5. VoIP offers texting
Although VoIP is a great replacement for using cell phones in your business, you might be hesitant to switch if you use text messaging frequently. The good news is that most good VoIP providers will offer a text message solution that can be set up to work between employees and even customers.
Texts with VoIP phone services are set up through a mobile app that your entire team can easily access. This is much better than traditional texts where customers are concerned because your whole team can see the entire conversation and participate when necessary. Nobody will be left in the dark about what a customer needs and what has already been discussed.
6. Call recording for quality assurance
Making sure your customer service agents are taking care of your customers requires more than just faith. You need to record your customer service calls and listen to them to determine how your customers are being treated. When you use VoIP phone services to record calls, you’ll gain insight into training issues and other problems with your representatives or even your customer service systems at the root.
7. Better call quality
When your employees rely on cell phones to communicate with each other and customers, the call quality is likely inconsistent and frustrating. It happens to everyone. Dead spots drop important calls, and sometimes, you just can’t hear the other person.
VoIP provides a clear channel for communication. Since it’s not reliant on a cell provider and is directly powered by your internet connection, as long as your internet is up, .
A VoIP business phone solution will support your business
Whether you need call routing, reliable conference calls, or you need advanced digital features, a VoIP phone service will give you all that and more. If you haven’t already moved from your legacy phone system to VoIP, now is the perfect time to upgrade.