Business phone systems no longer serve as a tool for simply making and receiving calls. Today voice over IP communications systems allow employees to communicate by phone, video, and text, which is giving businesses the flexibility to connect with customers and clients in any way they prefer and from anywhere. Hosted VoIP is the easiest and most affordable option for your business phone system.
As a small business you probably have seen your competitors or vendors contacting clients with video calls and webinars and wondered how they are doing it, and how can they justify the cost. The reality is business phones systems have changed and technology allows you to do all of those things without any additional cost. In fact in many cases it costs less to migrate to a VoIP system with superior features than what you pay for that antiquated pbx you work to keep alive year after year.
Here are 3 features available on a hosted VoIP phone system free of cost that would be extra upgrades on a traditional PBX.
Auto Attendant
Unlimited auto-attendants are included with every VoIP solution and offer automated answering, prompts, and call routing based on the caller’s inquiry. Callers have the option to exit out of auto-attendant or dial direct extensions at any time. Even if you have a live receptionist handling calls during the day wouldn't it be nice to have an auto attendant to route calls after hours? Auto attendants make your phone system more efficient and help your clients get the service they need whether your in the office or not.
Video Conferencing
Cloud-based video conferencing is now included as part of a VoIP all-in-one phone system. A unified communication solution allows for real-time collaboration with colleagues across the world through face-to-face virtual meetings, video messaging, and direct conferencing. You might be thinking well we don't use video today and we once invested in it and never used. There is a reason for that, the old technology was complicated to use, expensive to buy and took to much effort. Today's technology allows you to launch a video call from your email client while sitting at your desk or laptop. It doesn't require a bunch of expensive video equipment or a dedicated room. Any IP camera like the one in your laptop will work great. How much more powerful would your sales team be if they could set up video calls and demos with perspective customers on a daily basis?
SMS Texting
Connect with your clients immediately via SMS and MMS messages. All of us carry our cell phones around with us 24/7 365. With hosted VoIP you can push out new sales and marketing promotions, communicate critical information, and provide updates to keep your clients informed. SMS delivers an unparalleled customer service experience because it is immediate and responsive.
In addition to the above features, hosted VoIP provides you with survivability should your Internet go down, virtual fax so you can eliminate the cost of fax lines, the ability to procure additional phone numbers on the fly, dial plan changes on the fly, 24/7 support included in the cost and mobility with a mobile app allowing you to work from anywhere and anytime.
