Top “secrets” that VOIP sellers won’t tell
Here’s a great reality in the VOIP industry that you will not mostly find out in any of their marketing: ALL VOIP systems essentially have equivalent features and capacities.
Certainly, there are a couple of things some VOIP providers can do that others can’t, however, it’s a serious field and each component offered by one VOIP provider is offered by them all. Thus, all the promoting publicity about how their service is “the most awesome” one is simply an advertising stunt that ought to be placed side by side with other considerations.
All in all, how should you sift through the details, and what are the things you should identify?
I. The MAIN VOIP Feature: POST-SALES SERVICE
The main “highlight” is not the actual phone product but the POST-SALE SERVICE – the people setting it up, those that introduce it, design it and ensure it works, and the support team you will call when you need assistance.
Not surprisingly, most entrepreneurs and office admins are not highly-equipped to properly install or troubleshoot a phone system and customize it, nor would they like to learn. They don’t have time to become specialists at VOIP frameworks– they basically need an EASY-TO-USE framework that works reliably.
That is the reason you need to truly research the POST-SALES SERVICE:
- When something turns out bad can’t do what you are required to?
- How simple is it to get quick, simple, and accommodating help?
- Who will be there to manage the new VOIP system and ensure it works?
II. Two basic POST-SALES questions you need to pose to the VOIP provider BEFORE you purchase:
1. CUSTOMIZED INSTALLATION: Who will install my new VOIP system and customize it for my particular situation?
Be aware of your specific needs. Many VOIP sellers will simply send you a phone package and expect you to set it up yourself. They’ll just tell you to just simply “plug it in.” Without doing anything particular for your situation, they’ll hand-over you a 100-page manual you’ll have to go through and a “talk-to-a-support” site that will direct you to a bunch of FAQs which you will need to discover yourself until you find it tedious and disappointing. Finding the perfect solution in the sea of words only happens rarely.
More terrible yet – in the event that you CAN’T fix it, how exactly might they help you? Do they have nearby specialists who will go to your office and set it up? Investigate it? This carries me to the next point…
2. AFTER-SALES HELPLINE: How do I find support if the phone isn’t working?
We all know how frustrating it is to get client support from a major, anonymous, unremarkable corporation.
So we suggest you search for a dependable and nearby VOIP provider who won’t just set up the phone for you and modify it for your particular necessities, but in addition, be there to offer customized help, training, on-phone and on-site service should the need emerges.
III. The need for an IT Firm
VOIP lives in the internet. Hence, it is important to work with a VOIP provider that also functions as an IT firm, similar to Troinet. Since VOIP lives in your computer systems, the network should be evaluated before introducing a VOIP to guarantee it can appropriately deal with the additional bandwidth prerequisites and to guarantee that the firewall and switch are designed to meet security needs. Only an IT firm can do this appropriately.
By doing the appraisal BEFORE you subscribe to VOIP, you can foresee the costs and plan better.
Once more, many VOIP vendors will not do this appraisal (or will not do it appropriately) and afterward will sell you a product package, only to let you spend thousands of dollars that are not necessary at all.
IV. AI-Driven Assistant
V. Route Calls When Internet Service Goes Down
VI. Holiday and After-Hours Call Management
VII. Customized Voice Recording While Waiting
VIII. Recorded Messages Sent by E-mail
- When someone calls a person and the latter is away from his desk,
- the system will ask for a recorded message from the caller.
- This special feature will then copy a converted version into an e-mail attachment
- and send it to the e-mail address assigned for that extension.
- The receiver/s can then listen to that voice message even if they are away
IX. Fax To E-mail
X. Ring Me Outside
XI. Broadcast System
