Not all VOIPs are created equal. In a growing competitive market, it is important to be aware of the features your VOIP provider offers you.
This is mostly true for business customers. Some providers install you with features you don’t need just to extract huge commissions. We started working with VOIP phone systems in New Jersey and New Your in 1998.
After encountering lots of feedbacks, installations, and repairs, here are some of the things we recommend you to look for when choosing the right VOIP phone system for your business:
I. The MAIN VOIP Feature: POST-SALES SERVICE
Post-sale service is very important and often neglected by customers purchasing VOIP services. 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?
At Troinet, are here to help you make sure your customers have a great experience from beginning to end.
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 a VOIP-equipped 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.
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- Find out what VOIP providers won’t tell
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IV. AI-Driven Assistant within the phone system
The Auto-Attendant feature permits you to assist guests through a voice-given menu so they can select and be forwarded to the appropriate individual or division without incurring the expenses of a human operator.
V. Route Calls When Internet Service Goes Down
A vital component for VOIP is having a prompt, programmed fallback for calls if and when the Internet goes down. VOIP providers that understand the importance of this feature will also provide for a mobile phone reinforcement for your VOIP network so your lines can keep working regardless of whether the Internet goes down.
VI. Holiday and After-Hours Call Management
Pretty much there are times that businesses need calls to be taken care of in an unexpected way. The After-Hours and Holiday mode enable you to create special management for calls on certain days, weeks, months, or holidays.
VII. Customized Voice Recording While Waiting
This is a crowd-favorite. When your customers are on hold, you can deliver pre-recorded voice messages that talk about your products and special promotions, or just simply greet them about the current season or holiday. Many times, this is better than music because not all have the same preferences as you.
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VIII. Recorded Messages Sent by E-mail
This is a VOIP element a large number of our customers don’t request at first but later realize as one of their top choices. Here’s the way it works:
- 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
How about a VOIP feature that instantly recognizes a call as a fax message and just converts the incoming fax to a PDF, then e-mail it to you? This capability just exactly does that. Any inbound phone number can be converted to have a fax-receiving capability.
X. Ring Me Outside
This is a top pick of customers who are frequently on the road or outside their office. When someone calls your office phone and you’re not present, this VOIP feature will ring your mobile or laptop. You can also choose to ring your office phone, mobile, and laptop all at once, or ring them sequentially (e.g. office phone first, then mobile, then laptop). With this feature, you won’t miss a call again!
XI. Broadcast System
This highlight gives any handset the capacity to be used as a broadcast or paging system for the business. The speaker announcements from one mic and his or her voice are played within the company premises. Another sub-feature of this allows you to record your voice and broadcast it to all assigned phones.
XII. Call Queuing System
When there is a high volume of calls, you don’t want to lose customers because of their frustration with the busy dial tone and the feeling of being neglected. You want a VOIP feature to place them in a queue, with a custom message that they will be attended to once the next agent is available. This feature will also eliminate the process of passing the caller to various agents, and will directly send them to the specialist.