6 Benefits of Small Business Phone Systems
The systems businesses use to answer calls and communicate drive efficiency and customer satisfaction. Traditional office phone systems are antiquated, inefficient, overly complex, and expensive.
The solution is to upgrade to a virtual business phone system that can improve workflow and ensure your customers are cared for and satisfied.
What Is a Small Business Phone System?
A small business phone system is a multi line phone system that offers a wide range of features that can help a business thrive and grow.
These systems offer advanced features such as unlimited calling, auto attendant, ring groups, conference calls, voicemail-to-email, call recording, and more. A business phone system is often run through the Internet, making it more cost-effective and easy to manage.
Scalability and Sales Potential
When small businesses first start, they can often handle their call volume manually. But as businesses grow, more calls go to voicemail and it takes longer to solve complex customer issues. Businesses that do not utilize modern tools and set themselves up to grow and take on more customers will fail.
Attempting to scale an old-school, desk-locked phone system is not only inefficient but it’s expensive and difficult. Expanding a traditional phone system requires hardware installation, upgrades, and added lines. These outdated systems can also force you to spend more than you need to, as many line plans come in set increments.
But virtual business phone systems are a breeze to tailor to your needs with a few quick clicks. Growing your business with a cloud-based system is exponentially easier and more convenient. A virtual business phone system also offers more flexibility and streamlined processes to ensure employees can comfortably handle higher call volumes.
An organized phone system also allows new employees to catch on quickly, making the onboarding and training process more efficient so your staff can quickly grow with your business needs.
Enhanced Remote or Hybrid Work
Today, many employees work remotely or have a hybrid setup where they work from home sometimes and come into the office on certain days. Managing a unified team and fostering streamlined communication when only some or no employees are in the same location is challenging and messy.
But doing away with the remote and hybrid work models, according to studies, will substantially lower employee satisfaction, leading to poor performance or even a lack of staff. Luckily, virtual business phone systems can make remote communication convenient and ensure even employees at home are on the same page as the rest of the team.
The flexibility of a cloud-based system ensures remote workers stay in the loop and can perform alongside their team just as well as if everyone was in the same office. The next section will detail the general communication benefits of these systems, like conference calls and instant messages. These communication features are highly beneficial for remote and hybrid workers.
Better Collaboration and Communication
Effective communication and collaboration are what make successful teams and thriving businesses. A virtual business phone system can enhance communication and cultivate collaboration so your team can work together better and offer the best customer experience possible.
As mentioned, both on-site and remote workers can handle phone calls and work together, despite not being in the same physical space. Improved collaboration leads to increased productivity, as workers can exchange information easily and understand priorities. It also eliminates the need for shouting across the office or “sneakernet,” which refers to employees walking around the office space to communicate with fellow workers.
It may seem small, but getting up and walking across a room to talk to someone substantially slows workflow and decreases productivity. Plus, it’s annoying for busy workers. Something as simple as abbreviated or four-digit dialing, meaning speed dials and quick extensions, can make communication substantially easier and lessen employee frustration.
Having to dial four full phone numbers just to get confirmation on something is a headache, but speed dials make the process faster and easier. These systems can also connect employees via different avenues, like video calls, instant messaging, data sharing, and more, without using five different platforms.
This unified communication also means you don’t have to pay for multiple platforms! And finally, a virtual phone system can offer advanced conference call setups to make meetings pleasant and simple.
Improved Customer Experience
A business phone system not only helps employees, but it can drastically improve the customer experience, leading to higher customer satisfaction, more repeat customers, and other benefits. Nowadays, customers expect more than ever.
Calling a business and being sent to voicemail or receiving no answer can be detrimental, possibly causing the customer to seek products or services elsewhere. Even if your product or service is the best around, you won’t build a decent customer base without top-notch customer service.
A virtual business phone system ensures employees rarely miss calls, and if they do, they can get back to the customer sooner. Auto attendants also improve the customer experience, ensuring they receive help and information automatically. And it saves everyone time, as customers can input information and be directed to the correct person. An internet-based phone system also means your team can answer calls from anywhere!
Many virtual business phone systems can integrate with CRM systems and customer support software, making it easy to help customers and improving response times. A customer’s information and history with the company can be pulled up before an employee even answers the phone, streamlining customer support and giving employees more tools to handle customer problems.
These systems can track and manage calls, making it easy for different employees to communicate with one customer. If you’ve ever had a problem with a company that required multiple phone conversations, nothing is more frustrating than having to repeat your information and situation to multiple different employees. Tracked calling and CRM integrations keep everyone on the same page so customers feel heard and valued.
Better Company Reputation
As a business, your reputation and image are everything. Even if you have a top-notch product or service and dedicated staff, you cannot generate new customers with a poor reputation. A modern phone system, as mentioned, helps you assist customers faster and offers a more streamlined system.
Clear communication and convenient systems keep customers happy, which betters your reputation. Consider the scenario mentioned above, where it feels like none of the employees are trying to help you communicate with another. A virtual phone system and integrated CRM helps employees can better understand customer needs and dilemmas.
When a business helps customers efficiently and thoughtfully, the customers are more likely to return and recommend the business to friends, family, and acquaintances. The last thing you want is for people to think you offer lackluster customer service or are an outdated company with old-school operations.
Simple tools like business phone systems can make your company seem more professional and prepared to meet customer expectations. And the better your reputation, the more sales potential you have.
While many businesses think a high-quality product or service is the key to generating sales, excellent customer service and advanced operations are just as important. Don’t let your business fall behind competitors because of something as simple as your phone system, especially if you have a sensational product or service to offer consumers.
Streamlined Operations
It’s hard to fully understand how much a virtual business phone system can improve operations until you use one. But the improvements are monumental compared to old phone systems. A quality phone system helps workers stay organized, share information, and work flexibly, leading to faster operations and higher employee and customer satisfaction.
Staff can access information and communications from wherever they are whenever they need. These systems can consolidate workflows, optimizing business processes so employees finish tasks on time and problems are dealt with efficiently.
With a single click, you can add users, delete users, run reports, manage calls, assess performance, and simplify administrative tasks in several ways. Virtual phone systems make life easier for you, your staff, and your customers.
The advanced features and phenomenal inconvenience allow you and your employees to focus on more complex and productive tasks that propel your business forward.
Saves Money and Makes Money
Last but not least, these virtual phone systems can save you money! Setting up a new and modern phone system sounds expensive, but it can save you money while helping you make more money.
The streamlined operations mean you can use company time better, enhanced customer experience improves sales and cloud-based setups only make you pay for what you need. Overall, an advanced virtual business phone system can help you save money on operations and increase sales through customer satisfaction, making it a win-win.
Bottom Line
A cloud-based phone system is a crucial modern tool for any consumer-facing business. Customers expect prompt help, and teams need easy communication tools to share information and complete tasks. The days of walking across the office to ask someone a question or dialing ten digits to reach your manager are over.
A virtual business phone system improves business processes for everyone, including you, your customers, and your staff.
