Check these facts before purchasing your next business telephone system.

Does your Business telephone system work for you? Or, do you repeat un-necessary tasks to get the same results? Are you putting your business at risk by loosing customers and huge costs involved? There are a few problems that must be looked at to resolve the issue.

Cost. Size Features Services Management Production Training Maintenance

Cost is always number one in the buying decision. This can be a catch if you experience rapid growth or expansion. The basic starter system is usually equipped with 4 outside lines and up to 8 telephones. The main question is can it be expanded? Or do I have to purchase a whole new control unit. Programming not included.

VOIP Business lines from the local company are expensive. All of the copper and fiber optic lines needed to connect to your company are expensive. They pass this expense on to you. VOIP on the other hand is provided through the internet or a private cloud. This cuts down the operating cost dramatically. The main trouble with VOIP is the ability of the lines to hunt one another. That is, if the main number is busy, the call goes to the next available line. With new companies cropping up and problems solved. It is now available to have multiple incoming lines for about half price. Over a years time, this can add up to a huge savings. Plus get unlimited US long distance and new features free!

PBX or Key PBX is typically for systems with either many lines or phones. Key systems have each line appear on every phone. Some systems allow the programming of different lines on certain phones. The other catch is if the voice mail is capable of two different company greetings and is large enough to support double capacity. Some systems can handle multiple companies and users on the same system.

Analog or Digital Digital is the choice or main design on multiline phones. Most new systems require a single pair of wires to make the phone work. Analog phones can still be needed or utilized. Fax machines, cordless phones and credit card machines all use analog lines. Would it be useful to have a cordless phone in the office? How many times has a company sent a fax to the main number? If a analog line was in place to send the fax, it could be done manually. Or better yet, some systems have fax detection built in. The call is automatically routed to the fax machine! A combination of both types are great for business solutions.

Features When a call is transferred to an extension and not answered, how long will the caller wait for voicemail to answer? If the receptionist knows the person is unavailable, can she transfer the call direct to voice mail? A visual indication on her board can tell if the person is on some systems.
What about the caller that leaves their message and it is too fast or garbled? Cell phones and wireless can distort sound. Caller ID can be stamped on every message, so the office personell can return the call. Great feature!
Complicated instructions or lengthy details can be very time consuming on the phone. Some systems allow call recording. Record it and then play it back for review or write down the important details.
A good autoattendant can be useful for overflow or to replace the main operator.
Training The best feature and systems are useless if the employee or user is untrained. If the system has too many steps to complete the function, it may be avoided. A simple to use and simple to explain system is needed. Uniform training and resources is key to a great operation. Waisted time is waisted money!

Remote Access If a technician or manager has remote access to the programming, time and money can be saved. Remote change of the company greeting is greating or holiday message. What about making new phoes ring or restrict access to users. Remote access can save time and money!

There are a few systems on the market that are feature rich with many of the advanced features in their basic package. Many systems offer advanced features only if you pay more as an expansion. At http://advancedtelecommunications.com there is a few systems with all the features at no extra charge. Thanks for your time.

David Schopper is the author and lead technician at Advanced Telecommunications.com. You can save time and money on your next NC Business Telephone Systems by learning about new discoveries and innovations. Pay a little now or pay a bunch more down the road. VOIP will save you money!