Confused by Business VoIP Providers? Try and Avoid These Mistakes

The typical business owner may already know that VoIP provides exceptional call quality, lower communication cost and streamlined operations. Learning the benefits is actually the easy part. The challenge when making a change in communications for the business environment is selecting the system that meets the needs of the environment as well as the budget. It demands a close evaluation of business VoIP providers.

A recent RingCentral (News - Alert) whitepaper provides some valuable insight into the process of selecting the right solution. While this resource pays attention to the importance of business VoIP providers, it also highlights the mistakes to avoid in the selection process. As many decision makers are entering this new realm, it’s valuable to learn from the mistakes of others and enjoy success from the day of deployment.

So what are the mistakes to avoid when selecting a business phone system? The first one is to avoid automatically going with the service provider that supplies your home communications. AT&T (News - Alert) may be giant that supplies your home and mobile devices with service, but is it the best choice to power your business communications? It’s important to evaluate several options based on needs and best practices and not let loyalty to a brand dictate the decision.

The second mistake to avoid is buying solely on price. This approach to purchasing may work for laundry soap or paper for your printer, but it shouldn’t dictate your communications system. You don’t save any money if you have to sacrifice productivity. Plus, you should never compromise your primary customer outreach tool in favor of saving a few dollars. Quality communications always lead to stronger revenue streams and solutions to support those communications should be selected according to the value they add.

This concept ties into the third mistake to avoid – discounting the customer’s experience when calling your organization. If an auto attendant is a must, you don’t want to be stuck with something robotic that fails to interact with customers effectively. Likewise, a system that delivers a less than crystal clear sound quality will reflect poorly on your brand. To that end, try out the system you are considering by calling some of their current customers and measure the quality of the call.

The fourth consideration when selecting a business VoIP provider and solutions is to accurately estimate your growth. You don’t want a solution too big for your environment, or one that can’t handle where you plan to be in the next 12 months. Accurately estimate your growth and purchase the system accordingly.

Finally, the solution you select should work the way you work. It’s like the saying – don’t force a square peg into a round hole. The greatest solution in the world will deliver no value in your environment if it doesn’t fit. Take your time and complete your due diligence from the start. By the time you make your selection, you can’t help but find the right solution.  

Edited by Rachel Ramsey