7 things to consider before choosing a phone system

You might be sick and tired of unreliably phone systems letting your team down. Or maybe you’ve decided that you want to browse online to discover the best option when the time comes to upgrade.

But what do you choose? With a saturated market, it can be hard to know where to look. Depending on your organisation, there are many factors to consider when it comes to what system you have installed. We’ve laid out seven key things you should think about to ensure your team get a phone system they’ll love that ticks all the boxes.

The size of your team

If you’ve got a small team, your requirements from a phone system will be vastly different to a team with multiple offices.

When you’re a small team, you need something that’s rigid, easy to use and isn’t going to break the bank. Whilst all of those things are important for bigger organisations too, there are other factors to consider. These include versatility, 24/7 support and backup systems that mean your valuable data is as safe as it can be.

The locations of your team

Alongside size, location needs to play a factor in your hunt for the best phone system. Since COVID, many offices have moved to hybrid work patterns or have done away with the office altogether. That’s meant it’s been harder to keep people in touch and could be a factor in lower productivity and longer decision-making processes. But there’s an alternative.

Our Microsoft teams phone system, for example, allows staff to communicate whether they’re in the office, on the road or working from home. All using the same software over desktop, tablet and mobile, you’ll have a versatile communications platform that is ready for anything.

What do you need most?

As we’ve said, it’s all well and good knowing what a phone system can do. But what do you actually need it to do? Talking to companies like ours allows you to have a better understanding of your existing infrastructure, as well as your new one.

You may have been paying for services over the years that you don’t need. As a result, after a thorough analysis of your needs, you could end up saving money by upgrading your systems and associated subscriptions and packages.

What are you used to using?

The best people to ask about this? Your team. They’re the people who man the phones and deal with your customers every day. If they’re missing something, they’ll be able to tell you. But equally importantly – they’ll be able to help discover the most useful features of your current system that are non-negotiable when you move on to something new.

What is the cost?

Cost is an important factor for many organisations, with the economic situation looking ever more tenuous. But fortunately, many of the solutions we offer are able to reduce or match existing costs. This means business owners can invest in newer, more reliable systems without the headache of a huge price increase.

Different systems will come with different costs – that much is obvious. We’re certain we can find the phone system that ticks all the boxes and won’t cost an arm and a leg.

What integrations are required?

There are all manner of integrations in the modern market, and most current systems will provide options to connect to other elements of your communications together. But it can become a big issue if you’ve not got a system that works properly – resulting in missed messages, thousands of post-it notes and unhappy customers.

It doesn’t have to be that way. For example, if you’re a Microsoft Office user, the teams phone system will provide seamless integration to your calendar, CRM and email provider.

Who do you want to use as a provider?

There are plenty of companies who can offer a good service. There are also plenty of companies who will offer bad service. What’s the rarest? Finding a company that gives a great service.

Elementel are the answer to your prayers, with experts on the end of the phone whenever you need them. In the unlikely event anything goes wrong with our systems, we provide 24/7 support to keep your business running at full capacity.

Need more help?

Whilst we’ve given you some ideas, it may still seem a bit confusing, with so much to consider when you’re making such a big decision for your business.

Our experts are on hand to help you discover the best phone system for your business. We’re just a call away on 01749 339 339. If you’d rather talk to us via email, you can reach us using the contact form.