We get it. You’ve done the research, and now you want to buy VOIP systems to improve the lifestyle and quality of your business. That’s fine. Especially during a time like this where one day you will be working in the office and everything is okay. To being told you have to work from home for the next 2 weeks and self-isolate. It can definitely take a toll on your mental, hence why its worth investing in VOIP.
However, before you choose any old company as your provider, make sure they are a good and reliable company. Make sure to do that extra bit of research as it will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
Here are 5 things to look out for when choosing a VOIP provider:
How much? – Now although price is definitely going to be a major determiner when choosing a provider, try to look over it. Focus on quality and what the company are willing to do. Some companies may have a cheaper quote, but they might miss out on features such as transcribing voicemails or automatic recordings of every call. Be sure to check that they will also be willing to scale at your request because halfway down the road, if your business expands but the VOIP provider doesn’t want to scale or is taking too long to do so, it could have a serious effect on your business and its growth.
Can I use it on my phone? – With COVID affecting how many workplaces are going ahead with how they work, many people have had to work remotely and some even permanently. We all know the home experience can be very different from the office experience in terms of functionality. VOIP helps bridge that gap. Especially with flexibility, VOIP can be used on PC, tablets and even mobile phones. You want to make sure that the mobile application however, has a lot of features similar to its desktop counterpart. Many a time, mobile applications tend to miss out key features such as not being able to create logs for calls. This can be very frustrating for some, so its always good to check and test before you buy.
We can collaborate? – Most VOIP services offer a collaboration of tools. These can range from video conferencing, online meetings and SMS texting. These tools often times can be found integrated within the application itself or through third party apps. These are great as they offer things such as being able to share your screen in an online video conference call.
I need help. – As with any product you buy, the service provider should be able to offer excellent support and customer service. There may be instances where something goes wrong, its good to know that if that does happen, you have a team of skilled individuals ready at hand. There may be times something happens outside of business hours, so its good if the service provider offers 24/7 support.
Secure, secure, secure. – We can’t stress this enough. The VOIP system is going to be the main hub of your businesses communication system. Make sure that it is secure and be sure to ask the service provider how secure it is and what they do as safety procedures. Its good to know that your data is being stored in a backup that is completely encrypted so that no unauthorised people can access it. As you will be most likely dealing with a lot of sensitive data, its relieving to know that all of it is kept safe at all times.
There you have it. These are just 5 of the many things you should look out for when choosing a VOIP provider.
If you would like to learn more about our own VOIP services, head over to www.ridgeworks.co.uk or give us a call on 0113 216 6777.
