Thinking about upgrading to best Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system to save on the costs of running a call center? A streamlined and smoothly run SMB VoIP call center can be the best weapon for any company that believes customer service is a fundamental aspect of their business. But what can you do when your customer service requirements have outgrown the capabilities of your poor receptionist? Has your company’s caller volume increased?
SMB VoIP benefits far outweigh their cons, and we are here to convince you of why an enterprise SMB VoIP solution might be just what your company needs.
What is VoIP?
SMB VoIP or small and midsized business Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology allows us to make and receive calls using an internet connection. These cloud-based phone systems also provide video and chat communication tools to improve business collaborations by centralizing communication tools in one easy-to-use, affordable platform.
Cloud-Based SMB VoIP providers are becoming the most sought-after business communication option for companies of all sizes. Landline and traditional on-site PBX systems are being phased out increasingly every year due to the great benefits of VoIP such as full-bodied feature sets, cost savings, and impressive productivity hikes.
Whether you have a small business or an international enterprise, there is an SMB VoIP solution provider on the market to fulfill your needs and improve your business communications with new features and efficiencies.
Using SMB VoIP and understanding how a VoIP phone system works for your business and can bring many benefits (for communication and otherwise) to your company, including:
- Enhanced communication, both internally and externally
- Increased collaboration opportunities among employees and remote teams
- Increased mobility and flexibility with SMB VoIP
- Improved efficiency and productivity by seeing actual data and analytics about your phone system
- Reduced costs due to calls being placed over the internet with SMB VoIP vs. traditional landlines racking up long-distance call charges.
- SMB VoIP solution providers are more affordable than PBX and provide companies with increased mobility and efficiency, so the majority of new software implementations or upgrades are trending toward the cloud.
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Is VoIP good for small businesses?
Below are key VoIP benefits and considerations your company should make before deciding on the right SMB VoIP provider.
Pricing and Plans
Low and high SMB VoIP software pricing plans are available regardless of the size of your business. Most services would allow you to subscribe to what is needed by your company at the moment. The best feature of SMB VoIP services is how they can scale up alongside your company. You can always add more users or call centers to your SMB VoIP software solution. And the largest SMB VoIP providers would even demo their product for you before you commit. Consider all of the top SMB VoIP companies before you choose the right partner for your company.
Collaboration Tools
Has your business’s need for remote work solutions increased? With the hybrid workplace model that has become commonplace in recent times, having remote access to the normal functions of a business has become essential.
Cloud-based SMB VoIP software providers provide a variety of collaboration tools such as text, video conferencing, and online meeting collaboration to unify your workplace remotely. Your employees can contribute just as productively from outside the office as if they were in a fully-fledged call center.
Dialing Options
Depending on your company’s requirement, would you want to invest in SMB VoIP phone service equipment or run a softphone SMB VoIP service via PC? Most of the popular VoIP providers offer both options as well as mobile SMB VoIP solutions to allow your call center to function from any location.
Call Management
If you anticipate large call volumes, it would be essential that there is a call management system in place. SMB VoIP software solutions provide a feature known as call queueing to allow calls to be distributed based on the availability of agents.
SMB VoIP extension management assigns extensions to individual users and manages a directory that would be integrated with your IT department’s network directory.
This would mean reduced caller waiting time for your customers and a more streamlined process for your employees.
Third-party Integrations
Be on the lookout for SMB VoIP vendors that support integration APIs to allow for a more unified communication suite for your company.
Unified communications as a service (UCaaS) come with pre-built integrations to integrate any apps for software to streamline the processes of your business.
Support
It is important to mind how well a company is known for its support features. Several VoIP vendors offer 24/7 support via agents or live chat.
Would your chosen voice-over IP company provide adequate training to employees? Deploying VoIP for the first time will come with its own learning curve and it would be advisable to be aware of employee training support offered by VoIP vendors.
If your company is also integrating any other services with your VoIP phone solution, it would be a good idea to consider how well your chosen SMB VoIP vendor will support the add-ons.
SMB VoIP security
VoIP being a medium carried via the internet, is always going to be susceptible to security breaches and eavesdropping. The quality of your call center is very dependent on how secure your VoIP communication lines are and it is always a good idea to ensure the necessary security measures are in place.
Inquire with your potential SMB VoIP carriers about what security functions they offer. Multi-factor authentication and biometric authentication can be helpful in ensuring that your phone center data is only accessible to relevant personnel.
Is it important to also thoroughly train your staff with proper SMB VoIP etiquette training to make sure that your company is following the correct security protocol?
Your IT staff can equip your SMB VoIP software solution with business-grade security features such as Virtual LANs (VLANs) to segregate SMB VoIP traffic and conduct secure SMB VoIP conversations.
If you need more assistance with deciding on the right SMB VoIP vendor for your business, you can consult with your Phone systems buyer’s guide to learn more. It would also be helpful to compare different voice over IP companies available on the market using our clever comparison tools. SMB VoIP provider ratings and reviews are highly suggested if you want to know more about what fellow consumers like your business might be enjoying.
