The Best Business Phone System Features to Look For

Voicemail is a business phone system feature that enables callers to leave messages for someone else. Businesses typically utilize it to keep track of inbound calls and provide structure for incoming messages.

Business phone systems often feature multiple voicemail boxes for specific individuals or departments within a company. This can efficiently guarantee that employees receive relevant messages that assist them with their work. 

Depending on the type of business phone system voicemail service you use, messages can be downloaded to a computer or mobile device and listened to offline. Some business phone system services even provide an easy-to-manage web dashboard to view your inbox, playback messages, and edit or delete files if needed.

Sometimes, you can record a custom greeting for your inbox and upload it to the business phone system online. This can effectively make your business appear more polished, and many web-based services provide this business phone system feature.

Before recording, consider who your business deals with and how that influences your communication style and tone. For instance, a startup catering to young customers might need a more informal approach than a large Wall Street firm. Considering these business phone system features helps ensure you create an excellent first impression with every customer.

Call Forwarding is a feature of business phone systems that enables callers to be automatically forwarded to another number. You can set this up however, you please, such as forwarding calls to someone's cell or home number so office workers are guaranteed to answer every call received. Call forwarding is an efficient way to guarantee that your business phone system stays connected and available when customers require you most. Furthermore, this business phone system feature can save money on long-distance charges. 

Some call forwarding services even provide the ability to customize calls with their apps or online interfaces. For instance, if you answer the phone but don't have time to return it, the call can be forwarded to voicemail via the business phone system.

If your employees work remotely, call forwarding can be a great way to stay in contact with customers. If an employee misses a call while away on business, their calls can be forwarded to a mobile number to remain reachable using a business phone system. 

When selecting call forwarding services for your business phone system, research and compare prices and features before making a final decision. Our business phone system guide can assist in finding the ideal option that meets your requirements and budget.

Call routing is integral to most business phone systems, helping you connect incoming calls to the correct people and departments. It has been scientifically proven to increase customer satisfaction levels and conversion rates. 

Call routing allows your business phone system to establish rules and criteria that dictate where incoming calls should go when they come in. These could include redirecting them to voicemail or forwarding them to a specific person within your team or multiple people within one department using the business phone system.

Call routing systems ensure that inbound calls are routed to agents with the necessary skills and experience to answer inquiries promptly. They also eliminate hold times and redirects, leading to higher first-call resolution rates and improved customer experiences using your business phone system.  

Callers use an interactive voice response (IVR) or keypad to select options like "Press 1 for Sales" or "Press 2 for Service." The business phone system records their responses and routes them to a queue based on their input through automated call distribution (ACD).

Once calls are in the business phone system queue, an automated call distributor routes them to the correct agent based on pre-established routing rules -- including skill level, availability, average waiting time, type of query, and case severity. For instance, the least-occupied routing in business phone systems sends calls to agents who are the least frequently used throughout the day.

Calls can be routed to any landline, office IP phones (desk phones that work through an internet connection), mobile phones, or computers using a business phone system. Smaller businesses can benefit from this feature since they typically have fewer employees and lower call volume than larger firms necessitating larger business phone system features.

Caller ID is an indispensable business phone system feature that enables customers to recognize and respond to incoming calls. For business owners, however, this business phone system feature can increase customer engagement and enhance their agents' productivity.

Setting up and administering a business phone system like Dialpad is simple. You can customize caller ID settings for your entire company and individual users. 

Start by selecting a caller ID name that stands out among competitors and enhances your business credibility using Dialpad’s business phone systems. Make it short and approachable so people can remember it easily.

Second, ensure the name is consistent across all business phone system center locations and offices. Doing this helps customers differentiate incoming calls from different departments within a centralized business phone system.

Call Waiting is a valuable business phone system feature that allows you to manage incoming calls while on another call. It's especially beneficial for businesses with multiple employees or clients on a call simultaneously using the same business phone system.

When Call Waiting is activated on your business phone system, a unique tone will alert you that another call has come in. You can then decide whether to answer the second call, put your current one on hold and take the new one, or merge both calls into one conference call using your business phone system.

This business phone system feature is accessible on traditional landline and VoIP phones, so your business phone system should ideally include this capability built-in.

The service lets you announce a caller's estimated wait time on hold, promoting transparency and building customer confidence. This helps prevent callers from feeling frustrated while waiting long, increasing their overall satisfaction when using the business phone system.

You can customize hold music using a business phone system to make the wait more pleasant. Moreover, add a message on hold with information about your business and other avenues callers can use to solve their problems - especially helpful for busy companies that need excellent customer service.

Call Transfer is essential for businesses using traditional business phone systems or VoIP. These business phone systems permit setting conditions that control how calls are routed based on time of day or location. This is especially useful when managing multiple sites or dealing with calls that might get misrouted if handled manually.

Call transfers can be utilized in several ways, so ensure your team members know how to operate this business phone system feature correctly. There are two varieties of transfer: cold (blind) and warm (attended).

A warm transfer is most successful when you can provide some background information about the caller or their issue before they speak to the individual they will be speaking to. Doing this allows for a better experience for all involved and ensures they feel like they're getting all the necessary attention. 

On the contrary, cold transfers using a business phone system are ideal when handling a high volume of calls without introducing yourself. Unfortunately, this can lead to an unpleasant customer experience since they require more background or other vital information before speaking with the new agent.

If you have a business phone system, transferring calls should be as effortless as tapping a button on your desk phone or app. With many business phone systems, transferring calls is as easy as tapping another team member, department, or extension!

Now that you have had the opportunity to learn more about the best business phone system features available, it is time to compare the best business phone system providers available. Let us guide you with the best options for business phone system vendors.