Business phone systems serve as the foundation for all voice communication in your company. This remains true even when the internet introduced us to new forms of communication such as email, social media, and instant messaging, among other things. They do, however, require a significant financial investment. But how much does a business phone system cost?
Business Phone System Costs and Pricing Factors
The simplest approach is to choose a less expensive choice. However, you can’t overlook a number of factors that can influence the final cost of a company phone system. Before making a purchase decision, consider the following key factors to ask each provider on your shortlist:
Cost Particulars
When it comes to spending money, the expenses incurred by a business phone system are not limited to the discounted price advertised on your service provider’s website. Thus, it’s essential to go beyond a vendor’s tag pricing and consider factors such as:
- What is the total cost of renting each phone over time?
- What are the differences between the various plans that are available?
- Are there any limitations on the less expensive plans that may affect us?
Some vendors are more open about their price, service tiers, and limits than others. Before making accurate pricing comparisons, it’s critical to obtain particular facts about each of those things.
Integration of Services
Another thing to think about is how the new service will fit into your current system. Some people choose low data consumption and speed, while others choose the highest possible call quality. As a result, different suppliers build their codes in different ways, resulting in a wide range of call quality and bandwidth. It is a good idea to ask:
- How many calls can we make simultaneously from our office?
- How can they guarantee consistent call quality?
- Will we have to access our computers to find out who is available?
Prior to implementation, you should have a strong understanding of how each vendor’s solution may look in practice to ensure that it will readily integrate into your existing system.
Systems Compatibility
Older and newer systems are frequently mixed together. Alarms, fax machines, credit card processors, stamp machines, and other shared resources can all use digital or POTS (plain-old-telephone-service) lines. To verify that a key element does not fail, ask the following questions:
▪ Will your system need additional network cabling in order for all users to have access to it?
▪ What should we do about our fax, credit card, and/or stamp machines?
▪ What about our intercom and paging systems? Are they going to be affected?
A vendor with a lot of fantastic features at a low price may only be able to do so due to compatibility issues with your existing systems.
Technical Support
Excellent technical support is equally crucial as excellent phone service. When a vendor offers lower prices than their competitors, one of the areas most likely to be inadequate is technical assistance. Inquire about your vendors’ support options, such as:
▪ Is there a live support team available 24/7? What’s their location?
▪ What support options (phone, email, chat, etc.) are available?
▪ Is professional assistance included in the package, or would we have to learn how to operate the system on our own?
Fees don’t tell the whole story, but knowing how to ask the proper questions will help you choose the ideal business phone system. You will find what actually meets your demands if you focus on crucial factors such as business phone system costs, features, and service. At Expert Business Solutions, we have plans designed to provide you the most reliable and valuable service that’s right for your business.
