A business is nothing without communication. It brings revenue, growth and is the only way to understand their customers. Most companies around the world depend on communication through phones or the internet. VoIP services help businesses successfully attain communication at a lower rate for long-distance calls with outstanding voice clarity and speed.
VoIP service providers offer services that include landline-based broadband connection, hosted VoIP, VoIP services based on-premise self-hosting IP-PBX, internet telephony, customised subscription packages depending on security and flexibility. The current market is flooded with different VoIP providers, and it becomes challenging to pick one that fits your criteria. If you make a wrong choice as a business, it will become excruciatingly costly and deplete company resources.
Cost is the first thing you need to consider when selecting a VoIP service provider. As a business owner, you need to decide how much you want to invest and the features you require. Once you identoify these things, you will find different add-on services that upgrade your user experience at no added cost. Such add-on services include toll-free numbers, TrueACD queuing, call analytics, expert greeting, call forward, call routing and recording, call queues, unlimited extensions, etc. When you get so many value-added services, you need to make a conscious decision.
Once you have narrowed down your budget, you should check the VoIP services provider’s credentials and license you shortlisted. It will help you eliminate any low quality providers. You can carry out a general investigation that includes their digital presence, media interaction during events, after-sales support system, offices, and online reviews etc.
Nothing works perfectly for an indefinite time. Every process or service undergoes disruption, and VoIP is no different. While any downtime would translate into losses for a business, no service provider will guarantee 100% security against downtime. But you can check if the VoIP service provider provides an average maintenance period and upgrades or if they have a refund policy. also its worth looking at how they react to unplanned and planned scenarios that may disrupt service for short periods of time. Generally, professional VoIP telephony providers have a 24×7 heldesk and a solid network infrastructure to reduce the risk of these scenarios occuring.
Check how they offer their customer support; through email, online chat, help desk, etc. Its worth having a conversation to find out!
An experienced and effective VoIP service provider will keep an eye on all the activities happening on all the routes. If there is any problem with the quality of the call or service, the provider should correct the problem in real-time and change the call termination route effectively. pro-active support like this will ensure your call service is maintained to the highest quality ensuring a great experience for you and your customers.
Do your due diligence and demo various provider platforms before commiting to one. Remember, most businesses are looking to grow so you need a VoIP service that can support you in your growth from day one and assist you to scale your business up.
To discuss your VoIP options with one of our specialists at Air Web solutions, find out more here