When done correctly, a business VoIP, cloud PBX, IP-PBX, hosted VoIP solution (delete as appropriate) is a marvellous example of how modern technology can cut business costs, without sacrificing any functionality or quality.
The key here, however, is in the phrase done correctly, as with many business VoIP solutions, you are only as good as your provider and you should perform your due diligence when selecting one, making sure that they can thoroughly answer the following questions before making your decision.
What kind of support do they provide?
Support is where your money is really spent and this is usually where you will separate the pros from the amateurs. You’ll find that with the cheaper solutions, you’ll receive less support, with the most penny-pinching options usually only offering support via email.
If your communications are important to your business, then it will almost always work out cheaper in the long run if you pay a little more for a solution with a sophisticated support network, which should include dedicated phone support from qualified engineers. In the event of an emergency, or if your Internet is down, only having email support is going to seriously inhibit you, especially if you rely on your phone system for sales or customer services. This is when you’ll seriously wish you paid a little extra for the peace of mind that only having an enterprise-level support can bring.
Do they offer a trial or demo?
When was the last time you bought a house without looking around? Or a car before taking it for a spin? The answer in almost all cases is never. Any VoIP provider worth their salt will have a trial period or at the very least offer a demo in which you can see if the features and services are a good fit for your business.
Trialling the service also gives you a chance to see how good the support and provisioning teams are and if they can handle your tailored requests. This will build trust and manage expectation before embarking on a successful business relationship.
Who are their biggest customers?
Usually, a provider will have some marquee clients that they will shout about from the rooftops. However, the point of this question isn’t really about names or intimate details, but more about accountability and reassurance that this provider is handling the requirements of major clients that also have their own credibility at stake.
If they can tailor their solutions to a large business with many different components, it’s more than likely that they will be able to understand and provide your specific solution, too.
How quickly do they implement new technology?
Are they a market leader or are they sheep following the rest of the crowd? If your new VoIP provider is always playing catch up with their more attractive neighbours then you may wish to steer clear. Releasing regular updates and enhancements displays honourable business philosophy, one that is committed to bringing its clients the best possible product and experience available on the market.
Releasing regular updates also suggests that they have control over their VoIP solution, which indicates that they are likely to be more pro-active to any potential security threats that may happen down the line, too.
This is just a few of the questions that you should be sending your providers way before signing on the dotted line. Find out our own answers to these questions (and any other questions you may have) by selecting an option below.
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