The business phone system in a company or office is the most important piece of equipment. Without it, people will not be able to call in and staff will not be able to call out! A system like this basically starts at a few thousand dollars and it is only meant for offices or companies with more than ten staff who will all be using a phone.
The price increases with the amount of features that are requested by the buyer and of course, the number of phones needed. Here are some features that you should look for when you would want to choose a good system!
Basic features
- Auto Attendant – this feature takes the place of a receptionist and presents the caller with a list of options to route their call. For example, callers can press “2” to speak to the sales department.
- Conference – this allows more than two callers in a conversation. Some phone systems allow up to 5 concurrent callers who can speak and hear each other.
- Voice Mail – this allows the caller to leave a message when the recipient does not pick up the phone.
- Redialing – this feature enables the caller to redial the number he or she has just entered.
- Call holding – this allows the caller to put the recipient on hold for a moment!
Advanced features
Some phone systems include advanced features, but at a premium.
- Find me/Follow me – this feature allows users to forward their phone on demand to another phone, a home phone or to their secretary.
- Computer Telephone Integration (CTI) this enables the phone system to be able to interact with a computer. For instance, users can click on a virtual number pad on the computer screen and the phone will dial the number entered. The number and name of a caller can also be displayed on the computer screen before the recipient picks up!
