Any legacy business phone system is quickly becoming obsolete. Between the higher costs of equipment and the risk of lost productivity if your equipment fails, businesses are flocking to more reliable, less expensive alternatives.
In this article, we explore what risks an outdated business phone system can pose to your business, as well as ten reasons you should upgrade your phone system to future-proof your business.
What is the difference between a business phone system and a standard one?
Simply put, a business phone system is a series of phones connected to the same network that comes with the features needed for the smooth operations of a business.
Whether you have a few phones or a complex network of connected devices, a business phone system typically provides features such as conference calling, call transfer, call metering, and private and shared voice mailboxes at a minimum.
In today’s business environment, there are also a wide array of additional features that many companies use to gain a competitive advantage and improve their operations.
What are the consequences of having an outdated business phone system?
You wouldn’t run your business on old IT systems, computers, or software. So why would you neglect your business phone system?
Some of the many risks and limitations that come with using an outdated phone system include
- Outdated phones typically aren’t flexible enough to allow scale-up and down with your business, which can result in higher costs and the loss of customers due to long hold times
- There may not be the support or services available to maintain or repair your phones, or they may be unable to support new features
- They might not integrate with other methods of communication like mobile, email, or instant messaging – not ideal for those who work remotely or hybrid
- They may not have CRM features, which means you lose out on having that valuable customer support or sales data to hand when on a call
- Unproductive working – including missing calls and losing out on sales opportunities
Without an updated phone system, you’ll be left behind by your competitors.
Fortunately, upgrading your phone system in 2023 is easier and more cost-effective than ever, allowing you to avoid the risks of an outdated phone system as well as reap the benefits that a modern phone system can provide.
Ten reasons to upgrade your business phone system
If you’re considering switching your current phone system to something more up-to-date, you must understand how valuable an upgrade can be.
Here are ten compelling and cost-effective reasons to upgrade to a modern phone system.
1. A reliable business phone system is crucial for commercial success
Even though more automated technologies such as instant messaging, chatbots, and email are popular, nothing beats the personal touch of a phone call.
A phone call is how you provide exceptional customer support, win sales, close leads, and communicate with your suppliers, and a modern phone system supports your employees and helps them to deliver exceptional work.
2. A unified communications system will boost both UX and productivity
A seamless experience with zero hiccups means a better customer experience. There’s nothing worse than calls that disconnect or a switchboard so complicated that the caller decides it’s not worth the hassle and just hangs up.
And happy customers are more loyal!
Plus, modern and unified phone systems are very effective at boosting employee productivity and morale. It’s not hard to figure out that if you give your employees the best tools, they have a much better chance of getting the job done the right way!
3. Cloud-based business phone systems can support remote employees
Opting for a cloud-based phone system (VoIP) supports employees wherever they’re working as they can log into the system from any device. Old phones don’t offer this feature and therefore limit flexibility.
Another drawback of this is that it places limitations on your hiring pool. Employees expect some degree of flexible working in 2023. If your outdated phone systems can’t support remote workers, how do you expect to increase the talent pool you have available for growth?
Not being able to hire remote or hybrid-based employees constricts your recruitment process and vastly narrows down the job seekers available to your business.
4. Modern business phone systems offer higher call clarity
Fuzzy and intermittent audio quality gives callers a bad impression of your business. Thanks to high-speed audio compression, modern cloud-based call platforms allow for crystal-clear call quality with minimal call drops as standard.
Customers can hear your employees and vice versa, leading to faster resolution of problems and a more streamlined user experience.
5. New phone systems are more secure
To avoid the risk of calls getting maliciously intercepted, a VoIP business phone system can protect sensitive conversations. Cloud-based solutions offer military-grade firewalls that secure your phone calls without compromising quality.
And a modern, centralised phone system can keep bots, scammers and phishers out of your system and away from your staff and employees.
6. New phone systems are more reliable
Old-fashioned phone systems rely on physical landlines, infrastructure, and handsets, which if damaged or disrupted, can cause significant outages or delays.
Newer internet-based phones can avoid this entirely. All you need is an internet connection and a device with a mike and a speaker and you are up and running.
For example, if a flood happens, your phone lines aren’t affected like a traditional landline. If somehow the service gets interrupted, your provider can fix it remotely.
7. New phone systems are more cost-effective
For legacy phone systems to work, they need equipment, wiring, engineers and ongoing maintenance and licensing costs.
With a modern phone system, however, you can cut out the need for much of this cost by using apps on mobile devices, easy-to-use phones, and a platform that allows you to add and remove users as you need.
8. You’ll unlock newer, more efficient features
Communicating by phone is far more than taking and making phone calls. A new phone system can integrate with your CRM, making customer journey and lead information available to you before you make or take a call.
Additionally, you can automate call notes so every user can stay informed, and use features like call forwarding.
9. New phone systems can keep up with business growth
The sheer cost of installing and maintaining old-fashioned phone systems in one location alone is steep enough, but what happens when your business expands and acquires new premises?
The cost and time it takes for the installation of old phone systems will skyrocket when your business opens new locations. With a new phone system, however, you can scale your systems easily online and grow your business in a more streamlined way.
10. New phones are simpler to repair or upgrade
The older phones get, the harder they are to repair or maintain. Internet-based phone systems allow you to implement upgrades and new features, and add or remove users by making simple changes in your settings with immediate effect.
Update your business phone system with One Contact
At One Contact, we help your business thrive by providing customised, scalable phone systems to keep you connected to your customers.
Combined with our strong, stable and secure Business Broadband, our reliable VoIP phone system will deliver high-quality calls for staff and your customers without the headaches of traditional phone systems.
If you’re ready to set up a modern, dependable business phone system, contact us today so our friendly and experienced staff can discuss your needs.
Don’t forget to also check out our blog and resources to keep up to date with the latest trends and developments in the world of ICT.
