Cost-cutting is definitely a great idea to save big on unwanted expenses and business phone bills are one of the areas that need the attention of every organization. Only a VoIP Development Company can help you achieve that. In general, organizations often overlook the amount of money they spend on landline connections or desktop phones. With the coronavirus pandemic pushing the business world to rely on VoIP Development Company to stay afloat, the phone service you select is more important now than ever.
Today, especially in the pandemic situation phones have been the lifeline for businesses all around the globe. And, you may not be an exception! As they are the first line of communication thread to engage with the new clients and remain in touch with the existing ones. Given that necessity, phone providers often feel comfortable tacking on various charges that can significantly increase the cost of your monthly bill.
However, there are a few charges that you must be charged with, but do you use them, really? Well, to name a few you are ambiguously named “maintenance fees” and everyone’s favorite: taxes. There’s no limit to the level of creativity that some business phone providers display when finding ways to nickel and dime their customers. This is definitely an area that companies should look into. Unless you’ve already carefully audited your company’s bill, there’s a good chance that you’re paying more than necessary.
If you’re out of touch with just how much traditional phones are costing your business, we’ve jotted down a few pointers for items that you might want to keep an eye on the next time your bill arrives. In this article, we’ll cover the following sections:
Are there any ways to reduce my business phone bills?
Well, thanks to the VoIP development, cost-cutting is now a reality. Your bill may be a necessary business expense, but that doesn’t mean it has to cost your company an arm and a leg. This cost can be especially tough for small business owners. One thing to consider is the total cost of operation for your current phone system. You can find that cost by adding how much it costs to purchase the phone system with how much it costs for you to operate it.
Once you have determined that cost, you can decide if what you paid for your business phone system and what you currently pay to operate it is worth it. You can compare that price against whatever your current bill is each month. That way, you can see which aspect of your setup you should change.
Where to start?
Well, you can start from the basics. And, the easiest way to see how much you should cut from costs associated with your phone service is by looking into your existing bill. For example, providers will commonly offer a discount for various packages and it may reduce your company’s administrative costs by consolidating the bills into one payment.
Here are some of the key aspects that need your attention. You must ask yourself these four questions to evaluate your current fiscal situation. They are as follows:
- How much do you pay for rollover lines: These are found in traditional phone lines and allow your business to handle multiple calls at once so that your customers will not run into busy signals. These aren’t cheap, as they can cost your business up to $30 per line. It’s important to note that you can get this same functionality from an IP system without any extra costs.
- What are your annual or monthly maintenance charges: Once again, this is an item specific to landlines. This is a fee associated with the cost of wiring your office.
- Do you have a long-distance calling plan and toll-free numbers: You can’t help it if your business has to make a large number of long-distance and toll-free calls. But you can slash this cost by switching those communications to email or an IP phone system.
- How many users do you have and the extensions: Not only do traditional phone systems charge for rollover lines, but they charge for each line that you need. Note that providers also tend to charge per user, so it’s worth it to compare the prices for different providers here.
Have you ever noticed some of the fees you pay actually you do not know why? Well. most of the organization must have realized this thing. So, what is the solution?
Better you consider the features that you need the most and let go of the others.
The next step to reducing costs associated with your bill is considering all the features you need in your phone system. Whether or not you’re on a PSTN or an IP phone system, you can often get locked into expensive contracts if you’ve bundled together features which you’re not using. It’s important to consider the features you need in your phone system so you can find a plan that only requires you to pay for what you need. Here are some basic and vital features to consider in your next phone system provider. They are as follows:
- Does it include a call forwarding feature: This is a basic feature that ensures your customers can reach you no matter what. So if you split your time between working in an office and at home, you can forward calls from your business number to your mobile device.
- Does it provide extensions: In a traditional PSTN phone system, an extension is another phone number that is physically wired to the main number. The more wiring you do, the more that will cost. IP systems do this virtually, and many offer a certain amount of extensions built into basic plans.
- Do they provide remote support: There will undoubtedly come a time when you need to have your phone system serviced. But as the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep the vast majority of the workforce remote, it may no longer be feasible to have an outside employee enter your office to examine your setup.
- Do they have unlimited VoIP minute plans: Thanks to the pandemic, phone calls are more vital now than ever. As in-person meetings have essentially come to a grinding halt, your business is likely spending even more time on the phone. So a phone system that offers you unlimited VoIP minutes should be a top priority.
What is the Modern VoIP Solution on offer?
Most VoIP service providers charge somewhere around $40 a month for a business VoIP line that includes everything, but if you’re looking for cost-saving solutions then VoIPTech Solutions is the best choice for your organization. You can get an all-inclusive VoIP service starting for just $10.
These are the things that you must look at in your VoIP package:
- IVR Menus: Hosted IVR is a telephony menu and routing system that offers an interactive menu for callers in order to direct them to the department they need. As it’s an intelligent system, IVR can carry out tasks involving yes/no or numbers-related answers from callers. This feature buys back time and productivity for your employees, along with ensuring that your customers have a shorter wait time.
- Auto-Attendant Feature: This feature can help to replace the role of a receptionist in your organization. So instead of requiring your callers to first speak to a receptionist in order to be transferred to the correct party, they will simply just have to press a number associated with the correct department’s extension. Just as with IVR, this feature can also save your organization time and money.
- Video Conferencing Solutions: Most VoIP providers include other methods of communication in their phone plans. Video conferencing is one of the most popular options. This is simply a function that a PSTN phone system cannot provide you with. The video conferencing features for certain IP phone plans even allow for hundreds of participants to join at once, getting you as close to an in-person company meeting as you can during the pandemic.
- Integration of Mobile Apps: Most VoIP phone providers have their own mobile app, allowing you to take your business calls on the go. The apps often allow for video chat and SMS business messaging, in addition to a traditional voice call. You can typically toggle between means of communication, with information from previous conversations saved on each of your devices.
VoIPTech Solutions provides you with a reliable platform to build up an adaptable VoIP solution that lays a strong foundation for your business communications. If you have any queries that need expert solutions, contact our technical support team at: +91-6746828203.
