When shopping for a new phone system, many companies focus on the brand of phone system they want to buy. Feature sets, technologies, capabilities and size are all debated and examined. Here is what often gets overlooked: the company installing the system. The system is only as good as the company putting it in.
Over the years, we have received calls from companies who wanted us to rip out a system because in their words – “it was no good.” After taking some time to listen to what the issues were, most times, we were able to modify system programming or equipment to meet the company’s needs and avoid a costly replacement. Our years of experience and training turn a bad system into a good system. What makes a good system into a great system is more than just programming however.
Finding the Right Fit
90% of the systems in the market can handle the basics. M
ake a call, receive a call, send calls to voicemail. With that in mind, evaluating a system is really about the last 10%. What’s in that last 10%? The equipment configuration, the technology used, durability, special applications and most importantly – business improvement. Can the system improve your business? In almost every case, the answer is yes. The trick is finding out how to make that improvement a reality.
The improvements aren’t always immediate or apparent. For example, a small and growing company was looking at a variety of phone systems. Since they were small, most of the systems they were looking at were small. Over the course of a couple of conversations, we learned that the company was seriously working toward expanding. We proposed a slightly higher capacity Toshiba system that could grow with them over time. The initial price was the lightly more than the smaller systems. But over the next 5 years, there was no cost comparison. The system grew with the company without having to be replaced. Instead of having to consider buy another phone system to fit the now larger business, the company simply added another phone. This meant less costs, less disruptions and greater satisfaction. By looking ahead and anticipating needs, we were able to head off and solve one of the pain associated with growing.
We’ve helped design systems that solve problems with employee staffing. We’ve installed systems to provide companies with better metrics to judge their sales forecasts. We’ve found ways to reduce costs while making improvements to how things get done.
More than just a repairman
If it was just a matter of hanging a system on the wall and a reading a manual, anyone could install a system. Many companies and people try. Happy with their very basic results, they call the installation a success. Frankly there are more than handful of companies who use this approach. A smiling salesman introduces the product, and semi-competent technician installs the system and the customer, you, is never the wiser. There is a lot of potential lost and wasted.
How well an installation company can listen to what your company needs determines how well a system will perform. And in the end determines how good of an investment your phone system really is. Especially in an age where there are so many ways to communicate, getting the most of from your phone system matters.