3 Key Features of a Good Virtual Phone System

At some point in the lifetime of a business, it may become necessary to utilize the services of a virtual phone system. Before choosing a particular company to handle their telephone system management, business owners should understand the three things that separate good virtual phone systems from their competitors.

Automatic Telephone Attendants
While many businesses are comfortable with utilizing a secretary to direct their calls, the growth of the business may eventually result in growth of call volume, as well. When calls become too much for a single person to handle, an auto attendant is a fantastic solution. Able to handle dozens of calls at once, an automated attendant will greet callers with a pleasant voice and gently direct them to the department or individual that is best suited to handle their request. If the caller must be placed on hold while the department is being reached, the automatic attendant can play music of the business owner’s choice—or even an advertisement, if this is warranted.

Voicemail Options
Handling voicemail can be quite a task at times. Sometimes, the sheer volume of messages to sift through can leave employees feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. Thankfully, a good virtual phone system will provide businesses with plenty of options for handling their voicemails. Individual employees can choose whether to accept calls or send them directly to voicemail. When voicemails become too numerous, there are options that allow messages to be translated into text and prioritized before being sent to the employee’s email address. This way, employees are better able to gauge which voicemails require an immediate callback and which ones do not.

Call Forwarding and After-Hours Answering Services
Many businesses are not open 24 hours a day although their services may be needed at any hour of any day. For situations like this, businesses are able to set up an after-hours answering service that will filter these calls and only contact employees if there is a true emergency or immediate need for services. Call forwarding is another fantastic option that is provided by a good virtual phone system; this way, calls into business telephone lines can be forwarded to employees who must travel frequently. The employee is still able to receive all of their business-related telephone calls while maintaining the privacy of their personal telephone number.

Other Featuresr
Though these are the three key features that any good virtual phone system should offer, many offer additional features that can be purchased separately or as part of a bundle. For instance, a business may choose to host conference calls via their virtual phone systems. Other optional features include call blocking, advanced caller ID services, web callback and online extension management tools. Any combination of these can make using and managing a business telephone system quicker and simpler than ever before.

When it comes to choosing a company to provide virtual telephone assistance, these three things are the most important features that any business will use. Above all, any virtual phone system should be customizable and fit the exact needs of the business.