A good first impression is always important, especially in business, and having the right phone service lays a solid foundation for professional communication with the outside world. Oftentimes, the primary way customers and vendors interact with your business is by telephone, so careful attention should be given to this aspect of business operations. Here’s what you should consider in setting up phone services for your small business.
Features
When selecting a business phone service plan, you’ll need to choose among a variety of additional features. Useful options include call forwarding for receiving calls on a different number when you’re not in the office, caller ID for recognizing the customer and preparing before answering, and three-way calling which allows you to have a conference call with two other parties.
Often, phone companies offer attractively priced service bundles created specifically for small businesses. The bundles will include the most common features at a combined price that is lower than adding them onto your plan individually. In some areas, you’ll also be able to bundle in Internet access, which can save you even more.
Phone Number
Phone companies let you select among a set of numbers when you request service. If you want to have a specific number that spells out one or more words, phone companies will accommodate this to a certain extent if you contact them directly. To find out what your phone number choices can spell, check out PhoneSpell.org.
Local vs. Long Distance
Phone companies generally will offer local only calling as their base plan. Unless you want to restrict your business to a small area, you’ll need to add long distance service to your plan. Many companies today are offering unlimited long distance for only a few dollars more than their base plans.
Another feature available at this time is international dialing which will save you money if you happen to dial out of the country frequently.
Toll-Free Number
If a high percentage of your customers will be calling you from long distance, adding a toll-free number to your plan is a must. With a toll-free number, customers will view your company as being more professional and may be more likely to do business with you.
An additional benefit of a toll-free number is that you have a better chance of selecting your own number. Always display your toll-free number prominently on your website if this is your primary means of customer contact.
Multiple Lines
Decide how many phone numbers you need to efficiently operate your business, but be wary against creating too many numbers as this can be confusing for your customers. A common practice is to have a single number for customers, a different one for vendors, and a third for everyone else. With a multi-ring feature, a single line can be used to carry several phone numbers, each having a distinct ring tone.
Voice Mail
Most phone companies offer voice mail services with the ability to customize multiple mailboxes. A nice feature to consider is text message notification of a received voice mail so that you can quickly respond to important calls regardless of where you happen to be. Some services will even send the message to you via e-mail.
Whether you manage voice mail internally or through the phone company, you’ll want to have a professional voice mail greeting.
When you’re ready to set up your business phone service, it’s best to call the phone company directly rather than ordering service online. Most companies have professional customer service representatives who will be happy to help you select and configure the right services to fit your business.