Understanding the signs of when to address an issue is just as important as actually addressing it. Waiting too long can be detrimental in the business world. You need to know when to react so no damage is acquired.
Your phone system is an essential tool for most businesses. It is the main source of how you communicate with customers, partners, manufacturers, etc.. It needs to be up, running and keeping you in constant communication.
So the question is, when do you need a new one? When do you need to invest in a new one and get rid of the old one? Well, like we pointed out there are always signs. Just like any other issue, signs will arise for when you need to look into buying a new phone system and we have 6 of them. Watch for these 6 signs so you don’t fall behind with one of your primary business assets.
Sign #1 – Your phone system is going obsolete
Technology is always changing and improving, this makes obsoletion something that can happen at any time. Now, you can work with old technology and it be fine. I still see guys using flip phones today. But business and life would be a lot easier if you just upgrade. Rule of thumb, If you’ve had your phone system for 10 plus years it’s probably time to upgrade.
Sign # 2 – You’ve decided to move locations
Another time when you might want to look into buying a new phone system is if you decide to move locations. The reasoning behind this comes down to financial and operational reasons. To move your old system you will need to uninstall it, transport it and then reinstall it. This process can add up to around 20-40% of the cost of a new phone system. You also have to understand that if you do want to transport your old system, during this time frame you don’t have a phone system. Unless you decide to do this process during the weekend or a holiday, (which will cost you extra by the way) you are without communication.
Sign # 3 – Your company is growing….drastically
Growth is good, you want your business to grow. Only problem is that your phone system hates this. One of the first questions a phone system salesperson should ask you is how much you plan to grow. This is because on-premise phone systems do have a max capacity. Now, you probably did acquire a big enough system to meet some growth concerns but once you hit that were taking over the whole next floor growth, you might run into issues. This usually provides a prime opportunity to invest in a new system.
Sign # 4 – Increased call volume
If your company is growing, most likely the amount of business you’re getting is as well. So what comes with more business? More phone calls! When your phone system starts receiving more phone calls then it can handle you start running into operational inefficiencies. If this is the issue you start facing, investing in a new VoIP phone system might be a good idea. A VoIP system makes adding call capacity a much easier task for your IT staff.
Sign # 5 – Incompatible with VoIP
Speaking of VoIP, you pretty much need this now. VoIP is the future when it comes to business communication. It not only gives you better communication and more features, but it is more cost efficient. With a VoIP system you can look at reducing expenses by 50%. Imagine what you could do with all of that savings!
Sign # 6 – “I wish I could”
If you hear this from yourself or staff members, your hearing a tell tale sign. The difference in phone systems 10 years ago to now is astonishing. The capabilities of these new phones and what they allow you to do is quite amazing. One of my favorites is the ability to have your voicemails sent directly to your email once they are submitted. It gives me one location to receive all of my messages from customers, which allows me to be more efficient with my communications. Don’t say “I wish I could”, say “I can do this” with my new phone system.
There you have it, 6 signs that should throw up a red flag that you might need a new phone system. Don’t lose the edge to the competition by not reading them, keep your communications up to date. You know the old saying, “you got to spend money to make money”.
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