8 mins read
Buying a cloud phone system is a big investment for any business large or small, so it’s important to ensure you have all the correct information to save you from making a costly mistake.
So, we have put together five of the most common mistakes people make when buying a cloud telephone system so you can make the most informed decision possible and can enjoy a stress-free experience when looking for a new phone system.
Not Doing Your Due Diligence
At Acefone, we encourage all of our customers to ask us as many questions as they want to.
We encourage customers to do their research on all the different types of phone system and to explore many different providers before they decide which is right for them.
Buying a phone system from the first provider you come across may be tempting, particularly if you are a beginner to phone systems or are not too confident in the technology; but it pays to be diligent and a good provider will be happy to answer as many questions as you need to make you the customer feel comfortable and confident in your purchase.
It is advisable to look closely at what each provider is offering in terms of the phone system itself, technical specifications and features to see what your business will actually use.
It is better to be informed about whether some features are optional or not, as you may end up paying for features you will not use.
Your provider should design a bespoke system which perfectly matches your business’ needs, not a one size fits all solution.
Remember, as the customer you are in control and have the right to shop around to find the best cloud phone solution for your business.
Keep An Eye On Costs
It is tempting to opt for the provider with the cheapest deal, and in some cases, this may be right for your business, but sometimes the cheapest provider could end up costing you more in the long run.
The cheapest provider may not necessarily have the best solution for you, before signing a contract it is important to look into exactly what the provider is offering for the price quoted.
When examining a quote from a provider, look closely at whether they are including everything you need from the provider to get your hosted phone system up and running. Are they including installation?
All the hardware you need? Maintenance? If the answer is no, you may need to reconsider the provider or take a look at the providers who may have come in with a higher quote but will give you all the support your business needs.
Cheaper quotes may come with added extras which can really make your monthly bill add up and you could even end up worse off than if you would have gone with a more expensive provider.
Another cost consideration should be the call costs, take a look at your current call usage and get a realistic view of how many calls your business makes and the cost you currently incur.
A hosted phone system should save your business money as call costs are much cheaper in the cloud, particularly for international calls, so with the information from your current system you can figure out for yourself whether the call costs from a provider will save you money or whether you need to continue looking.
Settling For Less Than Your Business Wants
With so many providers offering different features and packages for hosted telephony, there really is no need to settle for anything less than what you want or need.
Settling for a package which does most of the things you need it to will not benefit you in the long run and may even result in you having to get a new phone system in a few years time – meaning even more expense.
To save you making this costly mistake, ensure you have looked into the provider enough to know how much adding extra features might cost, whether these features are actually available at all with this provider and whether the phone system is scalable.
The last thing a hosted phone system should do is hold your business back, so it is important that it is easy to scale the phone system up as you add more staff to your payroll.
It should be simple to add a new line to the phone system and if you are limited in doing so this can prove very costly and can hold you back.
As standard, Acefone can add as many lines to your phone system with no hassle – lines can be added or removed in minutes so you will never pay for a line you do not need and you can hire staff anywhere in the world with ease.
Not Adhering To Compliance Regulations
Particularly in recent years, security is a big issue across businesses in all different industries. So now more than ever it is important to ensure you are complying with all relevant legislation.
Acefone’s hosted phone systems all adhere to PIC, FCC, GDPR and CPNI regulations, so with Acefone as a provider, you can rest assured that you will not be subject to costly fines or penalties for mishandling data on your phone system.
You should be sure to check with the provider you are in discussions with that their hosted phone systems adhere to these strict regulations – if not you may find yourself subject to GDPR fines or investigations, a cost your business should not need to worry about.
For your own peace of mind and that of your customers, ensure you question your provider on their security compliance and how they ensure your data will be protected from attackers.
It is important that your phone system has the latest security updates to be guarded against the latest and most sophisticated attacks, so it may be cost-effective to consider a provider who keeps your system updated with a maintenance package rather than losing data and having to pay for a potentially costly fix.
Check Uptime Figures
Things can go wrong with any phone system, but what is important is that the provider is well equipped to get your phone system back online in the quickest time possible should anything happen.
From power outages to natural disasters, if something happens to your office building, will your phone system be destroyed? If your provider does not have emergency plans in place to get your phone system back on track it is important to start considering whether they are the provider for you.
We hope nothing ever does happen to your business, but it pays to be prepared and could cost you a lot if you are not prepared for a potential situation.
Acefone stores your data in different geographical locations – adding an extra layer of
protection for your business in the event of a crisis. With 99.9% uptime, you can be assured that whatever happens, your staff can switch devices and pick up where they left off with no interruption to customers – even mid-call, they can flip the call onto another device seamlessly and continue giving the best service possible.
This could be the difference between your company keeping customers or losing them to a competitor if your business was not contactable.
If you would like to find out more about avoiding costly mistakes when choosing a hosted phone system, call our expert team on 1888-859-0450
