As a small business getting a new telephone system can be an exciting and potentially stressful situation.Many small business owners regret the decision after the purchase and installation, realizing in hind sight that they should have prepared and understood more clearly their needs.There are some common mistakes that known prior can limit the chance of buyer’s remorse kicking in.This article only covers a few of the potential pitfalls; however these are the most common to consider.
Not considering the future:No one can predict how large your business will grow or for that matter if your business will even be around in 5 years.But you still need to consider the possibility and measure your potential needs with what you currently need.This will give you an idea of what type of phone system you need, something that can scale and grow with your business might be needed.
Not taking into consideration your user base: Having your employees show up and have a new phone on their desk Monday morning could bring shrieks of joy or panic from them.On one end it could be a complete surprise because they had no knowledge you were even considering it.On the other side you consulted them, spoke to them about what they like and dislike about the current system and what they would like to see.Communication will make them happier and it will lessen the amount of issues you have with it on the backend.
Not considering the service side:Yes you are purchasing a phone system, but services need to reside on it.You need to understand the expenses, features and functionality around your new telephone system.Service Level Agreements (SLA) can be a gotcha in the process, knowing what type of expectations, clauses and opt-out you have are important.Also, bundling is a common way to get more services for less, but be careful because bundling may also increase the price.
Underestimating deployment:It can happen quickly, getting the new phone system installed.However, knowing what you are up against will save you some heartache and potentially unneeded downtime.Consider doing the installation on a Friday evening and have it go into Saturday and if needed even into Sunday.All too often an installation runs into a Monday morning and your communication with the outside world is essentially gone.
Not having a basic understanding:At the very least do some research, don’t fully rely on others to provide you with the information on the phone system you need.Otherwise, you may find yourself with a phone system that is more than you will ever need.Assuming people know what they are talking about or that they will be honest is potentially an issue you will pay for.
Author: Tab Pierce
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Duty tariff
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