With more and more of us ditching our home landline in favour of mobile, is it only a matter of time before we see small businesses follow suit?
Small businesses should think twice before ditching their business phone service, here’s why:
- Call Quality: Often the quality of the connection with mobile isn’t as clear as when we are using a landline or a good VOIP service. If you or your staff are in areas with poor mobile coverage, you may experience frequent drop outs.
- Customer Experience: Before you decide on your phone plan, consider the customer experience. Would providing features like call transfers and forwarding, automated receptionist and custom hold music/message provide a better experience for your customers? Would it help you provide a higher level of service or improve efficiency? These features are often available for affordable prices through a hosted PABX
- Hidden Costs of Mobiles: Even with mobile phone plans becoming less expensive, there are other costs to consider. The frequency with which mobile phones are damaged, lost, or even stolen can be high. Even with insurance, the time you or your staff are without a phone will cost you money and, potentially, customers.
- Battery Life: If you or your staff use the phone a lot, you’ll always need to have a charger close to hand, as batteries have a way of letting you down at the worst possible time – usually before or during an important customer call.
- Caller Experience: It’s no surprise that mobiles are designed for mobility, not business functionality. Critical features such as speakerphone and call merging can be limited and difficult to master on your mobile. Be prepared to endure less than ideal conditions for your long haul calls.
I’m not saying mobiles aren’t necessary for your business. Most businesses today need to be available anytime, anywhere, so mobile phones are essential. But you need to consider what your business needs to run effectively and what service level your customers expect before you decide to ditch your business phone line altogether.
To learn more about different business phone services check out our PABX or SIP Trunking offerings.