Business Phone Systems | Small Business Phone Systems

How Far Do You Need To Go?

2010-07-23T11:58:00.007-04:00

How far do you need to go with your cordless phone?

Do you find yourself feeling limited in the space you can take your cordless phone? Do you find yourself talking to dead air when walking around with your cordless phone? Do you need to get in touch with your employees away from there desks? Look no further!!

With a range of up to 1/2 mile, push to talk intercom, and ability to access features such as page and voice mail directly and easily the AT&T Synj is perfect for you and your business. A 4 line cordless 6.0 dect phone system with repeaters allows you to get to your mobile employees that are up to 1/2 mile away.

Repeaters OH NO! that means I have to run more cable, right? WRONG! Just plug your repeaters into an A/C outlet and you are ready to go.

The system works inside or out. Making it perfect for a farm or a business with multiple buildings, or a large physical site. You may be using 2 way radios but happens when you want the person on the other side of the radio to talk to a customer?

The att synj cordless phone system use push to talk intercom, making it perfect to reach that remote employee and let them know to pick up one of the lines.

The base system handles 4 lines, and it has a built in battery back up with up 20 minutes of talk time. All phones have caller id and call waiting. You can add a maxi um of 10 cordless telephones to the base unit.

The Att 4 line cordless phone system lets you continue to answer the phone, when you are checking inventory or packing orders.

The Att 4 line cordless phone system is perfect for the on the go employee.

Visit INeedtelephones.Com and get 15% of the MSRP with online coupon code "oFFaTT"

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DO IT YOURSELF VOIP PHONE SYSTEM

2010-07-22T16:20:00.002-04:00

Everyone has heard of a VoIP Phone System. I now would like to introduce a "DO IT YOURSELF" VoIP Phone system from At&t. The AT&T Synapse VoIP Phone System. Why pay someone to install your phone system when anyone with a little computer knowledge and I do mean little can install this system.

This system is expandable up to 50 telephones and 16 outside telephone lines. All functions are done on a computer and if you can use Microsoft Word you can install this system your self. Of course AT&T is always there if you need some support.

Just plug your phones into your Ethernet cable that your business computer uses from your computer Ethernet switch and plug your telephone lines into the PSTN gateway and away you go. No more fusing with IP address' or SIP lines, the ATT auto detects the phones and the gateways. As simple as 1,2,3

The AT&T Synapse is feature rich and some of the more popular are:
Supports DHCP Servers for Automatic
IP Address Assignment
• 30 Minutes of Voicemail Storage
per Extension
• Upgradable Software
• System-wide Paging
• Caller ID
• Automated Attendant
• Transfer
• 3-Party Conference
• Redial Log
• Custom Recording of On-Hold
Messages
• 100 Number System Phonebook
• Call Forwarding
• Call Park & Retrieve
• Do Not Disturb
• Ring Groups
• Automatic Clock Setting Using NTP
• A Maximum of 5 Desksets May Be
Equipped With an SB67040 Cordless
Accessory Handset and/or TL7600
Cordless Headset

The AT&T Synapse is simple to use and simple to install. Visit INeedtelephones.Com and get 15% of the MSRP with online coupon code "oFFaTT"

CLICK HERE FOR A BROCHURE

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xBlue Networks x16 telephone system

2010-06-29T16:16:00.002-04:00

In the world of telephone systems, it seems everything is going VoIP.
Is it driving you nuts?

Everywhere you look IP this, IP that!

You are just looking for a plain old phonw system. Put someone on hold
and be able to see that person's call blinking on the phone. You are looking
for a system that can be administred by your own people. One with Simpel
use and easy intergration. LOOK NO FURTHER xBlue Networks x16 is the perfect
system for you. Easy install Easy use! With teh following features, what
else can you ask for whenit comes to a small office phoen system.

•Last Number Redial

•Live Call Screening

•Memo Record

•Message Waiting Indication

•Mute Button with LED

•Multilingual Display

•Name, Time and Date in Display

•New Voice Mail Message Count in Display

•On Hook Dialing

•“One Touch” Intercom Calling

•“One Touch” Live Conversation Record

•Outgoing Call Log–Last 6 Numbers Dialed

•Personal Phone Book (50 entries)

•Personalized Feature Buttons (12)

•Ringer Volume Control

•Voice Mail Access Button

This is a powerful little system for the small business that need a reliable
and easy operating system. Chck out the

xBlue Networks
x16 Phone System

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phone systems, telephones, phone equipment and more. Read more articles
on phone systems and phones in the work place

Small Business Phone Systems with remote setup

2010-06-18T15:23:00.003-04:00

So you are in the market for purchasing a small business phone system. The price of the systems aren't that bad, but the install is incredibly expensive. You are on a budget and the install is just beating that budget into the ground. What to do, WHAT TO DO.

Purchase a new Telephone System that is already bundled for you with remote installation. I know you are asking yourself how does it work? Very Easily, with a remote installation package you the end-user will get a Red Carpet treatment. With the help of our EXPERT technical department assisting you on hooking up all connections manually, We log in remotely to a Local PC and configures your VoIP devices to suite your business needs. THAT SIMPLE!!!! Remember you are not going to have to worry about a single thing except plugging it in, and we will assist you on plugging it in step by step over the phone.

Take a look at our premade VOIP small business phone system bundles and remember all bundles are customizable.

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4 Line Cordless Phone System from ATT

2010-06-16T14:40:00.002-04:00

INeedtelephones.Com is proud to annouce the At&t 4 Line Cordless Telephone System from AT&T the SynJ. This cordless phone system can be extended up to almost 1/2 mile. With the use of repeaters, the cordless phone sytem seems to extend forever, LOL!!!
The SynJ SB67118 is a 4-line deskset incorporating a DECT 6.0 Corded Base
Advanced DECT Zero Blind Slot technology supports up to 10 SynJ SB67108 Cordless Handsets or 9 Handsets plus 1 TL7600 Cordless Headset and allows 10 cordless devices to be used at once (in contrast to the typical DECT maximum of 4 active handsets)

Ineedtelephones.com is an authorized partner reseller of the AT&T SynJ and Synapse product visit us online at www.ineedtelephones.com

VOiP Phone System for Small Business

2010-06-16T14:26:00.002-04:00

Voip Phone systems for small business where to start looking. So much out there, so much information its a little mind blowing for the average business owner. What system is better then the next, what features do I need, what phones work the best for what I need in my office.

Ineedtelephones.Com understands that a small business owner can be overwhelmed and with this in mind INeedTelephones.Com has introduce system bundled pricing. What do we mean by that, Our Voip systems have been pushed together with phones to create the all in one shopping experience. We have systems with remote programming, auto attendant, voice mail and some are even bundled with SIP telephone lines for local and long distance service. Check us at www.ineedtelephones.com

Talkswitch | Talkswitch telephone system | E-COUPON

2008-07-18T10:59:00.000-04:00

GET 15% off advertised price with the following E-Coupon code

code= Talk71808

This coupon is good for All Talkswitch, telephones, pbx, cards, upgrades

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Lucent Partner MLS 34D, Lucent MLS 34D

2008-01-25T14:54:00.000-05:00

This is another great Partner phone made for the small business environment. The Lucent Partner MLS 34D phone was designed with the types of features a small business requires for its communication needs without having to pay too much.

With 32 programmable buttons, the Lucent Partner MLS 34D is full of features to make business communication effective and efficient. It comes equipped with standard features such as call transfer, hold and conference. The Lucent Partner MLS 34D is a two-line, 16 character crystal display multilingual phone. The display shows time, date and the length of call – all handy features for any office phone.

With a two-way speakerphone built-in, the Lucent Partner MLS 34D makes hands-free communication possible. In a small office with few staff members, being able to hold a conversation while attending to other functions is necessary. There are also hands-free intercom capabilities as well to facilitate inter-office communication when needed.
Phone users are alerted to voicemail with the availability of a message waiting light. This improves business communication as the likelihood of important messages being missed is greatly reduced. Users can tell at a glance if there are messages waiting.

With the addition of EC expansion cards and being connected to either a Partner ACS or Partner II phone system, the Lucent Partner MLS 34D can become caller ID enabled. Knowing who is calling is important, especially for small businesses.

The volume level of the ringer, speaker and handset can be adjusted as needed to suit the comfort level of the Lucent Partner MLS 34D phone user. A telephone that rings too loudly can be very disruptive in a small office setting, especially one that is quiet. With the ability to turn down ring volume, this possible disruption is avoided.

The refurbished Lucent Partner MLS 34D phone also comes with a full one year warranty, which is an indicator of how good they are. They can be had in either black or white.

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Avaya Partner Business Phones

2008-01-25T14:52:00.000-05:00

When in the market for a business phone, few phones can compete with the Avaya Partner range of business phones when it comes to meeting the communication needs of small businesses. Not only are these phone systems made to top quality standards, they are reasonably priced so that small and medium-sized businesses can get the best deal when it comes to getting a phone system.

Avaya Partner Business Phones come in three standard styles, namely, MLS, Euro and Series 2; the Series 2 is the newest model. The Euro style Partner phone is available in three great colors – black, white and gray so there’ll never be a clash with any office décor. The other models, Series 2 and MLS are available only in black or white, which are standard colors in most office settings.

There are a wide variety of phones available in the Avaya Partner Business Phones range. These include AT&T MLS 6 Phone – the lowest ranked, MLS 18D right up to the top-class MLS 34D phone. Features vary depending on the model phone selected, but there is a phone that is just right for any small business among the Avaya Partner Business Phones range.

It is important to note however, that these phones must be connected to a Lucent, Avaya or AT&T Partner phone system to work – anything else and they will not function. Luckily, if you are a Partner user, you will find that most of these phones are compatible with other model Partner phone systems.

Depending on the model Avaya Partner Business Phone purchased, up to 48 phones can be accommodated. This is ideal as very few small businesses have the need for that many phones; it also means that the phone system can grow as the business grows. Not only does this make it easier to add new phones as needed, the overall cost of expansion will be much less since a totally new telephone system would not be needed.

The Avaya Partner Business Phone system also has just about any feature a small business phone system should have. In addition to conferencing facilities, there is caller ID (depending on the type of Partner phone chosen), voicemail and call waiting.

Some of the Avaya business phones and the refurbished Lucent Partner MLS business phones have displays and caller ID can be enabled. To be able to use the caller ID feature it will be necessary to have a Partner II with EC card connected or an ACS phone system, plus you must subscribe to your local telephone provider for the incoming caller ID feature. In addition, depending on the model phone, it is possible to have time, date and call duration displayed.

These phones are also known as the Avaya, AT&T or Lucent phones as well, but by whatever name they go by, expect reliable service and durability. For quality and price, Avaya Partner Business phones cannot be beaten.

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ATT Partner MLS 18D Phone

2008-01-25T14:48:00.000-05:00

The AT&T MLS 18D phone is a powerhouse in the phone department; not only does it provide what it promises and more, it is priced just right. With sixteen programmable buttons, the MLS 18D is ideal for almost all small and medium-sized business.

Want to know who is calling? This is no problem with the AT&T MLS 18D phone once EC expansion cards are connected. This is a handy feature to have especially in a busy office; it also ensures that important or expected calls are attended to quickly.

The phone also comes equipped with a two-line, sixteen character crystal display that is also multilingual – a must have in a multicultural environment where many businesses have offices located in different parts of the world. Like most other Partner MLS phones, the 18D displays time, date and call duration.

Hands-free communication is enabled with the use of two-way speakerphone. The system’s built in microphone offers clear transmission. This, with the inclusion of two intercom buttons enhances communication both internally and externally.

There are sixteen programmable buttons that can be used for either lines or features as the need arises. In addition, the Partner MLS 18D has standard office features such as conference, hold, call transfer, drop call and call waiting. The call waiting feature comes with a call waiting indicator light to serve as a reminder that there is a call not yet answered. There is also a message waiting indicator light to alert the phone’s user that there is voice mail.

The flexibility to adjust the sound level of the ringer, the speaker and the handset itself is a feature that can make a big difference in many office situations. The system is also built to accommodate peripheral office equipment such as answering and fax machines. The Partner MLS 18D is also compatible with a number of other Partner phone systems such as the Partner Plus, Partner II, Partner ACS and the Partner Release 3 and higher. The Partner MLS 18D comes in either black or white – two basic colors that can suit any office setting.

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ATT MLS 12 Partner Phone

2008-01-25T14:47:00.000-05:00

Known simply as the AT&T MLS 12 Partner phone or AT&T Lucent Partner MLS 12 phone, this instrument is what any phone user needs. The MLS 12 is the ideal instrument to help a business keep costs down while providing a full range of communication features necessary for any successful business.

The MLS 12 phone has a two-way speaker phone for hand-free operation as well as two intercoms making inter-office communication easy. With ten programmable buttons that can be programmed as line or features, the phone offers a great degree of versatility. These buttons can be used for speed dialing, as an outside line, or many other useful features that a business phone should have.

The phone has standard features such as call transfer, call waiting (which uses a call waiting indicator light so that it is easy to know if there is a call), hold and conferencing.
The volume of the handset, speaker and ringer of the AT&T MLS 12 Partner phone can be adjusted as needed – a feature few such reasonably priced instruments offer. If the AT&T MLS 12 Partner phone is connected to a MLS 12D telephone system that uses the Partner II or ACS system it is also possible to enable caller ID features

The AT&T MLS 12 Partner phone is compatible with a number of other Partner phone systems such as the Avaya Partner ACS, Partner Plus Release 3 or higher, and the Partner II.
It is available in two basic colors, black and white so there will be no issues of the system clashing with your office décor. The AT&T MLS 12 Partner phone will fit in perfectly in any setting. So, if you are in the market for a good Partner business phone at a reasonable price, the AT&T MLS 12 may be just what you need.

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ATT MLS 6 Phone

2008-01-25T14:45:00.000-05:00

The AT&T Partner MLS 6 Phone comes in either classic black or white and is what any business phone should be. This set is also one of the lower priced systems in the Partner phone system range, but it still does what a business phone should do. Suited to any small or medium-sized business, the AT&T Partner MLS 6 Phone is both reliable and cost-effective. For such a low-priced instrument the functionalities are not compromised.

It also has a monitor speaker, but this is not a two-way speakerphone like that built into the more expensive Partner phones. The monitor speaker only allows the user to listen to the other person but doesn’t allow him or her to answer using the speakerphone component. This is not a problem however if all the other person is doing is delivering a message.

The phone has two intercoms for inter-office communication, which is especially important in a fairly large office or one that is located on more than one floor. There is also a volume control function for the handset, speaker and ringer on the Partner MLS 6 Phone.

It has four dual light programmable buttons that can be used for features or line as needed. In addition, there are normal telephone features including transfer, hold and conferencing capabilities. The AT&T Partner MLS 6 Phone also includes a message waiting light to alert the phone’s user that there is voicemail.

Like all Partner phones, the AT&T Partner MLS 6 Phone is compatible with most other Partner phone systems.

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ATT Partner MLS 12D Phone

2008-01-25T14:42:00.000-05:00

The AT&T Partner MLS 12D phone is another excellent small business phone from a company you can trust when it comes to your business communication. Like all Partner phone systems, the AT&T Partner MLS 12D offers the features you need at a cost you can afford.

There are loads of useful features on the Partner MLS 12D including the regular conferencing facilities, which is important in today’s business environment with offices in multiple locations worldwide. Other handy features include call waiting, call transfer and hold. With call waiting, there is a light indicator so that you are constantly reminded that a call is waiting – gone are the days when callers are accidentally hung-up on because the operator or user forgot they had someone holding.

The phone has a two-line, 16 character display that is also multilingual, a necessity in the global business environment. It has 10 programmable buttons that can be used as an outside line, speed dial or other features that can be programmed into a telephone system. The system also shows time, date and the duration of calls. The latter feature is good if there is a need to keep personal calls within a reasonable time limit.

With built-in speakerphones, the Partner MLS 12D enables hands-free communication so that multitasking can be done effortlessly. This is important, especially in a busy office environment. The system also has two intercoms so that inter-office communication is accommodated and employees can be located even when not at their station.

It is also possible to adjust the volume of the handset, speaker and ringer to the desired level. This means that the ringer can be set low so that a quiet office won’t be disrupted by a jarring ring tone.

The Partner MLS 12D is compatible with many other Partner phone systems such as the Partner, Partner Plus, Partner ACS, Partner II and the Partner Release 3 or higher. The phone needs to have an ACS processor open station port to function. There is also caller ID available once the Partner MLS 12D is connected to a Partner II or Partner ACS phone system that uses 206EC cards.

The Partner MLS 12D phone is definitely built to improve office efficiency and productivity without affecting the bottom line. Few telephone systems built for a small business environment provide the kind of versatility and efficiency of the MLS 12D.
This phone comes in black or white.

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Avaya Partner 18D Telephone

2008-01-24T11:29:00.000-05:00

Another super phone in the Avaya Partner range, the 18D comes with the ‘to be expected’ 2-line, 24 character backlit display that can be tilted to improve readability. In addition, the phone has 16 programmable buttons that can be used for lines or features – the choice depends on your needs.
The Avaya Partner 18D improves productivity while controlling costs, all without sacrificing quality in the process. Few other phones offer the multiple features of the Avaya Partner 18D at the same cost. Features include a 2-button intercom, four programmable line or feature buttons without LEDS in addition to the 16 that have LEDS, eight fixed feature lines and eight ring tones that can be personalized to identify numbers. It can also store caller ID information for 200 hundred calls.
Like some Avaya Partner phones, the 18D has a volume control button so that the user can adjust sound levels for clearer transmission. The volume control button works to increase or decrease the speaker, ringer or the handset as a whole. Two-way speakerphone makes the 18D useful when multitasking is necessary as it allows the user the freedom to talk while using their hands for something else.
Of course, the Avaya Partner 18D also has the important call waiting, call forwarding, call transfer and conferencing features. The light indicator message waiting feature makes it easy to know when there is voicemail at a glance, and best of all, the light remains until the message has been retrieved – with this feature there is no need to wonder if a message has been left. The Avaya Partner 18D phone also enables auto dialing, and has additional ports for other office equipment such as fax machine modems and or answering machines.
There is also ‘do not disturb’ functionality with the Avaya Partner 18D which is necessary for the busy professional who sometimes does not want the distraction of a ringing telephone. This feature can be easily enabled and disabled as needed.
One of the advantages of the Avaya Partner 18D telephone is how easy it is to set up and use. The phone is compatible with a number of other Partner systems, which is ideal in the event that you plan on upgrading at a future date.
This phone can be purchased as either a wall or desk mounted set, giving the buyer the ability to select the one that is best suited for their location. In addition, the Avaya Partner 18D comes in the traditional colors of black or white.

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Avaya Partner 6D Phone

2008-01-24T11:27:00.000-05:00

The Avaya Partner 6D phone was designed for the small business that needs all the functionalities of a telephone system without the hefty price tag. The phone has a number of enviable features usually found only in expensive systems. This phone system is the ideal communication system for almost any size small business, and best of all, it can grow with the business.

As to be expected from the Avaya family of phones, the Partner 6D display unit has a backlight making it easy to read in most lighting conditions. Standard features of the Avaya Partner 6D are hold, transfer, conference call, and message waiting indicator lights.

The 6D also has two lines and a sixteen character display, two-way speaker phones and a really convenient feature, a two-button intercom. The intercom feature makes it easy to locate someone in the office even if they are not at their extension. The phone also has a volume control button which gives the user the ability to set the volume at a level suited to his or her needs.

Six personalized ringtones make it possible to give a special ring to those numbers that call frequently or those that are important. This makes it easy to quickly identify calls that you do not want to miss or even avoid calls that you are not ready to take for whatever reason. The inclusion of caller ID also helps to make it easy to know who is calling so that an expected call will never be ignored.

There are also feature buttons which can be used to increase either telephone or system features. In addition, like most other Avaya phone system, the 6D can also be expanded if needed. The system comes in black or titanium white making it easy to fit into any office setting. It is also possible to get the Avaya Partner 6D phone as either a desk or wall mounted unit. The stand is also adjustable so it can be positioned just right, ensuring that the operator is able to set it in the most comfortable position.

The Avaya Partner 6D phone works with both the Avaya Partner 18D and 34D phones, and is compatible with most other Partner brands as well.

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Avaya Partner 34D Phone

2008-01-24T11:24:00.000-05:00

The Avaya Partner 34D telephone is not just any phone and is specifically designed to meet the needs of the business owner, while not scrimping on features or quality. This wall or desk mounted phone, the choice is yours, comes equipped with all of the features the average business owner needs in a phone.

Some of the regular features to be found on the Avaya Partner 34D are message waiting indicator lights, transfer call and hold. The phone system is also easy to use with a display that is not only backlit for easy reading in questionable lighting conditions, but can also be tilted to just the right angle eliminating the need to adjust one’s neck to see the display.
A two-way speakerphone and 2-button intercom make the Avaya Partner 34D a hands-free device when necessary, freeing up the telephone operator for other functions. With the addition of the two-way intercom anyone in the office can be reached without undue delay.
With the availability of a caller-ID feature, it is now easy to see what number is calling. This feature makes it possible to quickly identify when an expected or important call is coming in so that the caller won’t be kept waiting.
In addition, the phone has two-way speakerphone, 32 programmable line or feature buttons, and call-forwarding. A bonus feature in this fast-paced, wired world is conferencing capabilities. Conferencing is a must on any office phone today with many businesses and customers being almost anywhere in the world – being able to communicate shouldn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

The Avaya Partner 34D is made with enough ports so that other office equipment, such as a fax machine and answering machine can be plugged directly into it to increase office efficiency. The volume for both the ringer and receiver of the Avaya 34D can also be adjusted to the level desired by the user.

Some other handy features of the 34D phone are the ‘do not disturb’ feature, and the setting up of special ring tones for certain numbers’. The ‘do not disturb’ feature prevents any calls from coming in while the user is on an important call or conference call, or simply wants to avoid the telephone while completing another task. The Avaya Partner 34D telephone allows up to eight distinctive ring tones. This special phone can also be expanded to include additional functionality with the addition of a Call Assistant. This feature instantly adds another 48 buttons to the Avaya Partner 34D’s existing 32 buttons for loads of other features. The phone comes in two attractive colors, black and titanium white, both colors that can fit just about any office décor.

Finally, the Avaya Partner 34D phone is compatible with most other types of Partner phones, including the Partner II, Partner Endeavor and the Partner Plus.

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The Avaya Partner 18D Phone

2008-01-11T11:56:00.000-05:00

Looks at what makes the Avaya Partner 18D Phone a worthwhile choice

When looking for a telephone that is packed with features, the Avaya Partner 18D Phone is one your best bets. This flexible phone has features such as backlight making it easy to read numbers and letters even in poor light. Other great features of the Avaya Partner 18D include two intercom buttons, 2-way speaker phone, caller ID, built in speaker and message waiting indicator. The message waiting indicator takes the guesswork out of knowing whether or not callers have left messages during non-working hours. This saves time as it removes the need to check messages just in case.

The phone system comes with easy to understand programming instructions so that you can easily program the instrument the way you want to.

The Avaya Partner 18D Phone can accommodate two lines and has an easy-to-read 24-character digital display. Answering and fax machines are easily connected to the Avaya Partner through specially designed built-in ports. Another feature of the Avaya Partner phone system is its ability to grow with the company, that is, as your customer base increases the phone can adjust for the increased size in clientele.

The phone works with all versions of the Avaya Partner ACS phone systems. Even the older models of the Merlin Magix Phone System can be integrated to be used with the Avaya Partner 18D.

This system is one of the most successful of its kind on the market today. Despite all the functions and features, the Avaya Partner 18D is affordable, reliable and easy to set up and use.

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The ATT Merlin BIS 10 Phone

2008-01-11T11:52:00.000-05:00

The AT&T Merlin BIS 10 Phone while no longer being manufactured is available refurbished

The AT&T Merlin BIS 10 Phone has a number of standard features such as conference, transfer, hold and recall. However, it provides the convenience of hands-free / intercom access and 2-way speaker phone which allows for multitasking – you could be doing something else while holding a telephone conversation.

The raised buttons on the system make it easy to use and minimizes the possibility of misdialing a number. It also has ten buttons, eight of which are programmable buttons that can be used for either features or lines. The AT&T Merlin BIS 10 Phone can be mounted on the wall or placed on a desk depending on need.

The AT&T Merlin BIS 10 is one of the few phones that is made to be used by the hearing impaired as it is hearing aid compatible. In a world where sound is an important part of communication this is a big plus.

Unlike similar phones, the AT&T Merlin BIS 10 Phone is compatible with a number of other phone systems such as the Lucent Merlin Classic 206, 410, 820, the Merlin Plus 820D2, the Merlin Plus 820D and the Merlin II phone systems. This is important since the phone is no longer available new as the manufacturer no longer makes them. However, they can be found refurbished and in excellent working condition. Presently they are available only in black.

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Mitel Superset 4

2008-01-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

Highlights some of the useful features and functions of the Mitel Superset 4 that makes the phone special

Although it is no longer being manufactured, the Mitel Superset 4 is still a good buy. There is no need to worry about support and compatibility if you get a Mitel Superset 4 as it is supported by all Mitel systems that use the 9110-410 card and COV card as well as being compatible with systems such as the sx-20, sx-50, sx-200 and 2000.

Some of the great features that make the Mitel Superset4 special include its thirteen (13) speed dial keys, line status display and conference key. It is important to know that the conference functionality can only accommodate a maximum of five (5) callers. Another handy function of the Mitel Superset 4 phone is pick-up. This function allows users to pick-up any ringing telephone on their floor. This means that in the absence of a co-worker, customers/clients are not forced to leave a voicemail message or worse yet, be frustrated by a continuously ringing phone.

Transferring a call directly to voicemail is an option that can be helpful, especially if you are on an important call and do not want to put the second caller on hold. The Mitel Superset allows the phone’s user to quickly direct the call to voicemail. For users who will be away from their desk for any length of time, or who will be working at another desk, the phone facilitates the forwarding of telephone numbers to another extension. In addition, the phone has fifteen (15) line selections.

The Superset 4 was succeeded by the Superset 400 series of phones. The Superset 400 has improved on the Superset 4, with added features and up to 96 programmable keys in some models.

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TalkSwitch For Small Business

2008-01-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

TalkSwitch is a specially designed telephony system for home offices and other small businesses

Communication is a vital part of the marketing and sales function of any business, but especially so for small businesses. Having the ideal telephone system makes this easier to accomplish and few phones offer the functionality of TalkSwitch.

TalkSwitch was made especially for small businesses whether staffed by one or up sixty-four (64) persons. In addition, TalkSwitch is also geared towards franchises, offering packages that suit multiple locations as in franchisees that span many cities and even states. Best of all the TalkSwitch PBX system offers the same services and features of systems designed for use in large corporations for a fraction of the cost.

Apart from regular run-of-the-mill features like voicemail, hold, call waiting and transfer, TalkSwitch offers ‘voicemail to email’, and auto attendants so customers and potential customers can leave messages 24-hours per day, 7-days per week. In today’s global marketplace, one feature is designed to connect you wherever you are – TalkSwitch remote extension. With remote extensions you never have to miss another business call again, even if you are in another country. Remote extensions facilitate the addition of any phone anywhere to your main system as an extension.

These features and more help to cut telephone costs and indirectly improve profit margins. Efficiency of operation and a more professional switchboard operation are also among the benefits offered by TalkSwitch.

Although TalkSwitch has over fifteen different telephone models to choose from, you can certainly buy any other phone that suits your fancy – most are compatible with TalkSwitch technology.

The quality of TalkSwitch is supported by the number of awards the company’s systems have won since its establishment in 1990. Some of these awards are Computer Telephony’s Product of the Year, PC Week’s Best of Show at COMDEX 1998 and the Communications Convergence Magazine Award in 2006.

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Spotwave Wireless Systems for Mobile Coverage

2008-01-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

Spotwave Wireless Coverage Systems’ antennae strengthens wireless signals to improve the reliability of wireless devices and services

Anyone with a mobile phone knows the inconvenience of not being able to make or receive calls because of poor or non-existent signal, especially in an emergency. This is where Spotwave Wireless Systems comes in; it provides coverage in any area of a building – making weak signals a thing of the past.

Spotwave not only works for mobile telephones, but for other devices that need telephony signals to operate efficiently. Other devices that can benefit from having the Spotwave Wireless System installed are PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), Laptops and other wireless devices and services.

It is believed that up to 20 percent of wireless users encounter dropped signals or poor signal strength inside a building, whether it is home or an office. Spotwave offers two types of signal boosters, one for commercial indoor wireless coverage and the other for residential indoor wireless coverage.

Spotwave’s Zen Z1900 signal boosters will not only enhance mobile signal but also enable faster downloading as it improves data speed as well. Z1900’s stronger signal strength means better voice and sound quality, reduction or elimination of dropped calls and extended battery life. These are just some of the benefits from installing Spotwave.

Offering custom solutions in commercial areas of over 50,000, Spotwave delivers on all it promises to do. This is done with Spotwave’s SpotCell 2500Xe indoor wireless coverage system which is scaled to fit each commercial client’s needs. SpotCell supports both GSM and CDMA networks.
One of the great benefits of Spotwave is that no maintenance is required, it’s a matter of install it and forget about it – except that you probably won’t, once you notice that your wireless signal is always on. In addition, Spotwave will not interfere with other network devices or functionalities, fitting seamlessly into your existing environment

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Boosting Your Cell Signal

2007-11-05T08:58:00.000-05:00

Do you own a company that uses cellphones & PDAs. Do your phones or PDAs work fine outside of your office. But inside the cell signal is extremely weak, or if you go into one corner of your building, you have no signal. Then you have dead spots.

You ask what can be done with dead spots. Plenty. Spotwave has a Signal booster system that works inside your office. Just place one side of the Booster outside and the other part connected via a coaxial cable inside your building. As long as you have 1 bar of signal outside you will have perfect reception inside your building. To learn more go to ineedtelephones

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Basics of Multi Line Commercial Phone Systems

2006-06-16T11:56:00.000-04:00

While most commercial phone systems offer standardized features such as voice mail, call forwarding, transferring and hold music, not all are created equal. With three different options for businesses, it's important to understand that the phone system you choose should be reflection of your businesses size and where you expect to be several years down the road.

If your company has a very small number of employees, a KSU-less system might be the right choice. KSU-less systems offer a high degree of functionality for a much lower initial investment. KSU-less phones are not tied together in the sense that traditional phone systems are. Instead, the actual handsets provide commercial phone system features, instead of connecting to a central control unit.

For mid-sized companies, key systems offer more features and are expandable for normally up to 35 handsets. Key systems utilize a central control device called the key system unit (KSU) to manage the connected network of phones within your business as well as any outgoing or incoming calls. In recent years, key systems have become so advanced that many rival PBX systems in terms of standard features and customization.

For large companies with over 35 to 40 employees, a PBX system is the way to go. PBX systems offer the greatest amounts of functionality are highly expandable. A PBX central terminal controls all phone systems in the same manner that a key system does, but can do so for a substantially greater number of phones. Almost all PBX systems come with the standard features necessary for phone system operations as they pertain to large businesses. PBX systems are highly programmable and can be configured to meet the individual needs of any business. The only downside to PBX systems is the overall expense compared to key systems and KSU-less systems. Still, if your business needs over 35 handsets or may in the future, PBX is your only choice.

There factors that will determine the size of the system you need are the number of lines and the number of extensions you will need. Lines are the number of outside phone lines your phone system can simultaneously connect to. Extensions are needed for every handset or other device that the company needs to connect to the phone system. Knowing both can give you an idea of which phone system is right for your business.

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Administrators Becoming More Savvy in Programming Business Phone Systems

2006-06-16T11:54:00.001-04:00

When I was new to the retail end of the telecommunications business, most of my customers expressed the same opinion when it came to programming their phone system. Back then, programming a business phone system was a lot like trash collection...administrators just wanted you to deal with it and involve them as little as possible. My, how the times have changed, and for the better, I'd say.
Today, most of my customers are already aware of the features of their new phone system before it is even installed. With technology reaching into every part of our everyday lives, it's no wonder our culture is becoming more technologically savvy. For me, letting the customer be in charge of feature programming is a nice change of pace. System changes, such as adding a new employee, changing call routing or modifying an auto attendant, can be performed by in-house personnel. Even advanced implementations such as call centers can be commandeered by supervisors or managers. Aside from empowering the customer to be in control of the phone system, this new shift toward consumer independence has helped systems managers to be more aware of all levels of functionality within their business phone systems. In my experience, many more features are utilized when management understands the benefits and improvements to work flow that they can help bring about. Things that are now possible on most modern phone systems, such as employee monitoring, are becoming more popular. Today, administrators view phone system programming as more of an executive privilege and less of a nuisance. Knowing the difference proper programming can make in helping to run the daily operations of businesses can be a great help for them. Many modern systems can tell you when your call volume is heaviest, which employees spend the most time on the phone and how long your customers are being put on hold. All these criteria can help administrators streamline their operations for maximum efficiency. This can yield financial dividends over the short and long term that can help reduce the overall cost of purchasing and maintaining a business phone system.

Click to purchase small business phone systems, telephones, phone equipment and more. Read more articles on phone systems and phones in the work place

A Line for Every Extension

2006-06-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

I recently replaced the business phone systems in the company I own to accommodate the needs of my staff. I wish I could say that it was to accommodate the needs of our customers, but sadly, that isn't the case. You see, our old phone system had many more extensions than we had lines for. It was built with the assumption that inter-office communications would be utilized more than incoming and outgoing calls. Since my company deals primarily with internet business and doesn't do much in the way of transactions over the phone, the system I put in place in the late 90's had served us well until very recently. As of late, I have had vendors who had traditionally reached me by phone sending me e-mails. They were complaining that it's often impossible to get through to me. I looked into the matter and this is what I found... Most of my employees were spending a great deal of time talking on the phone. They weren't talking to vendors, customers, service providers or other business entities. Instead, they were utilizing the phone for personal reasons.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not the type of boss who thinks it's never acceptable to talk on the phone. I understand that during the workday, things are inevitably bound to come up which require an employees' attention. We've all been there. Perhaps a child is sick or the car is in the shop needing repairs. I understand that these things often require time spent on the phone. Judging from the traffic on my lines and the astronomical phone bills I was receiving, however, this was way beyond what I think any employer would consider acceptable.

So, I decided to replace the old phone system. The new system has a line for every extension, including mine, so that vendors or anyone else will be able to reach me at any time. Since the new phone system also offers increased functionality, I had an additional feature programmed in.

Now, whenever someone makes an outgoing call, they must dial in their own code so that both the number they call and the time spent is recorded. These records are matched to the phone bill and all employees are required to mark the non-business related calls they make each month. Since the calls bear their code, they cannot say it wasn't them who made the call. Of course, they must pay for these calls. I have noticed that phone time (and my phone bills) has decreased substantially.

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Maintainence of new equipment lengthens company investments

2006-06-16T11:51:00.000-04:00

With any investment comes the importance of maintenance. As the CEO of a large company, I wanted to ensure the greatest length of use when installing my new company investment. After purchasing a multi-line digital phone system, I wanted my purchase to last for a lifetime. This would make the cost of the investment more sufficient to my future budgets.
My employees were extremely satisfied with the new installation. Their easy-to-use features allowed for a greater productivity level throughout the company. Customers were happier; employees were as well, which leads to my current state of happiness as well.
After purchasing this large system, it was suggested that close attention be made to the maintenance of the equipment. In order for the phones to remain 100%, they must be taken care of. My employees use the system all day, 7 days a week. It is essential for the phones to remain new and fresh.
By taking time on a daily basis to clean the phones with a cotton cloth and rubbing alcohol, employees can be assured that their health is secure. This is an effective way to remove the usual residue that backs up on a phone because of its constant use. This also will lead to greater success of the phones in the future.
Studies show that most of the germs that we pass along come from the telephone. This added cleanliness factor may result in less sick days being taken by your employees. This also adds to the overall success of your company.
By maintaining the phones, my large equipment investment could be lengthened. By taking a few moments to clean the phones, their continued satisfaction for customers, my employees and myself is guaranteed. This satisfaction ensured even greater success for my business and most importantly, satisfying the concerns of my customers.

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Purchasing new phone equipment leads to greater company success

2006-06-16T11:50:00.000-04:00

Communication is key to a successful business. As a customer service representative, the quality of my business’s current phone system isn’t exactly the most technologically-advanced equipment. After twenty years of customer service experience at 3 different companies, I have discovered through the years that effective phone systems are essential for a business. They ensure the greatest availability and accessibility for employees to assist customers with their concerns.
Because of my forward-thinking work ethic, I researched new phone systems and decided to initiate a new phone system purchase from a website that sold a variety of top manufacturers at a low, more affordable price for growing businesses. The low prices made it easier to convince my boss to invest in them. This site helps companies to further extend their phone systems throughout their company, therefore allowing for a greater rate of success after installation occurs.
The convenience of online usage in literally anything, allowed for a quicker decision to be made. Both my supervisor and I viewed the systems online. We both decided these systems would help our future success and ultimately the customer’s. This played a large part in our decision-making process. Our customers are always the first people that we are concerned about.
After discovering that there are a variety of systems, key, PBX, digital or hybrid systems, we decided to implement a Complete Avaya Lucent Partner package. This system allows for the ability of 5 lines and 9 telephones to access it. Most importantly, it can be expanded to 17 lines and 41 phones. Our investment would include everything we needed to get started at a comparable lower rate than any other company I researched.
The easy-to-use service and affordability factor made it hard for my boss to say no. And now a month after installation, my colleagues and I enjoy a great phone system that allows us to effectively answer the questions and concerns of our customers. Our daily concerns of our old phone systems are gone. Now we can remain calm and assured that our new phone system purchase was the right choice to make!

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An effective way to earn money for your company leading to greater future financial success

2006-06-16T11:49:00.000-04:00

As supervisor of a large company, one of my greatest concerns is to limit expenses as much as possible to ensure further company success. It remains a constant part of my job responsibility to lower costs and always be thinking of cost-effective ways to continue business in my department. After my boss purchased a complete new phone system, I decided that we should sell our old AT&T equipment back to the company we purchased the new one from.
Coming up with effective ways to begin back money within your company can add future financial success to your company. This innovative way of thinking will make you more valuable to your company. Ultimately, encouraging the owner or whomever is in charge of expenses, to continue to invest in more equipment that will not only help you but other employees.
By implementing more effective systems within one’s company, it allows for the company to remain on the forefront for upcoming technology and also allows for greater success for employees. Their workload can significantly be eased by the installation of a new phone system. Customer service representatives’ greatest concern is the needs of your customers. If their needs are not met, your revenues are affected.
Making the right decision on a new phone system could be the determinant of your business success. This new equipment will allow employees to work more efficiently and with less stress. It has been proven that less stress allows for more productivity.
For example, by purchasing a complete new phone system with multiple lines, employees can be more specified in work responsibility. In my printing company, customer service representatives are each assigned separate responsibility concerning orders received by mail, email or fax. By having multiple lines, the receptionist can easily transfer customers to their specialized representative to better suit their needs.
The installation of this new equipment has my business running at its best. After this investment, I am actively seeking out additional ones that will continue to secure my future financial success. Staying updated with one’s equipment allows for greater work flow and happier customers.

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Additional phone lines allows for greater customer-service success

2006-06-16T11:46:00.000-04:00

With the complexity of one’s business comes the stress of an effective phone system. With multiple customer service representatives at my business, I found it hard to find a phone system that could handle the workload of the many users at one time. After researching other options, I found a website that allowed me to not only buy the complete phone system, but also the equipment to add additional lines to my current business system.
After reviewing the cost factors, their company made it easy for me to decide if it was more cost-effective for me to add additional lines to my current phone system or to purchase a new one. After consulting with the phone professionals, it was decided that a key system would be most effective for my business. This decision was made by weighing the costs of purchasing a new system versus upgrading an older one.
Ultimately, cost is most important in deciding the benefits toward one’s company future success. After consulting with my boss, we discussed the positives and negatives in purchasing a new system. While new equipment would be a great addition, we were concerned of the complexity of the new system. We would want to implement our current business activities into its use immediately and would have to be trained on using the new phones.
After great consideration, we purchased a new key system for our near 10 person customer service staff and 100 other employees. After an introduction meeting for the entire staff to the new system, employees were back at work immediately using the new system within an hour.
This decision has been very important to the continued success of my company. I have seen greater results with the speed in which calls are transferred to the appropriate representatives. This allows customers’ needs to be addressed in a more timely manner. Overall, this new system has positively increased the quality of our customer service.
By investing in a better system, the success of my company and the satisfaction of my customers are better dealt with.
Quality definitely is essential to effective work equipment. And after taking the time to make a change in my company, I have continuously been satisfied with my decision.

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Refurbished Business Phone Systems an Excellent Way to Save

2006-03-29T13:30:00.000-05:00

Buying a business phone system can be an expensive endeavor, especially if you are operating a new business and aren't prepared for the expense. One way to help keep costs low is to purchase a refurbished business phone system. Refurbished systems are can save you a great deal of money, especially if you operate a multiple location business.

Many business phone system retailers have customers who quickly outgrow their initial phone system. Unanticipated success on their part can lead to substantial savings for your company. In most cases, business phone systems that have been refurbished offer the same features that new systems offer for much less. Most phone system retailers carry a good selection of used equipment, with some even specializing in refurbished systems. Even if you operate a larger company, purchasing refurbished systems is still an excellent option. My company recently ordered refurbished equipment from our supplier in order to expand our current system. We needed handsets that would work with our PBX system, and we were able to get them for forty percent less than new handsets would have cost. Since our supplier has a good selection of both new and used equipment, we were able to find exactly what we needed without having to search for compatible parts. Additionally, our supplier purchased a used key system we had installed in one of our satellite offices, which closed through a restructuring. Being able to buy the equipment we needed and sell what we no longer used to the same dealer made the entire process very easy. Our supplier even arranged pick-up for our old system.
For me, buying refurbished equipment makes sense. I'm able to get the equipment I need, with a warranty, at a price that allows me to outfit my locations at a discount. If, like me, you own a growing business, the savings can really add up. While phone systems are constantly being updated, the technology of a few years ago offers the same key features as the newest phones on the market. Refurbished phones have a lot of life left in them and can provide your business with a valuable asset without breaking the bank.

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Buying Business Phone Systems Doesn't Have to be Complicated

2006-03-29T13:26:00.000-05:00

As a purchasing manager, it's my job to make sure that the items purchased for my company will not only meet our present and future needs, but that they will do so in a cost effective manner. With some items I am charged with obtaining, it's simply a matter of price. I look for the lowest price at the highest level of quality. I am often put in a position to make qualitative judgments on the merits of different items, including things as trivial as the adhesive used on the the back of sticky pads. I researched and purchased the hardware we use in our current client - server system as well as the software used to run it. A few months ago, we had new carpet installed in our office, which I also researched (we went from a well worn frieze to an industrial berber). My most recent purchase, however, was our new business phone system. We had a key system that had already been expanded to its maximum capability. Since we are a growing company, we had to move to a PBX system to accommodate more lines. Knowing this made purchasing the right system that much easier.

So, how do I know so much about phone systems? I wish I could tell you it was research, but as with any major purchase, I rely on professionals to give me the information I need to make an informed decision. In this case, I utilized the expertise of my business phone supplier. Since this person is someone I trust and have dealt with before, I was confident that he could steer me in the right direction. Still, even if I had no regular supplier, I could have contacted several suppliers and asked for their advice in addition to asking for the help of my phone service provider. Purchasing a business phone system can be easy if you know where to go for professional advice. Part of the research necessary for making a purchasing decision involves talking to people in the industry and using their knowledge to help you make the most qualified decision. Put a professional's knowledge to work for you. You'll be glad you did.

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Things to Consider When purchasing Commercial Phone Systems

2006-03-29T13:23:00.000-05:00

As a retailer for commercial phone systems, I am often asked what criteria should be considered when revamping or replacing a business phone system. While there are many individual considerations that are specific to each situation, most of these fall under the umbrella of knowing what you have and what you need, and finding the best price.

First, you will need to know what type of phone system you have, what type of phone system you need and your current expansion possibilities. Both Key systems and PBX can be expanded, although Key systems will only afford you so many lines. Expansion is almost always cheaper than bringing in a new system, so if you can expand on your current system, weigh the costs of doing so against replacing the entire system. Based on your current usage and expected growth, you should be able to surmise what course of action to take regarding expansion or replacement.

Next, you will want to find the features you need at the lowest price. Indeed, it's as simple as it sounds. If you are expanding, you will simply add more lines and handsets in conjunction with your current setup, so features really don't apply unless you are upgrading handsets. If you are only expanding the same setup, you are more or less relegated to adding more of what you already have. If you are replacing a phone system, however, features and price are your main consideration. Get a high quality, expandable phone system with the features you require that will handle your future volume needs while keeping an eye on the bottom line. It's no different than buying a car while you are considering starting a family. You want something that meets your needs now, but that will also be capable of handling your needs in the future for the absolute lowest price.

Buying a commercial or business phone system doesn't have to be complicated. Like anything else, once you are familiar with what's out there, a little research and cost/benefit analysis will go a long way toward helping you get exactly what you need.

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How to Sort Out the Complications of Purchasing a Business Phone System

2006-03-29T13:22:00.000-05:00

Purchasing a business phone system can be difficult, especially if you are unfamiliar with your current business phone system and with what your available options are. Familiarizing yourself with modern business phone systems can yield big dividends when it comes time to upgrade, expand or replace your current system. You will obviously need to know about the different types of phone systems available for offices and figure out which one you have.

The three major types of commercial phone systems on the market today are key systems, Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems, and KSU-less phones. The type of system you have will affect how many stations you can add and what features are available to you. PBX systems are the most expandable and, depending on the manufacturer, are often compatible with a variety of handsets. Key systems offer up to 40 lines in most instances and offer features on par or just below those offered with PBX systems. KSU-less systems are suitable for very small offices with just a few people. Some offer features found on key and PBX systems, although these features are not tied in to a dedicated system. Instead, these features work independently of the other phones on the system, similar to the way your home phone operates.

If you have a PBX or key system and have room for expansion, doing so maybe your cheapest option, providing expansion is all you need. If newer features are required, you may have to replace the system depending on compatability with newer handsets. While most modern business phone system handsets are all but guaranteed to have a high degree of functionality, there are several newer options that can greatly enhance productivity, especially if your business uses a phone system as its primary source for generating sales.

If you need to replace an entire system, consult with a business phone retailer for help in deciding on what features will best suit your businesses current and future needs. With a little knowledge on the phone system you have and the choices available to you, updating, upgrading or expanding a business phone system can be relatively hassle free.

Click to purchase small business phone systems, telephones, phone equipment and more. Read more articles on phone systems and phones in the work place

Basics of Multi Line Commercial Phone Systems

2006-03-29T13:20:00.000-05:00

While most commercial phone systems offer standardized features such as voice mail, call forwarding, transferring and hold music, not all are created equal. With three different options for businesses, it's important to understand that the phone system you choose should be reflection of your businesses size and where you expect to be several years down the road.

If your company has a very small number of employees, a KSU-less system might be the right choice. KSU-less systems offer a high degree of functionality for a much lower initial investment. KSU-less phones are not tied together in the sense that traditional phone systems are. Instead, the actual handsets provide commercial phone system features, instead of connecting to a central control unit.

For mid-sized companies, key systems offer more features and are expandable for normally up to 35 handsets. Key systems utilize a central control device called the key system unit (KSU) to manage the connected network of phones within your business as well as any outgoing or incoming calls. In recent years, key systems have become so advanced that many rival PBX systems in terms of standard features and customization.

For large companies with over 35 to 40 employees, a PBX system is the way to go. PBX systems offer the greatest amount of functionality are highly expandable. A PBX central terminal controls all phone systems in the same manner that a key system does, but can do so for a substantially greater number of phones. Almost all PBX systems come with the standard features necessary for phone system operations as they pertain to large businesses. PBX systems are highly programmable and can be configured to meet the individual needs of any business. The only downside to PBX systems is the overall expense compared to key systems and KSU-less systems. Still, if your business needs over 35 handsets or may in the future, PBX is your only choice.

There factors that will determine the size of the system you need are the number of lines and the number of extensions you will need. Lines are the number of outside phone lines your phone system can simultaneously connect to. Extensions are needed for every handset or other device that the company needs to connect to the phone system. Knowing both can give you an idea of which phone system is right for your business.

lick to purchase small business phone systems, telephones, phone equipment and more. Read more articles on phone systems and phones in the work place

A Line for Every Extension

2006-03-29T13:15:00.000-05:00

I recently replaced the business phone systems in the company I own to accommodate the needs of my staff. I wish I could say that it was to accommodate the needs of our customers, but sadly, that isn't the case. You see, our old phone system had many more extensions than we had lines for. It was built with the assumption that inter-office communications would be utilized more than incoming and outgoing calls. Since my company deals primarily with internet business and doesn't do much in the way of transactions over the phone, the system I put in place in the late 90's had served us well until very recently. As of late, I have had vendors who had traditionally reached me by phone sending me e-mails. They were complaining that it's often impossible to get through to me. I looked into the matter and this is what I found... Most of my employees were spending a great deal of time talking on the phone. They weren't talking to vendors, customers, service providers or other business entities. Instead, they were utilizing the phone for personal reasons.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not the type of boss who thinks it's never acceptable to talk on the phone. I understand that during the workday, things are inevitably bound to come up which require an employees' attention. We've all been there. Perhaps a child is sick or the car is in the shop needing repairs. I understand that these things often require time spent on the phone. Judging from the traffic on my lines and the astronomical phone bills I was receiving, however, this was way beyond what I think any employer would consider acceptable.

So, I decided to replace the old phone system. The new system has a line for every extension, including mine, so that vendors or anyone else will be able to reach me at any time. Since the new phone system also offers increased functionality, I had an additional feature programmed in.

Now, whenever someone makes an outgoing call, they must dial in their own code so that both the number they call and the time spent are recorded. These records are matched to the phone bill and all employees are required to mark the non-business related calls they make each month. Since the calls bear their code, they cannot say it wasn't them who made the call. Of course, they must pay for these calls. I have noticed that phone time (and my phone bills) have decreased substantially.

Click to purchase small business phone systems, telephones, phone equipment and more. Read more articles on phone systems and phones in the work place

Administrators Becoming More Savvy in Programming Business Phone Systems

2006-03-29T12:55:00.000-05:00

When I was new to the retail end of the telecommunications business, most of my customers expressed the same opinion when it came to programming their phone system. Back then, programming a business phone system was a lot like trash collection...administrators just wanted you to deal with it and involve them as little as possible. My, how the times have changed, and for the better, I'd say.
Today, most of my customers are already aware of the features of their new phone system before it is even installed. With technology reaching into every part of our everyday lives, it's no wonder our culture is becoming more technologically savvy. For me, letting the customer be in charge of feature programming is a nice change of pace.

System changes, such as adding a new employee, changing call routing or modifying an auto attendant, can be performed by in-house personnel. Even advanced implementations such as call centers can be commandeered by supervisors or managers. Aside from empowering the customer to be in control of the phone system, this new shift toward consumer independence has helped systems managers to be more aware of all levels of functionality within their business phone systems. In my experience, many more features are utilized when management understands the benefits and improvements to work flow that they can help bring about. Things that are now possible on most modern phone systems, such as employee monitoring, are becoming more popular. Today, administrators view phone system programming as more of an executive privilege and less of a nuisance. Knowing the difference proper programming can make in helping to run the daily operations of businesses can be a great help for them.

Many modern systems can tell you when your call volume is heaviest, which employees spend the most time on the phone and how long your customers are being put on hold. All these criteria can help administrators streamline their operations for maximum efficiency. This can yield financial dividends over the short and long term that can help reduce the overall cost of purchasing and maintaining a business phone system.

Click to purchase small business phone systems, telephones, phone equipment and more. Read more articles on phone systems and phones in the work place

A Good Business Phone System Can Help Streamline Customer Service

2006-03-29T12:53:00.000-05:00

Let's face it, customer service is an important part of a successful business. I would even go as far as to say it's the most important part of a successful business, especially one that utilizes the telephone as its main source of communication between it and its customer base. Fortunately, new technology in business phone systems has made obtaining stellar customer service marks as easy as can be. More and more administrators are monitoring their employees' interactions with customers in order to improve customer service.

The benefits of monitoring incoming and outgoing phone calls are threefold. First, businesses are able to find out what customer service methods are working the best for the products and services they sell. Once this is established, future employee training materials can be made to reflect the information that monitoring sessions have yielded. Being able to fabricate training material based on real-world scenario calls can help employees understand the proper way in which to engage customers. Second, administrators can monitor the employees themselves, to ensure that all proper protocols are being adhered to when employees are dealing with customers. This procedure has the added benefit of keeping employees on their toes, as they will be aware that they may be monitored at any time. Third, from a legal standpoint, recording consumer interactions can help protect the company from a legal standpoint should an issue arise which requires the re-telling of an exchange of information between a company's employees and its customers to resolve the situation.

To have the ability to know what is happening between your business and your clientele can be a great boon in our modern society, where customer is service is rightfully king. Companies who take advantage of advancements in business phone system technology may find a noticeable difference in their bottom line.

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Handsets an Important Factor in Choosing Business Phone Systems

2006-03-29T12:45:00.000-05:00

By necessity, business phones are usually a bit more bulky than regular phones. Although technology has greatly reduced the size of business phones in recent years, ergonomics hasn't necessarily caught up. Of course, when choosing a phone system, some manufacturers' trunk equipment setups will limit the types of handsets that can be used along with them. For the most part, however, choosing which handset your company will use is entirely up to you. Features are certainly important, but believe it or not, so is feel.

While handset weight, size and comfort seem like a trivial part of phone system purchase considerations, they shouldn't be. For employees who are on the phone all day, the right handset can improve productivity while reducing strain. While few people spend their entire day chained to their desks anymore, most are there long enough to know whether or not their handset is comfortable enough for all day use. Remember, most inter-office communication is still over the phone, despite the onset of the computer age. The ability to make and receive phone calls without relative discomfort can make a big difference in employee productivity.

More and more business telephone systems are providing support for wireless handsets, which are often much more comfortable to hold and use than traditional handsets. As the display information available on handset terminals is now larger thanks to LCD screens, employees do not have to be practically sitting on top of the phone to see who's calling or if they have messages from calls they've missed. This technology can be very cheap or very expensive, primarily depending on the size of your office and the type of system you use. If you are running a small office with 12 or fewer people, you can buy off-the-shelf cordless systems that will cost you very little. Large businesses may find the expense to be too much.

Again, the true benefit of a comfortable handset is in improved employee productivity. For employees who spend a good portion of their day on the phone, this can be a life saver. Considering how valuable they are to your company, giving them the comfort they deserve is well worth paying a little attention to which handsets weigh the least and feel the best.

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The Shelf Life of a Small Business Phone System

2006-02-23T11:52:00.000-05:00

Nothing lasts forever, or so they say. This can be especially true when it comes to small business phone systems. Most experts will tell you that the average life of a business phone system is five to seven years, although this can vary greatly depending on the type of business and what sort of growth they have experienced within that time frame. A company that is rapidly expanding will likely outgrow an existing phone system, provided they are unable to expand it sufficiently, within a short amount of time. Likewise, a company that experiences very slow growth and adequately plans ahead for the future may be able to utilize a business phone system for well over a decade.

Unfortunately, despite advancements in production automation that have continued to improve, the reliability and dependability of modern business phone systems is not what it once was. Of course, this varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer, but generally speaking, the business phones of old were workhorses that could survive just about any type of abuse and continue to perform well year after year after year. This phenomenon can't be blamed entirely on phone manufacturers, however.

Technological advancements in recent years have forced manufacturers to incorporate fragile components into their products that, for the most part, remain untested in regard to their ability to handle extended years of everyday use and abuse. this often results in products that are unable to function, either completely or partially, within just a few years of being produced. In all likelihood, an LCD display is far more likely to experience a malfunction that results in a useless business phone than part of the internal mechanism of the phone, which has changed very little in the last few decades. All in all, business phone systems are not unlike any other product you might purchase. Buy something super state of the art and you are likely over paying. Buy something too old and you will likely have compatibility problems. It's best to keep two philosophies in mind...newer isn't always better and, you get what you pay for.

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The Look of Modern Business Telephones

2006-02-23T11:47:00.000-05:00

Modern business telephones have come a long way from where they started, both technologically and esthetically speaking. Looking at some of the previous offerings from days gone by, I am reminded that the business world is one of form over function. In other words, business phones are engineered to simply to work reliably and for long periods of time, not to look pretty. Still, there is very little charm, even from a nostalgic point of view, in older business telephone systems. Thankfully, the phones have changed over the last several years. Business phones are still designed to work and work well, but many manufacturers are beginning to understand that esthetics can be used as a selling point. The modern phones of today have a functionally "smart" look to them, as though they were destined to meet the futuristic expectations placed on them by movies and television shows from the seventies, such as "Star Trek" and "Star Wars". In fact, just about every business phone I've encountered lately seems to have had it's design parameters pulled directly off of Darth Vader's chest.

While these phones aren't exactly attractive, they also manage to stay out of the eyesore category, which is somewhat of an improvement. The biggest difference one encounters when comparing new to old business phones is the sheer heft and bulk that the old phones possess. Of course, technology has allowed modern manufacturers to produce phones that are miniscule by the standards of yesterday and the actual size and weight differences are astounding. It makes one wonder if quality was compromised in the loss of all that size and weight. It wouldn't surprise me. I know they don't make desks quite like they used to. I don't think my desk could hold one of the old style telephones without bowing, which is exactly what happened when I placed a CRT monitor in the middle of it. I suppose that phones, like all products, are susceptible to the old but true adage that they really don't make them like they used to, which reminds me of another popular saying...

Looks aren't everything.

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Special Considerations for Small Business Phone Systems

2006-02-23T11:39:00.000-05:00

Small businesses have special needs, especially in comparison to larger, more established companies. The term "small business" often really refers to "new business", in that many small businesses that have been around for a while are as large as they are likely to ever become simply because of the type of business they are. Some small businesses, however, are destined to become large businesses. These companies in particular need to weigh the considerations of their unique situation when purchasing a business phone system. Knowing one's options when it comes to business phones can save a substantial amount of money and time.

If a company is in a physical location that will be able to meet it's needs for many years to come and their number of employees is well into the double digit range, they may wish to go with a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system. PBX systems offer increased expansion capabilities and can come with more available features for the end user. Installation expenses for PBX systems can be extremely high, however, and should be factored in any organization's business phone system budget.

The alternative would be to use a Key System. Key Systems are cheaper and require less in the way of instalation expense. Still, they are only expandable to provide service to thirty or forty terminals. For businesses that will eventually require more handsets than Key Systems are capable of supporting, replacement with a PBX system would be inevitable..

The worst case scenario would be for a business to buy a phone system that barely meets it's current needs only to find that it will have to be replaced soon after. Properly planning for growth will help any business end up with a phone system that can expand with it's expansion and allow the most value for the overall investment. Like any business investment, phone systems do not last forever, so it is often unnecessary to purchase the very best (and most expensive) system on the market. Still, it does pay to purchase a business phone system that is certain to meet your company's needs, both now and well into the future.

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The Market for Used Business Phone System Equipment

2006-02-23T11:32:00.000-05:00

Business phone systems and the companies who sell them exist in a world all their own. The competition is stiff, with several different retailers and wholesalers carrying the same brands. The competition for used and refurbished business phones and business phone systems is even more fierce, as many companies are searching for equipment that can be used to expand their current system. Often, phone and phone system manufacturers engineer their products so that they aren't universal and will not work with a variety of other products.

This can be a poor selling point for buyers of new business phone systems, but if a company already has a system such as this in place and wants to expand, they have little choice but to use the same equipment. This is the reason why there is such a market for used business phone equipment. It is always much cheaper to hunt down a handset that is compatible with your system than it is to replace the entire system every time you need to add a few phone lines.

Additionally, so many businesses are ill prepared for purchasing the right phone system for their particular needs that they often end up replacing the system in a relatively short time. The old equipment can then be sold or refurbished and sold. Often, wholesalers and retailers will give discounts for new systems if they are able to take the system it is replacing as a "trade in". New and even used terminals, KTX add-ons and PBX equipment can be a major expense. It is often necessary to find out how much it will cost to expand the type of system you have, when possible . In many instances, purchasing a slightly larger system than you what you currently need can save you money as down the road, even used equipment may cost more than what you would have been able to pay for brand new.

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Handling the Purchase of a Business Phone System

2006-02-23T11:26:00.000-05:00

Purchasing a business phone system is not an easy endeavor, but with the right mind set and a little knowledge about business telephones, you can find a viable, budget friendly solution to your business' communication needs.

One of the first decisions you will need to make is whether or not to go with a key system or a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system. Depending on how many individual stations you need and how rapidly you expect your company to grow, one of these two options should fit the bill.

PBX systems work well for larger companies or those who expect to grow substantially in the upcoming years. At one time, PBX systems were considered to offer the best functionality and enable you to enjoy more features than key systems, although that has changed a lot in recent years. Now, for the most part, the biggest difference between the two types of systems is simply that PBX systems will allow for more stations than key systems. Of course, they are also more expensive.

For smaller business with less than thirty to forty employees, a key system might be a better choice. Key systems offer, for the most part, the same features that PBX systems offer but can be substantially cheaper. For businesses on the fringe, however, it pays to go with a PBX. If your company were to expand beyond the level of what your key system can handle, you would have to replace the entire system.

Whether purchasing a key system or PBX, professional installation will be necessary and is often just as costly as the phone system itself, so be sure to factor that into your budget. Also consider your leasing situation if your company doesn't own its own building. You don't want to pay for an expensive install only to have to change locations soon after.

Ask your retail or wholesale phone system dealer for more detailed information on the types of systems available to you, including expansion options. He or she should be willing and able to guide you in making the right purchase for your business.

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Business Phone Blues

2006-02-23T11:13:00.000-05:00

I work for a specialty after market auto parts retailer. We have no showroom, so around twenty percent of our business comes from the Internet while eighty percent comes from the telephone. We send out catalogs to those who request them or anyone who has placed an order in the last year. We also advertise in the back of automotive magazines. Needless to say, telephone sales are truly the lifeblood of our business. As of late, however, I've been wishing that weren't the case.

My company's business phone system has what I would call, the absolute most annoying hold message ever produced. My boss, the owner of the company, is a really nice guy. Unfortunately, he is a really nice guy with a very pronounced speech impediment. One day he decided that instead of the traditional hold music, he would play a repeating digital loop of him announcing our weekly specials. We are a very busy company. In fact, most days find our sales reps on the phone from the time we get in until the time we leave. As you might guess, with such a high volume of calls, many people are left on hold.

When our customers finally reach a sales rep, I would estimate that about thirty to forty percent of them do an impersonation of my boss...no kidding. The other sixty or seventy percent usually compliment us on the "funny voice" doing our ads. I've had a few who were offended by it, thinking we were trying to make fun of those with speech impediments. The thing is, almost everybody has something to say about the hold ads. I even had one customer complete an extensive order while doing his version of "the voice". Since our boss is a really great guy, my coworkers and I are less than amused on one hand, yet highly entertained on the other. My only problem is that while most of my colleagues are spread out over a huge office, my cubical is right next to the boss'. I have to keep a straight face during some fairly good impressions.

I miss the hold music.

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My Experience Buying a Business Phone System

2006-02-23T11:06:00.000-05:00

As the office manager for a small insurance company, one of the many duties I perform is purchasing. This normally involves stopping off at the local office supply store for pens, paper clips, printer paper, ink and toner. In other words, I'm not exactly entrusted with making high level, crucial decisions when it comes to purchasing. In fact, we used to have one of the secretaries do it. Unfortunately, when she retired, the onus fell on me. Because of this, I was somewhat surprised when word came down from the higher ups that I was to be in charge of choosing a new business phone system. At first, I was a little shocked that they were actually going to provide me with a budget and give me carte blanche freedom to actually go out and get something on a scale of high importance accomplished.

Then it occurred to me that the reason they were putting me in charge of such an important facet of our company's success (after all, we are a catalog retailer), was that I would be in charge of learning how to use the new business phone system and training the rest of our staff. With that thought in mind, I was determined to find a system that would be easy to learn, easy to train on and easy on my company's budget. After doing some research and some considerable shopping around, I was able to find a business phone system that was expandable in case we ever needed to add more phones or more lines.

This system was simplicity personified and as the wholesaler explained to me how to set up the phone, I knew it would be easy to train others on. Best of all, I came in way under budget, which I know impressed the powers that be. I was complimented on handling the purchasing of the new business phone system several times, which makes me think they have a new appreciation for my abilities. That could lead to more money for me...but somehow I know it will probably just lead to more responsibility.

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Purchasing Business Phones Doesn't Have to Hurt

2006-02-23T10:57:00.000-05:00

Finding the right business phone distributor can be a lot like dating. Inevitably, you will go through your fair share of undesirable suitors before finding the right one. Not only that, the process itself will be well beyond nerve wracking for most. Long after you have decided that one or another retailer or wholesaler is not the one who you should entrust your business to, you will still likely be getting phone calls from them. Still, just like dating, eventually you will find that special someone. The business phone retailer or wholesaler you go with will provide you with everything you need while making you feel comfortable and at ease with your business relationship. This company will take your company's business phone system needs, budget and time constraints into consideration and come up with a plan for outfitting you with a system that will exceed your expectations.

The first business phone system I purchased was, to say the least, not what my business situation called for. I was told several times, however, that I was getting "a deal". It's amazing how people will make a purchase based on the ascertation that they might be saving some money. It is as though the very act of saving money makes you forget the purpose of your purchase. This business phone system was barely able to handle our call volume, wasn't expandable and didn't possess the functionality I needed. My second experience wasn't much better. I got a substantially better phone system, but later found out I had been raked over hot coals in terms of price.

Finally, on my third business phone system purchase, I found a wholesaler who treated me fairly, answered all my questions, and steered me toward the equipment I needed, not the equipment he needed to sell. His prices were competitive and I knew I had found someone I could trust. That was in 1986. I have since made four more large scale purchases. For those purchasing business phone systems for the first time, let me suggest that they do their homework and make sure that the level of customer service they receive is commensurate with what they expect.

Hang in there...you'll find the right one.

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Business Phones Keep Up With Changes In Technology

2006-02-23T10:47:00.000-05:00

The basic premise that defines a business phone has been simple and well stated for many years. Business phones, unlike home telephones, need to be able to handle a large call volume and provide functionality that is useful to the end user. This usually includes the ability to field several calls at the same time, put people on hold when necessary, and direct phone traffic to wherever it needs to go. Business phones have accomplished these tasks with flying colors going all the way back the earliest models. Even more impressive, however, is the ability business phone manufacturers have shown to incorporate new and expanding technologies into their products.

Technology has grown by leaps and bounds, especially in th last two decades. From faxes to cellular phones and the dawning of the computer age, changes that have affected phones in general, but particularly business phones, have been varying and abundant. Looking at other industries where technology has influenced design and protocols, one can easily see that not all manufacturers share the same competitiveness that business phone manufacturers share in relation to keeping their products as current as possible. Digital telephones were available before the digital alarm clock, digital wrist watch or the digital thermostat.

While it could be argued for the digital alarm clock or the digital wrist watch that this is simply a matter of function not really benefitting form, I doubt that anyone would dispute the exclusion of the thermostat in that description. Like the digitalization of the telephone, digitalized thermostats offer options that were not possible prior to the conversion. From the ability to adjust temperature settings based on time to the increased level of accuracy, digitalization has offered great benefits to this particular product. Why then, were products such as these so much slower than the business telephone to adopt digitalization?

It is more a testament to the dedication of telephone equipment manufacturers than it is a knock on other product manufacturers. The telephone business is highly competitive, and the ultimate beneficiary of this competitiveness is the consumer. Whatever changes lie ahead for technology, you can be certain that business phone manufacturers will incorporate those changes into their products.

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Upgrading Your Business Phone System

2006-02-23T10:36:00.000-05:00

Upgrading a business phone system is, whenever possible, a much more cost effective alternative to replacing a business phone system. Replacing a business phone system can be an expensive and time consuming endeavor, to say the least. The biggest obstacle most businesses face when upgrading is that many business phone systems are expandable to a limited degree. Some systems have limitations that will force a business to completely replace their existing equipment. For this reason alone, it is essential that businesses consider both their current and future needs before making a phone system purchase.

If you or whoever originally purchased your equipment planned properly, upgrading your phone system could be as simple as adding a few new phones to your line structure. Some business phone systems, such as key systems, are limited in their expansion capabilites. They are lower in price than private branch exchange systems and are suitable for a smaller businesses that don't expect to expand beyond the maximum number of lines and handsets. private branch exchange systems, however, are extremely expandable and often offer more options, although the difference between the overall functionality of the two systems is disappearing.

In either case, it is imperative that you consider your present and future needs for terminals. Outgrowing a business phone system because you have reached its maximum expansion capability can be very costly. You should always contact your phone equipment provider for information on which systems are likely to be a good choice for your organization prior to purchasing. Most wholesalers and retailers of business phone equipment have worked in the field long enough to be able to give you solid advice that can keep you from making a mistake. You should also consult your local or long distance phone service carriers for information on installation costs and upkeep. With a little research and planning, your business phone system should be an investment that saves you money.

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Don't Go Cheap When Installing New Business Phones

2006-01-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

I recently replaced my business phone system to accommodate an increase in the volume of calls I was receiving. I own a car rental franchise and needed to have new lines and new phones installed to go along with the new customer service representative I needed to hire. By taking care of my customers and keeping my vehicles clean and available, I was able to build my business and force the closure of one of my two nearby competitors. The resulting influx of customers meant I needed to act fast in oder to capitalize on my good fortune. Like most people would, I gave little thought to my phone system and just decided to go with the cheapest solution I could find.

I purchased a new system that I was told would handle my volume. At first, I was more than satisfied as everything was working great and I had no problems. Shortly after I put the new phone system in place, I reduced our rental rates in order to try and get as many customers to switch over to my company from my now defunct competition instead of to my one remaining competitor. Even though I was operating at a loss for two months, my strategy was successful and my business increased yet again. The problem was that the phone system I purchased was designed to only handle a small amount of lines, and I was already at full capacity. While it was an improvement over my first system, it had limitations that I hadn't considered. I ended up having to replace it all over again, but this time I had the sense to go with a system that could grow with my business. Luckily, I was able to get some credit for returning the second phone system, which went toward the newest system.

Still, I lost money, and had I only been less concerned with the bottom line and more concerned with getting what I really needed, I would have been better off. When buying a phone system for your company, make sure you purchase one that you won't outgrow if business starts booming. I wish someone had told me that before I made the mistake of trying to save a few bucks.

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Phone Games of the 21st Century

2006-01-05T12:37:00.000-05:00

I recently had reason to call my phone company in order to inquire about some charges that were showing up on my bill. I first reached an automated message that told me to press one for English, which I did, followed by a menu with several options. Of the available options, none involved speaking to an actual human being. This was the type of phone system where you could either press the number of the option you wanted or speak it into the receiver. After hearing all the available options and knowing that not a single solitary one of them would address my issue, I decided to take a gamble. I clearly said "customer service" into the phone and was then told that what I had said did not match any of the available options. I tried it again just in case it was a hidden option and I hadn't spoken clearly the first time. Sure enough, the automated voice told me I would be transferred to a representative. I heard about 4 seconds of music and then a click. I waited about five minutes before realizing I had been hung up on. I went through this whole process a few more times before finally reaching an actual human being.

The thing that irritates me the most is that many companies who should be offering personalized customer service try their absolute best to avoid having to speak with their customers. I can't understand whether it's a lack of employees to field the calls or that they just assume that I am to lazy to use the automated menu if, say...I only want to find out how much my bill is. I'm sure there are more than a few people out there who would want to talk to a human being even though they can get the information they need without doing so, but what about people like me who legitimately needed some real help? What really takes the cake is that this is a phone company, and one who can't or doesn't want to update their phone system to handle customer's calls. I wish there were an organization dedicated to rating these businesses' customer service policies so that they might get some idea of just how poor they are doing in relation to their competition. If there were, I would switch and give my business to the company who offered the best customer service, even if it cost more to do so.

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The Importance of Holding

2006-01-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

I now understand the importance of holding. No, I'm not talking about two lovers caressing each other tightly in front of a fireplace (although that is also certainly important, fireplace or not). I'm talking about being put on hold when doing business over the phone. I recently took my automobile in to be serviced at my local garage. After they had it for a day, I called to get the prognosis and see just how much this was going to cost me. I was transferred over to the mechanic working on my car, and by transferred, I mean that the first person i reached yelled at the top of her lungs for a second person to pick up line 2. It was endearing, in a way, but not terribly professional.

After reaching the mechanic, I was told to wait for a moment while he checked on the status of my car. He then put the phone down (or let it hang, for all I know) and went to get the paperwork. It took him quite a while to get the information he needed, so I was sitting at my desk at work with my ear to the receiver, listening to other mechanics talk about everything under the sun. I certainly don't mind that, but the profanity I was hearing didn't really instill any confidence in me that I had chosen the right garage for my vehicle. These guys could have made a sailor blush, as the saying goes. Eventually, the mechanic came back and told me the amount of the bill and what they had found.

I picked my car up that evening. The four or five minutes I spent listening to the other mechanics curse with reckless abandon got me to thinking. I really do believe that ignorance is bliss. It's not that I'm such a prude that a few expletives will offend me, it's more about professionalism. When a person feels that the company he or she is doing business with exudes professionalism, it makes one comfortable in doing business. When the situation is otherwise, it makes you wonder if there isn't someone else you should be doing business with instead.

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Replacing and Upgrading Business Phone Systems

2006-01-04T16:22:00.000-05:00

Business phone systems can be simple or complex, depending on the number of lines and desk units to be installed. With a little forethought, purchasing a business phone system can allow you to have an expandable platform that is easily capable of handling the growth your company may experience. Many business phone manufacturers make equipment that is only useful within their product line. For this reason, it is essential to examine what products are offered to make sure that your needs will be met both today and several years down the road.

If you are replacing a business phone system, you may not be able to utilize parts of your current system for an upgrade if your current equipment is outdated or no longer manufactured. Some business phone systems are only expandable so far, with the number of lines being limited. For cost purposes, it is always more cost effective to upgrade an existing system than to completely replace your system, but be especially careful when doing so. Find out all the information you can on your current product line and make sure that it can be expanded even further should the need arise. Many business phone equipment retailers and wholesalers offer used or refurbished equipment that small business can use to avoid having to completely replace their existing hardware. The most important time to consider the future for your phone system is during the initial purchase.

Equipment that is time tested and offers several options for expansion may be more expensive than some of the cheaper options available, but the savings you will experience in the long run can eclipse whatever many you may save now by a substantial amount. Just as a desktop terminal and server system for a business is a serious purchase that merits future needs considerations, a phone system is no different. Do your homework and you can get a business phone system that will meet your business needs for many years to come.

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Civilization 4 and Why I Hate My Office Phone

2006-01-04T11:24:00.000-05:00

If you're familiar with the strategy PC gaming series "Civilization", you probably know that it's only slightly less addictive than crack. I've never tried crack, but the "word on the street", so to speak, is that it's a bit hard to let go of. I recently purchased Civilization 4, which is the latest in the Civilization series. That in itself isn't so interesting, but what happened to me at my job as a result of it most certainly is. I work as a network administrator for a large insurance company in Illinois. Part of my job is to repair PC's as needed, which is quite often considering how many there are around this place. I informed my coworker, also a big civilization fan, that I had the game and he suggested I bring it in for a little test run. Against my better judgment, we decided to play a hot seat game during work. "Hot seat" means that one player takes a turn, followed by the other, which is only possible with turn based games such as Civ.

We both figured that there would always be one of us to answer the phone in our little repair-shop cubbyhole so we didn't see how we could possibly get caught. Boy were we wrong! About four hours into a game things started getting interesting. My civilization found his civilization and we started going to war against each other, as one might expect. I sat down for my turn and my coworker decided to head off to the bathroom.

The phone rang, and I didn't pick up so that whoever was on the other end wouldn't hear the Civ theme music or the explosive sound of my Panzers running over his infantry. What I failed to remember is that our advanced phone system allows anyone to communicate with us on an open speaker phone provided we aren't on the phone already. My boss utilized this function since no one answered while I was taking my turn...o.k., actually while I was taking my turn and bragging out loud to myself about how well I was doing in the game. I found myself in his office that afternoon, but luckily I was only reprimanded and not fired. Not only did I get into trouble, my coworker continues to make jokes about it at my expense.

I hate my office phone.

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Taking Business Phone for Granted

2006-01-04T11:17:00.000-05:00

Located in Manhattan, my company occupies a small space in the basement of a upper east side brownstone. Because the space is so limited, we store our servers and phone equipment in the boiler room. I know what you're thinking, and you're absolutely right. It's not a good idea to put your most expensive equipment in a tiny room that feels like the foyer to hell.

When we set up shop over a year ago, we thought the same thing. Unfortunately, the rental price of a property in Manhattan that was actually large enough for our business scared us much more than the possibility of losing our equipment. Within a week of the boiler being turned on for winter the first year we were there, we started to have problems with the servers. They were going down quite often and we all knew it was a result of them of overheating from being cramped up in that inferno of a room. After a while, we decided to move them out into the office space, which was no easy task as we were practically on top of each other as it was. This solved the problem, however, so we decided to keep our phone equipment in the boiler room as it seemed to operate fine despite the circumstances. That was a huge mistake.

One January day, when the boiler had been running nonstop, our phone system went down. it never occurred to me how important a business phone system could be before that day. Losing the computers for an hour or so was rough, but since we deal with our clientele over the phone, losing our ability to communicate made doing business practically impossible. It took three days to get our equipment up and running, some of which needed to be replaced. We lost a lot of business over the three days, as you might imagine. Now our tiny space is even more cramped as the phone system equipment has been removed from the boiler room, but believe me...it sure beats the alternative.

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Muzak for the Business Phone System Ruined My Favorite Songs

2006-01-03T21:26:00.000-05:00

When someone calls my office, there's a good chance they will be put on hold. We don't want to put anyone on hold, it's just a necessity that arises from being busy. When people who call are put on hold, they are greeted with a short message telling them how much we regret having to make them wait, followed by the soothing sounds of Vivaldi, Wagner, Bach, Brahms, Beethoven and others.

Yes, we offer classical music on our phone system. Some people like classical, others don't. I can appreciate anyone's musical taste, but regardless of whether or not you like classical, the recordings are of famous symphonies performing well known compositions, they are not Muzak versions with synthesized orchestras. Why do I mention this? The other day, I called upon a company we do business with and was put on hold myself. They have some form of Muzak, which many businesses now employ. Don't get me wrong, I am used to hearing almost everything on Muzak, from James Taylor to Classics of the 50's and 60's.

While on hold this time, however, I found myself humming along to none other than Mountain's "Mississippi Queen". At first, I though it couldn't possibly be, but sure enough, it was. Was I that old? Was this masterpiece of raw, rootsy rock and roll so ancient that even it deserved the Musak treatment. I hung up the phone in disgust. Apparently, nothing is sacred anymore. You see, Mississippi Queen was meant to be heard in it's original form, not condensed into a midi file and played back as though it had been originally written by the inventor of the Casio Tonebank. I had never felt so old in my life. Not only that, I was disgusted that the soundtrack to my youth had been Lawrence Welk-a-sized into fluffy, lightweight hold music. Ladies and Gentlemen, Rock and Roll has officially died.

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Trunk Study for Business Phone System Helped My Business

2006-01-03T21:18:00.000-05:00

I am the owner and manager of a trucking repair company located in the mid-west. My business provides tractor-trailer repair services both in-house and on the road for owner/operators who are in transit. I say "in transit" because a large portion of our business comes from trucks which have broken down on the road.

We travel over 200 miles in all directions to get them up and running as fast as we can. Additionally, we offer diagnostic services and preventive maintenance such as oil changes, plug and wire changes and tune-ups. Located between two fairly large cities, we see a lot of business come in as drivers generally prefer to avoid having to stop near major metropolitan areas as it can often mean several hours of down time. Consequently, we get a lot of calls coming in at certain times of the day, while at other times our phones might not ring for an hour or more. I recently had a trunk study performed on our phone lines, to determine if we were missing calls during our busy times.

I wanted to know if adding more phone lines might improve business. I was shocked at the results. We were missing a lot of incoming calls, more than i had imagined. With the phones ringing off the hook, I really had no idea just how many people were unable to get through. After I received the trunk study results, I added four more lines and hired more customer service representatives. Within a month of doing this, I had to add two extra bays to our building to accommodate the increase in trucks coming in. In short, my business has grown by thirty percent from having the trunk study performed.

The alternative would have likely been a decrease in business as drivers might have decided to stop trying to schedule with us as a result of never being able to get through. It just reminds me that what you don't know can hurt you, or certainly your business.

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Customer Service for Business Phone Systems

2006-01-03T21:10:00.000-05:00

Working in a law office often means long hours and late nights, especially doing probate work. Getting in before seven A.M. and staying until well past business hours, I assumed that I would always be available for whoever might call me. Recently, my office switched our business phone system and I started to notice a drop in the number of calls I was receiving each day. It was such a change, in fact, that I was able to get my work finished much earlier than usual. I never considered that it could be our phone system and simply chalked it up to good luck. Little did I know that I was missing several calls from important clients who had almost all left voicemail messages that I hadn't been receiving.

A couple of weeks after he new phone system was installed, I ran into one of these clients while in court, who kidded me about being too busy to get back to her. It was then that I realized there must have been a problem. The next day when I returned to the office, I asked my associates if they had experienced similar problems. They hadn't, but they suggested I call the company who sold us our phones and equipment to see what could be done. I called, and within twenty minutes, the problem was fixed.

Apparently, my voicemail was being sent to another place. The service representative explained in detail how to do a simple diagnostic to see if my messages were going where they were supposed to. When I found that they weren't, he explained how to change the settings to solve the problem. While I now have a lot of calls to catch up on, I am grateful that the company we went with for our new phone system provides such competent customer service. I think that in the phone business, as in any business, it is paramount to success.

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Speakerphone Embarrassment

2005-12-04T11:54:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was talking to one of my co-workers about several projects we had been working on in the past few months. I put her on speakerphone so that I could have both hands free for pulling up data on my desk PC. A few minutes later, another co-worker entered my office with a report pertaining to one of our projects which we had been anxiously awaiting. The co-worker who handed me the report was silent, seeing that I was on the phone. I told the co-worker I was on the phone with that I had just received the report from the other co-worker, to which she relied "He really creeps me out, for some reason". Of course, the co-worker in question heard her say that, and there I was sitting their with my mouth agape at what had just happened.

I looked at him and before I could say anything, my co-worker on the phone went into a tirade, criticizing this man for his demeanor while he was standing there listening to every word. I stopped her and said that I would have to call her back as I was needed down the hall. Needless to say, I was thoroughly embarrassed and apologized profusely for her behavior. I told him that I certainly didn't feel that way or agree with her and that I hoped her saying those things would not give him a bad impression of me. I could tell he was upset, having just heard that someone disliked him for being himself, and I felt awful about the whole incident. After he left my office, I then started to think of how I had failed mention that he was in my office to my co-worker on the phone. I felt completely responsible for what would now be a strained relationship at best between those two.

I now only use the speakerphone option during meetings. I never heard any more from him in regard to the situation, nor did I ever tell my other co-worker that he had heard what she said. Despite nothing really happening, I plan to play it safe next time to avoid being sorry. Maybe I'll get a headset for those times when I need both hands free. Anything which could help to avoid having a situation like that happen again is a smart idea.

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Lifeline to business

2005-12-04T11:48:00.000-05:00

Recently, my business lost phone service due to a power transformer that was struck by lightning. Normally, repairs of this nature take very little time, but we were informed after it happened that we might not have service restored for three days. Not knowing what could be done, I assumed we would have to live with it. My business started feeling the effects of not having telephone service almost immediately. I liken it losing the remote control and having to get up and manually change the channels. You really don't know how valuable something is to you until you no longer have it. In desperation, I called the company who provided our business phone system to see if we had any options. I was pleasantly suprised.

Our out of the office sales reps were tied into the system via a mobile communications protocol that allowed them to forward voicemail to our office phone system. In other words, incoming cellular voicemail was connected to our landline system. The company representative told us that we could also use this protocol to receive incoming and place outgoing calls. While this didn't allow our customers to reach us as the numbers were different, it did allow us to reach them. We were still able to work from our desks, and, because we weren't receiving a high volume of incoming calls from customers, we were able to catch up on a backlog of work. I was suprised at the capability of our phone system to still allow us to still function, albeit in a diminished capacity, while the repairs were made. I'm grateful for not only having a quality business phone system, but also for having purchased it from a professional who was able to help us when our phone service provider was not. Phone service is something I had taken for granted, but not any longer.

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The Phone From Hell

2005-12-04T11:44:00.000-05:00

Last April, our office secretary retired after thirty-seven years on the job. I had been around as department manager for the last fifteen of them, and I knew we were going to have an impossible time replacing her. She was unbelievable, to say the least. My impression of her was that God himself would have been jealous of her organizational skills. She had slowed down a bit as we all do after so many years in the same position, but she knew the ins and outs of our office so well that she was able to make her very complicated job seem effortless. One could easily see, however, that she was unable to handle all the calls coming in. It seemed to take a great toll on her, especially as of late. I think that might have been a primary reason why she decided to retire, as she herself had said that with little else she enjoyed, she wanted to work as long as she was able.

We threw her a great retirement party, which will be remembered as the one that everybody attended, including several who had retired before her. The fact that we all appreciated her so much was not only a testament to her work ethic, but also to her wonderful personality.

We didn't have the luxury of finding someone in time for her to train them before she left as her retirement was relatively unexpected. We interviewed several applicants but found no one who was proficient enough to take her place. Then, finally, we came across an applicant who had the skillsets and experience we were looking for. On her first day, she was only at the desk for a few minutes before I got a knock on my office door. She had come to tell me that the phone at her desk was simply unacceptable and that we would have to replace it for her to continue with us. Needless to say, I was a little put off by this. Still, knowing what an impossible time we had in finding her, I agreed to replace it. I told her I would have someone in purchasing look into it right away, but she had other plans. Not only did she know what type of equipment we were using, she told me exactly which phone would work with our existing system and meet her needs. I don't know if I was more impressed or dumbfounded. I made a phone call to purchasing and the new phone was on it's way.

A few days later, the phone arrived. When our receiving department brought it up, she waved them over and switched out the phone immediately, as though she instinctively sensed what was in the box. This phone was a monstrosity. It sat on her desk like an eagle, perched and eyeing for prey. We quickly dubbed this new apparatus as the "phone from hell" and sort of scoffed at its presence.

I noticed that she was having the same difficulty answering all the calls that our former secretary had, but I assumed this would improve. It did improve, the minute she had the new phone.

To watch this person work was almost like watching an artist at work. She was able to answer calls and transfer them out as fast as they could ever come in. Instead of the usual, "you have another call" we were used to, we were now told who it was and which line they were holding on. It was as though she and the phone were one, and I certainly wasn't the only one to notice. Wait time for our clients went from several minutes to nonexistent overnight.

Needless to say, I feel foolish for ever doubting her when she asked for the new equipment. I now see a true professional that knew right away what I never could or would have. Our office runs as smoothly as it ever has, and we have her and her knowledge to thank for it. We still call it "the phone from hell", but there is a healthy amount of respect from all of us for what it can do in the hands of someone who knows how to use it.

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Used Phones for the Small Business

2005-12-04T11:38:00.000-05:00

I recently updated the phone system for my business. We're a small company with just a handful of employees in an office about the size of a two car garage. We do a lot of business over the phone and although we could handle the call volume with our old system, I still felt (and was informed many times) that it was antiquated and hard to use. I knew it needed to be brought up to speed so I consulted my employees and asked them to list the features that they felt would improve productivity and make their jobs easier. I then looked for phones and equipment that would meet our needs. I was somewhat in shock over the price of a new phone system. I didn't realize it could cost so much. Disheartened but not defeated, I kept searching until I found a vendor who offered the phone system we were looking for at a great price.

It was substantially cheaper than the next closest competitor, which made me look a little closer. As it turns out, these phones were used. They weren't refurbished phones, and came with the same warranty as a new phone, but there was something in my psyche that turned me away from the idea of buying used electronics. Still, money is money and if they were going to give me the same warranty as a new phone system had, what did I have to lose. After talking to the vendor and voicing my concerns, I purchased nine phones and the line equipment we needed for a lot less than what it would have been brand new. The new system has been in place for several months now and everyone is quite happy with the improvement. The phones are reliable and we have never had a problem with them. If you decide at some point to update your business phone system but don't think you can afford what you really need, look into buying used phones.

You can save quite a bit of money and, as I've found out, they are a product that holds up well to daily use. I'm afraid that if I hadn't stumbled onto them in my search for the best deal, I might have never found the system I have now, and never even considered purchasing used equipment. If you find a reputable company to deal with that will back up their products, new or used, you can make a little money go a long way.

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New Business Phone System Makes the Difference

2005-12-04T11:33:00.000-05:00

My small business was growing in almost every way imaginable. Every way except the bottom line, that is. My company primarily does business over the phone, with over ninety percent of our sales coming across our telephone lines. When our call volume started to increase late last year, I hired several new employees to man our existing phone system. We updated our computer software, desktops and server to make order processing substantially smoother. We redesigned our website for easy navigation and ordering for internet customers. We even integrated our shipping department to handle an increase in orders. The phones were ringing off the hook several times throughout the day as our business increased, and we started to see a slight shift in the right direction for our profits.

Still, I wondered if we were losing calls because of a lack of response time. Our phone system simply routed incoming calls to any available phone. If no one was available, the customer would hear the phone ring until someone eventually picked up or until they got tired of waiting. I decided to have a trunk study performed, which is a method of finding out how many calls we were losing for not having enough lines. Sure enough, we were missing out on several hundred calls per day. During the busy times, people were calling and hanging up after being made to wait. There was no telling if they ever decided to call back. With office space already maximized to the point that I couldn't hire additional employees for lack of a place to put them, I decided to update our phone system. We had several new lines installed and would now have the capability to route incoming calls that were not picked up within three rings to go to an automated message telling the customer to please hold for the next available representative.

This helped quite a bit as now our busiest hours seemed to stretch out even longer. We then added desk phones with LCD displays so that our representatives could field up to five calls each. This meant that four less customers per desk would receive the same request to hold, but from a human being. What was formerly a two hour stretch of nonstop business in the morning and afternoon turned into an all day affair. We then customized our message to inform customers that received the automated message of when the best times to call were, so that they would have the option of calling back at a less busy time. After all this, my business increased tenfold. All I can say is that if you do business over the phone and have times where your lines are ringing nonstop, you need to have a good business phone system in place or you might be losing money.

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Business Basics for Catalog Retailers

2005-12-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

Catalog retail is a world all it's own. Many considerations that other retailers don't have to deal with are of utmost importance to a catalog retailer. To name a few, the ordering process, warehousing and shipping must be streamlined for maximum efficiency. Maintaining a top notch inventory control and receiving department is also very crucial to business success. Above all, however, a catalog retailer must have a quality business phone system.

Considering the fact that the majority of customers will reach you over the phone, it is paramount to be able to not only handle call volume during peak times, but also to provide your customers service representatives with the features they need to do their job well. Business phone systems should be capable of not only putting your customers in touch with you, but also offer routing flexibility, voicemail and forwarding options for the administrative side of your company. Often, the difference maker for catalog retailers is not the products they sell, but the service behind those products. People who want to buy will have questions regarding an item that a simple picture and brief description will not answer. Most companies have service reps who take orders and product specialists who are familiar with the inventory. It is essential for the product specialists to have access to a phone system that will accurately and easily allow them to receive and transfer calls between departments. After the initial contact by the sales representatives, the most common transfer of waiting customers will be to product specialists and hopefully back to the sales reps. A customer who is dropped accidentally during this transfer is likely to not call back. Additionally, customers who are made to hold for extended periods of time without an automated message thanking them for their patience are a primary example of lost revenue that could be curtailed by the proper business phone system. All in all, a well thought out business phone system is an integral necessity for any company, but it is especially important for catalog retailers.

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Caller ID of Death

2005-12-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

As a broker, there is an unwritten rule that you don't steal clients from a co-worker because we all work on commission. Our office phone system works in such a way that if a desk is unmanned, the call will be transferred to another desk until it is picked up. When I get a call of this nature, I can pull up the investors information and see exactly what has portfolio holds and who he normally deals with. If the client is long term and has a preference for a particular broker, I simply tell them that I'll have their broker call them right back. The one time I decided to ignore this rule, it ended up causing a big scene.

Although we all have stocks to push, there is a degree of flexibility in what we recommend our customers buy that differentiates each of us. Therefore, what I recommend may be in stark contrast to what the guy sitting next to me might recommend. One day a call comes across my desk from a big client. This client is so big, in fact, that he is the primary bread and butter for one of my co-workers. The day the client called was the last day of a weeklong vacation my co-worker had taken, so i knew he wouldn't be able to call him back until the next day. By coincidence, I was pushing a stock that had just reached it's one month low, but that I knew was primed to resurge. I was as sure of this stock as any I'd ever recommended before. Still, I knew I would catch major hell from everyone for making a commission off of another broker's primary client. I decided i couldn't let the opportunity pass the investor by so I simply told him that his broker had instructed me to tell him about the stock I was sure of if the client called, and that his broker would be back tomorrow. The client bit on the stock and made a major purchase. I thanked him, filled out a commission sheet with my co-workers information on it (so that he would be the one to benefit from my work) and forgot about it. I figured I might get a nice "thank you" upon his return...especially if the stock performed as I expected and the client was happy. At the end of the day, i checked the stock to find it had climbed an astounding three points. I wasn't thinking of the sale to my co-worker's client as I, myself had made several sales of it to my clients and was happy that they were going to profit handsomely from my recommendation.

The next day, i came in to find my co-worker (yes, that co-worker) standing at my desk. He had seen his client on my caller ID and proceeded to throw a "class A" fit in front of God and everybody. I simply stood there while he lit into me as though I had just devoured his firstborn. Not only did he scream at me, several others joined in, thinking I had sold to his client on my behalf. I didn't say a word. i knew that he, nor they, had discovered that I put the sale under his name and that the stock had performed extremely well. He said his last and stormed off back to his desk.

Every morning, we get a printout of the previous day's activity around 9:00 am. That's usually about the time I go down to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee. When I returned, there was my co-worker, standing at my desk and smiling from ear to ear. Not only had he made a nice commission without even being at work, his client called to thank him while I was getting coffee. I just smiled right back, knowing he had to be feeling about two feet tall. I had lobster for lunch that day, and guess who paid.

I love caller ID.

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Tips on Purchasing Business Phone Systems

2005-12-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

After recently updating our office phone system, I have a few pieces of advice to share about purchasing an office phone system. We thought we did enough research to make this a simple purchase and installation, but found out later that we really had little idea of what we were getting into. This, in itself, wouldn't be so bad, but the phone supplier we went with flatly refused to help us out after the sale. We ended up having to contact another vendor for the information we needed to make our new phones function properly.

First, and let me stress this, always contact the vendor prior to the purchase. Not only do you want to know who you are dealing with, you need to know if it is someone who can and will answer your questions and who will stand behind the products they sell.

Second, always go with a vendor who has more than one option for phone systems. We found out after we had already purchased our new phones and equipment that there were phones on the market which would have served our specific needs better and would have cost less than the phones we went with.

Third, always think about compatibility. We thought that because we had purchased the same brand of phone, that we could simply switch out the new phones for the old ones and that our line equipment would never notice. We did ask the supplier before the purchase if there would be compatibility issues and were told, "it should be fine". That should have set off a red flag, but one likes to assume that someone selling phones might know a thing or two about them. See rule number one.

Finally, do a healthy amount of comparison shopping. We went with the first supplier because he was the cheapest of three that we had looked at. Three was nowhere near enough. We found out after it was too late that the vendor we contacted for help had the same phones for cheaper (although he would have been kind enough to steer us toward what we really needed) and offered far superior customer service.

In short, purchasing a new office phone system, whether you have five lines or five hundred, is a big investment. Follow the step that we didn't, and you'll save a lot of time, money and effort. You'll be glad you did.

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Head-set on Embarrassing Myself

2005-12-02T13:24:00.000-05:00

My job is not stressful, I would say, just demanding. I answer the phone for a brokerage house on Wall Street. I enjoy my job, but I was having a problem keeping up with the volume of calls that come across my desk everyday. My supervisor noticed that I was having problems and suggested that they could provide me with a headset, if I thought it might help. I figured it would be worth a shot, so I asked for one. The day I got it, I was almost instantly in heaven. I had two hands free to write memorandums, input data, and handle the transfer of incoming calls. This headset was corded, but the cord to the phone was sufficiently long enough to not be in my way. My day flew by and I was impressed at how valuable a piece of equipment the headset had already become. It was lightweight, out of my face and easy to wear...so easy, in fact, that by the end of the first day, I forgot I had it on.

On the train ride home, I thought I noticed a few people staring at me. I chalked it up to paranoia and lost myself in a book I brought to read. I have a fairly long commute, so I am usually able to get in a few chapters on the way to my apartment. I normally find it easy to get absorbed into my reading, but today was different. I felt like all eyes were on me. By the time my stop came around, I was sufficiently creped out and ready to unwind in the comfort of my own home.

When I entered through the door to my apartment, my wife was in the kitchen. She came out to say "Hi" and started laughing at me. Of course, my reaction of, "What?" only made her laugh harder. She managed to control herself long enough to say, "Ground control to Major Tom...come in, Major Tom". Then it hit me. I had been wearing this headset, with the cord dangling behind me into obscurity, the entire way home.

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Cheaper is Not Always Better

2005-12-02T13:17:00.000-05:00

I work for a large insurance firm in the northwest, in an office with over 500 other employees. Management recently decided to replace our existing phone system as the old system was no longer meeting our needs. I and my co-workers were under the impression that they were going to update the system, as in "make an improvement", and that we would have late model phones with technological advancements galore. Boy, were we in for a surprise.

One day a few weeks ago, we all came in to find new phones on our desks. These were not the state-of-the-art communication devices we had in mind. Instead of the sleek, sophisticated, caller IDing, multi-line handling, LCD displaying wonders of the modern age we all dreamed of, there was a simple phone with a keypad on the receiver...not unlike what you might have had at home 15 years ago. In addition to the new phone, there was a sheet which explained in graphically painful detail exactly which series of buttons one would have to push in order to make this thing function properly. We had to now enter a digit to put someone on hold, enter a three digit code to transfer someone (one digit, dial tone, two digits) and enter a ridiculously long series of numbers to access our voicemail.

Needless to say, we were in shock. I knew it wouldn't take long before the roars of complaining would drown out the usual office din. Sure enough, by lunchtime our office manager came in to tell everyone that we were simply going to "try it out for a while" and that the company had saved thousands by choosing this option. I and the other employees were fairly certain that we had already lost thousands in reduced productivity that morning alone. Oh, well...it's their company, we just bring in the money for them.

For the next few days, we tried to get used to saying "hold, please, while I transfer you", removing the receiver from our faces and trying not to curse as we made a lame-duck attempt at pressing keys, listening and pressing more keys. It was a nightmare. We were getting pretty fed up with it, but just assumed that this was what we would have to deal with. Then, out of the blue, we came in one day to find real phones with real features at our desks. No more looking at the receiver while we frantically tried to key in numbers fast enough not to drop the call. No more ten digit voicemail "pins". No more of having no idea who was calling or where the call came from. Ahhhh, relief at last.

Later the same day, we heard a rumor circulating around the office that the VP of operations had returned from a two week trip to New York. His words, upon seeing one of the phones management had originally purchased on his desk were, "get rid of them". All it took were those four words from a higher-up to set things right. Unbelievable.

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A Call to Action

2005-11-18T12:12:00.000-05:00

Because of a recent boom in business, my company needed to update our office phone system. We had a very nice system in place already, but our business had tripled within a matter of months. Since we rely on phone orders for the vast majority of our sales, we needed to upgrade in order to handle the increase in call volume. We were lucky to have a great relationship with our telephone equipment provider, as within days we were able to have a new system ready to put in place. It's not often that businesses find themselves in situations like this, but when they do come up, it's important to know that the companies you have chosen to do business with are capable of meeting your needs in a timely manner. Prior to this happening, we had a trunk study performed, after which we were told that we were losing business as a result of not having a new phone system in place.

Anyone who has ever run a business knows that losing money because you are ill equipped to handle your customer's needs is the worst way to lose money. Being able to make a phone call and knowing it would be taken care of quickly and efficiently was a great relief to me. I knew that with every passing day, thousands of dollars were being lost and that's something I couldn't afford to let happen. The whole situation made me think about the importance of knowing qualified vendors who can get you the products you need, when you need them. I soon began looking into other areas where we were dependent upon other companies for goods and services to see if we were utilizing vendors who could facilitate the changes our growing business was experiencing.

After a long, hard look, we decided to switch shipping companies and to switch to a new overnight call center operator. It's not that our needs weren't being met at the time, but that if things continued to grow, we would likely outpace our current vendor's ability to provide service. Being proactive in your business relationships is just as important as being proactive about your business. After all, most companies depend on other companies to make their operations run smoothly. I encourage all business owners to seek out the service providers and vendors that can handle your needs both now and in the future. When your business grows, you'll be happy you did.

The Voice of Reason

2005-11-18T12:06:00.000-05:00

In my position as an investment portflio manager, I often have to make phone calls to other departments in the financial organization I work for. Several months ago, I placed a phone call to our accounting department, which is located on an entirely different floor in our building. Instead of the usual voice I am used to hearing, I was pleasantly suprised by a sultry "Accounts receivable, this is Regina speaking". After inquiring on what happened to Ralph, the accounts receivable manager I had grown to know and loathe, I was informed that Regina was taking over his old position. This was great news for me, not only because of her voice, but also because Ralph was the one person in the company I could never get along with.

I conducted the inquiry I needed to, said goodbye, and didn't give it a second thought. A few days later, I had reason to call accounts receivable again. This time, in the process of conducting my business, I detected that I was being flirted with. Being a bachelor and hearing that incredible voice made me curious, but at the same time I realized that not having ever seen me, it was highly unlikely that this woman could be anywhere close to serious. I coughed it up to casual friendliness and again went back to my work. The third time I called after the changeover, Regina asked if I had been on the second floor with our mutual funds manager the previous week.

I had been, so I surmised that she knew what I looked like and I answered affirmitavely. This set in motion a conversation that wasn't disguised friendliness but instead, overt flirting on her part. Now I was somehwat smitten. I said goodbye and tried to go back to my work but visions of a young buxom professional with a voice that could break a heart with a whisper had me in a frenzy. The next day,

I decided it was high time I introduced myself to the new employee. I made my way down to the second floor, somewhat exited and nervous and all the while hoping to not be disappointed. I opened the door to the accounts receivable office and saw the most beautiful woman talking on her headset. She smiled at me and made a "hold on a minute" gesture. After her phone call ended, I reached out my hand and said, "Hi Regina, I'm Jim from upstairs". She answered, "Hi Jim, I'm Amy, Regina's clerk...did you need to speak to Regina?". My heart sank a little, and then the woman I would come to know as Regina came walking out, happy to finally meet me. As you might guess, she had the aesthetics of a water buffalo with a face that even a mother couldn't love. I smiled, shook her hand and had a polite but short conversation before retreatring back to my office. I have since heard that as Ralph was retiring, he was able to hand pick his replacement. Why do I get the feeling that somewhere, he is laughing right now?

A Phone by Any Other Name...

2005-11-18T11:52:00.000-05:00

I recently left the company I was working for and took a new position with a new employer at a much higher salary. My business is IT, and I left the comfort and stabilty of my old job to work for a startup firm which I think will be a big success. They knew they were going to have to pay for quality personnel so they had no problem meeting my demands in terms of salary, benefits and stock options. What I didn't realize is that while they aren't skimping on compensation, the office environment they provide leaves a lot to be desired.

I can put up with the miniscule cubical. I can live with the lack of natural light (although I feel like a cave troll). I can even do without the cafeteria, water cooler, and coffee maker. What I really miss is my old phone.

You see, my old phone was indeed, not an "old" phone. It was a multi-line handling, LCD displaying, caller IDing monster that gave me more options than a new car salesman. My "new" phone has none of those amenities. There is no transfer or hold button, no screen to display who is calling, no headset and no electronic directory. In short, the only difference between this phone and a Garfield phone you might buy at Spencer's Gifts is that this phone isn't shaped like a cartoon cat. My job would be so much easier and my days so much more productive if only we had a real office phone system in place. The current system is so poorly automated that only a very small percentage of the calls I get are actually meant for me. Likewise, I get several E-mails a day asking why I haven't returned phone calls in regard to messages I never received.

I guess the old addage that "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" really holds true in this case.

Since I came here, I have actively lobbied to have the old phone system replaced, but to no avail. I think I may be the only one here who knows what he's missing. Oh well...I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who has experienced this. Maybe you too have lost a beloved phone in a career move. I sympathize with you. I'd leave my number so we could comiserate, but you'd probably never reach me anyway.

Phone Sales not Ready to Yeild to the Internet

2005-11-18T11:28:00.000-05:00

There is no question that the internet has revolutionized business. Many people are not only paying their bills online, but also ordering products and services at an ever expanding rate as well. Businesses with a web presence have opened themselves up to new market where many consumers take advantage of the ease of shopping from pages visually no different from a catalog. Despite all that has changed in the last ten years, most companies that do business over distance and do not rely on local storefronts still see a large majority of their business come from the telephone. Several years ago, many business forecasters were predicting that the internet would have eclipsed the phone as the marketplace of choice by now. So why hasn't that been the case?

There are two primary reasons why the telephone will always be necessary to consumer sales oriented businesses. The first is that while it is getting harder and harder to find a person who does not have a personal computer at their disposal, either at work or at home; it is practically impossible to find a person without a telephone. The second is about human interaction. Many people prefer to order from a person over the telephone. That issue in itself may have to do with perceived notions of security and fraud risk, personalized and efficient customer service, or simply the desire for human confirmation that a transaction has taken place.

In any case, some businesses have gone to great lengths in recent years to become a major presence in their industry on the world wide web while neglecting to update their antiquated phone systems. What companies need to realize is that while web based business will result in an overall sales increase as a result of consumers who use the internet as their primary marketplace, it will not do so at the loss of phone business if a capable phone system is in place. Keeping a phone system up to date and ready to handle customer volume should be a top priority for any business.

Streamlining Customer Interaction for Business Success.

2005-11-18T11:23:00.000-05:00

Whether on the phone placing an order or in the checkout line, people hate to wait. Rarely am I physically present to make a purchase in a place of business where the facilities are not optimized for fast service. In those cases, it is often a lack of manpower that keeps customers waiting. We've all been there. There are fifteen cash registers at the grocery store but only five cashiers. Unfortunately for many companies who do business over the phone, the same thing can happen but in the opposite fashion. Many companies have more than enough employees to handle incoming calls, but simply lack the phone system to keep them from holding.

This can result in a loss of business as many people, especially those who might be ordering goods or services from the company for the first time, will only wait a few minutes before hanging up and looking elsewhere. Think about it...if you are in the grocery store with a cart full of groceries, it's not as though you are going to abandon the cart and drive to another store where you will have to pick out all the items again. On the phone, however, things are different. Unless your business is highly specialized with little competition or you are the customers choice because of geographical location (i.e. scheduling appointments for services). you can lose a caller who has been holding too long to a competitor. Recently, advances in phone system technology have made it so that multiple lines can be added to a business at a very reasonable price.

Additionally, office phones themselves have options that let customer service representatives know who has been holding and for how long, so that they can minimize waiting times for customers. For a company who relies on the phone for any portion of it's sales, having a modernized phone system is paramount for continued success in business. Streamling customer interaction is more than a consideration, it's a necessity.

Hold That Hold...Please!

2005-11-18T11:19:00.000-05:00

It never fails. Whether ordering a pizza or making a doctor's appointment, I hear it almost every time. "Can I put you on hold?", they ask. Before I have a chance to even answer...I am on hold! What just happened? Was it a rhetorical question? Why even give me the option? Why not just say, "Welcome to XYZ, where we promptly put you on hold!".

Some people hate automated phone systems, but not me. I like to be informed of where I stand in any given situation. I would rather have an honest computerized voice telling me I will have to wait (and also likely telling me for approximately how long), than to encounter a real life human being who will tease me with a choice and then make the decision on my behalf in a split second. Imagine if everyone you encountered operated this way. You might be standing in line at a fast food restaurant and be asked if you'd like to try a new item on the menu they are trying to push. Before you have time to think, you're being charged for it while it stares at you from your tray. You might be at the theatre seeing a play or musical. Instead of, "Would you like to buy a program?", you get the same question followed by a hand in your wallet or purse rabidly searching for your billfold.

I guess the real aggravation is that I really don't want to hold, and businesses know that. "Can I put you on hold?" is a nice way of saying, "Do you want to hold, or just hang up and try back later?". Have you ever met anyone who wants to hold? Has anyone ever asked you if they could call you and have you put the phone down for an hour or two as a birthday present?

I just want a little more honesty, that's all. If you can't automate your phone system, at least hire enough people during peak business times to facilitate your customers and have the necessary phone equipment to handle the call volume. i think either of those are welcome alternatives to asking me if I'll hold. If not, I may be forced to simply "hold" onto my money and go elsewhere.

Death, Taxes and the Non-Automated Phone Systems.

2005-11-18T09:44:00.000-05:00

There are only three things I am certain of in life. The first is that we will all eventually die. The second is that if you earn money, you will inevitably end up paying taxes at some point. The third is that I will get at least five phone calls during the course of my workday that were transferred to me in error.

If you are anything like me, your workday is full to capacity the moment you walk through the office door. I would say that it's not that I don't have a minute to spare, but in truth, I often really don't. For this reason, and the annoyance factor of someone else's mistake interrupting my work, I absolutely hate having calls transferred to me that are not meant for my ears. Of course, I am polite and courteous to the caller, as through no fault of their own they are now faced with yet another, "let me get you someone in accounting", but it really makes me want to call someone at the main office and give the an expletive laced tirade that would make a sailor blush. You see, for every call transferred to me that should have gone somewhere else, I am forced to find "The Sheet". "The Sheet", as it were, is a piece of paper long ago placed in a plastic sleeve that has been written on, drowned in coffee, and just generally abused over it's long life at my desk. Where it came from is anybody guess, as is it's approximate age. Since the company I work for has been in business since before the advent of the telephone, I will date "The Sheet" at approximately the time the plastic sleeve became available. First, I must find "The Sheet", which on my desk involves a major excavation yeilding precious finds so long ago forgotten that palientologists would be jealous. After this massive effort is expended, I must undertake the dubious task of finding the extension (provided it exist on the sacred parchment) of the department the caller should have been transferred to in the first place. This is not an easy task as the information on "The Sheet" is about as current as the phrase "23 skidoo". If the office Gods are smiling on me that particular day, I will have the caller transferred in about three to five minutes. If "The Sheet" can't help me...I have to find the only thing older than the sheet in the building, which is the department secretary.

They say that to err is human, but to forgive is divine. I say to err IS human, so hopefully we can get an automated phone system and I can put "The Sheet" where it belongs...in the cylindrical file.

The Importance of a Modernized Phone System in Today's Business World

2005-11-16T21:24:00.000-05:00

The importance of a modernized phone system should never be underestimated in today's business world. Lost calls due to insufficient lines and equipment can quickly turn into lost revenue for companies who do business over the phone. The industry term for a call terminated by the customer while waiting for a pick-up is an Abandoned Call. Abandoned Calls are not only frustrating for the consumer, but also can have the effect of dissuading the customer from trying again at a later time. There are several options available for business who want to lower their Abandoned Call ratio. Automatic Call Sequencers and Automatic Call Distributors are devices which answer the calls as they come in.

The Automatic Call Sequencers simply answer with a message indicating to the customer that they will be helped in the order the call was placed in the queue. The calls are then picked up by available customer service representatives who can see the order in which the calls arrived. Automatic Call Distributors are similar, but normally answer with a message and then route the call to an available customer service representative. While many businesses don't handle the volume of calls necessary to merit the use of these advanced devices, those that do find them to be invaluable tools for aiding in prompt customer interaction. For businesses whose lines are almost always busy and who are unsure of whether they are facilitating Abandoned Calls, a traffic study can be performed.

A traffic study will determine the volume of calls missed due to an insufficient phone system and also provide information on outgoing calls as well. Many business are utilizing traffic studies to update their systems for maximum availabilty to their consumer base. Traffic studies are also utilized to predict the future traffic of a company's call volume so that proactive measures can be taken to ensure that future system needs will be met.

Keeping the Human Element in Customer Service

2005-11-16T21:19:00.000-05:00

There is little in life that makes consumers more perturbed at a business than improper or insufficient phone etiquette. In the business world, there is no excuse for unprofessional behavior when speaking with customers and clients over the telephone. Unfortunately, I'm referring to much more than just incompetance, rudeness or poor grammar. It seems that today's customer service representatives are becoming more and more inhuman with each passing year. Perhaps the sheer volume of calls that employees are expected to field has made the robotic and monotinous tones that make me cringe ever more noticeable.

Personally, if I am going to be read a script, I would almost prefer an automated voice so that I don't have to suffer through the lacksadaisical and condescending tone of voice that I have now become accustomed to, much to my chagrin. I wonder what has happened to the human element in conducting business. Don't corporations realize that customer service is not a forced option, but instead an opportunity to present their business to the world?

One can easily distinguish the difference between a call made to a business for the purpose of buying a product and a call made to a business for the purpose of receiving help or information. When there is money you want to spend on the line, you can count on a friendly encounter. When it's a call made over services already rendered or money you owe, it is as though you are now a second class consumer. Some businesses have now taken to requiring their employess to ask you if they have sufficiently served your needs after each phone call. By doing so, they are attempting to limit their goodwill liability.

I find it sad that we have become a nation where technicalities have replaced common sense and proper etiquette. If companies would simply give their employess the resources and time to follow the golden rule when it comes to human interaction, consumers and businesses alike would reap the benefits. I know that, personally, I am more than willing to forgive a billing, shipping, or other type of error if am simply treated with a modicum of respect.

Office Phone Systems in the Modern Age

2005-11-16T20:32:00.000-05:00

Office phone systems have long been the most integral part of customer relations in the business landscape. Despite a surge in E-commerce over the last decade, phones are still the number one medium of communication for the sale of products or services and for interfacing with clientele. As communication needs have grown, so have the often complex and complicated phone systems that businesses rely on. Not only have the phone units themselves become remarkably modernized over a short period of time, but also the amount of lines that can be added to an office with minimal complications. Office phone systems are one of the few communication protocals where advancements have steadily improved to meet demand. With the introduction of fax, voicemail and headset technology, manufacturers have not been lax in incorporating into phone systems the specialized features that meet the needs placed on their products in the modern age.

Just as with the prevalence of personal computers since the onset of the internet in the early 1990's, office phone systems with multiple routing options have steadily increased in number. What was once limited to large corporations is now commonplace in even the smallest of professional environments. As technology has improved, prices for office phone systems has steadily declined. An overall increase in the number of companies that produce multi-line phone systems has created competition that has been beneficial for small and large business owners alike. Simply put, today's office phones and phone systems are able to handle a larger volume of calls with an ease of routability never before seen for substantially less than their predecessors.

The most recent advances incorporate programmable call automation that can provide menu options and route callers to their destination with little or no human interaction necessary. While this may not provide a noticeable improvement for customer service, it does streamlines and simplify call routing and can greatly reduce the manpower that was once necessary to handle a large volume of callers. While many businesses move toward automated menus, others are moving their operations toward a more switchboard oriented approach where one person may direct traffic for a larger contingency of customer relations specialists. The physical interface of office phone systems has made this possible.

LCD displays allow employees the flexibility to monitor incoming calls and transfers with ease. While much has changed in the available options of office phone systems, one thing has remained staid throughout the modern era. Telephones are and will continue to be the most widely used interface between business and the customers they serve.