6 best auto attendant phone systems for small business
Senior Product Marketing Manager, UCaaS
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What is an auto attendant?
An auto attendant is a telephony feature that you'll find in most VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phone systems.
You'll sometimes hear it used interchangeably with IVR (Interactive Voice Response), virtual receptionist, auto receptionist, or ACD, which are mostly similar call routing features that basically let your callers direct themselves to the right person or team.
It’s especially popular with call center teams or businesses in general that receive a large volume of inbound phone calls.
How does an auto attendant phone system for small business work?
At its core, the concept of an auto attendant phone system is pretty simple. Customers call in and choose an option from your routing menu, either verbally or by using their keypad, and the system will send their call to the right department or agent.
If your business is getting bogged down by calls or your office receptionist is still manually transferring callers, then this is a much better way of doing call management.
Today, there are many options that are cloud-based, meaning you don’t have to have a bunch of on-premises desk phones or hardware in a server closet in your office. Instead, you can take calls from your computer or other mobile devices like cell phones and tablets using a softphone app.
Other features to look for in a business phone service
Beyond just taking inbound calls and auto attendant features, business phone systems can do a lot of other things too. Here are a few of the best features that small businesses can get (at an affordable price!) by choosing the right phone system.
Unified communications
Today, you’re more likely to hear about “unified communications” or UCaaS solutions compared to just business phone systems. The main difference is that UCaaS service providers give you other communication channels beyond phone calls, like video conferencing, SMS/MMS messaging, instant messaging, and more.
👉 FUN FACT:
This is actually one of WeWork’s favorite things about using Dialpad as its communications platform!
See how you can work from anywhere with Dialpad!
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📚 FURTHER READING:
Learn more about the best RingCentral alternatives.
📚 FURTHER READING:
Learn more about the best Vonage alternatives.
🗒️ See what IT leaders look for in a phone system
Grab the CIO Buyer's Guide, (written by our own CIO, who's done a lot of phone system shopping in her time!), which will walk you through what features to look for, nuances to pay attention to when comparing providers, and more!
💡 DIALPAD TIP:
If you have a remote or hybrid team, then a VoIP service is almost always a better option than an on-premises phone system. Because VoIP phone systems use your Internet connection to make and receive calls, as long as you have a strong Internet connection, you should be able to work from anywhere (with more affordable international calling rates too).
Looking for ways to make the inbound call process easier for your business?
Try Dialpad for free for 14 days to see how easy it is to set up and use. Or, take a self-guided interactive tour of the app first!