The benefits of a good business phone
It gives your remote team more flexibility
Because online business phones use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology to facilitate calls, it's much easier to work remotely. You don't need traditional telephone lines or hardware, or even an office with server closets. It gives you a fully virtual workspace for a remote or hybrid team. It's almost impossible to get this commercially with conventional phone services.
With a cloud phone system, you’re not tied to a physical office or time zone either. Your team can take business calls anywhere, on any device, whether it’s a laptop, tablet, or an iOS or Android smartphone. (Which can lead to less commuting, better work-life balance, and improved employee retention.)
You can also recruit the best talent globally, since VoIP systems have no geographical limitations. Remote teams can collaborate with each other virtually, with all tools and data housed in one central system.
It streamlines your business processes with automations and integrations
One big benefit of virtual phone systems and unified communications platforms is that they usually come with integrations that automate repetitive tasks like data entry.
Then there are features that are automations in and of themselves, like call transfer features, predictive dialers, and smart call routing (where incoming calls are directed to the right person without someone manually transferring calls).
Most commercial-grade phones come with auto attendants and IVR menus, which are helpful because they let your callers resolve basic queries themselves, which lets your team focus on more complex questions.
Not all VoIP providers have built-in dashboards that let you easily analyze calls and customer feedback, so if this is important to you, make sure to check for it during your free trial.
Dialpad, for example, does have all these things—and one thing that won't show up on pricing pages and checklists is how easy it is to use. Plus, you can host or join conference calls from a web browser, and even “flipping” calls from a computer to a mobile device: