Choosing a Phone System Vendor

Choosing the right vendor for your business’ phone system is just as important as choosing the proper telephone system for your business. Unless you are running a very small business, phone systems can be complex, require ongoing maintenance, a great deal of training, and will require professional installation.

Phone system companies do not just supply a product – they supply a service. Because business phone systems are a large investment, and because they are an integral part of your business’ day-to-day operations, choosing a vendor that provides the services that work for you, and work period, are of the utmost importance.

Here are a few questions that you should consider asking potential phone systems vendors:

  • Do they provide training for their phone system? Setting up and even using a phone system can be complex; you and your employees will likely need training in some form to utilize your new phone system efficiently.
  • Do they offer updates? Software and even hardware updates may be necessary from time to time. Does this vendor have the capacity to work on your system remotely, do they have a local repair technician or are you supposed to handle upgrades and updates yourself?
  • How familiar are they with setting up your system? If a potential vendor has extensive experience in the installation and the support of the office phone system that you are considering, chances are that they are well versed in any obscure problems that can occur. On the other hand, if a particular vendor has limited experience with a particular phone system, this may make them a less-viable option for you.
  • Who will handle setup and installation? Some phone system dealers have local offices where company representatives will perform your phone system’s setup and installation while others use contractors. If you would prefer to receive ongoing support from the company directly – this is an important question to ask.
  • Does the company have references? Getting references from a potential phone system dealer is a sure-fire way to help you weed out bad service providers. There are a number of telephone system providers to choose from, so if a perspective candidate cannot supply a list of references, it may be a good idea to put this company on the back burner, at least for the time being.