Let’s talk about something that might not seem as exciting as a new marketing campaign or a fresh batch of leads but is just as crucial: your phone system. Yep, that little piece of technology that connects you with your customers, partners, and team members. Imagine if it suddenly stopped working—no calls, no messages, nothing. Yikes, right?
That risk could become a reality for many SMBs because their business phone systems aren’t as reliable as they think. But how can you tell if a phone system is reliable? Are a few dropped calls or garbled conversations really worth upgrading?
This blog will answer all those questions and more, showing how important a reliable business phone system is.
What Makes a Phone System Reliable?
So, what exactly do we mean by a “reliable” phone system? Simply put, it’s a system that consistently performs well without frequent hiccups, interruptions, or outages. A reliable phone system should offer:
- High Uptime: Your phone system should be available and operational whenever you need it. Frequent downtime can mean lost business and frustrated customers.
- Excellent Call Quality: Clear, uninterrupted phone calls are essential for effective communication with clients and colleagues.
- Scalability: As your business grows, your VoIP phone system, which utilizes internet protocol, should be able to grow with you, easily accommodating more users or additional features.
- Responsive Support: If something goes wrong, you need a support team that’s quick to respond and solve problems.
Think of your phone system as the foundation of your communication infrastructure. If it’s shaky, everything else can crumble.
The Risks of Unreliable Business Phone Systems
Some of you may be shrugging at this information and saying, “A dropped call or two is fine – it happens to everyone, and we can live with it. Plus, look at all the money we’re saving.” However, suppose your business phone system continues to be unreliable. In that case, it can create a ripple effect of problems that impact your entire business. An unreliable small business phone system can cause:
Business Disruptions
Imagine your desk phones going down right before your biggest sale of the year. Or during peak customer service hours. Or just as you’re closing a huge deal. This would not only grind your sales to a halt but also cut you off from any remote teams, or customers that need your help. You’d be dead in the water. These kinds of outages aren’t just “temporary headaches.” In fact, if they start happening frequently, an unreliable communication platform can cost you:
- Money: On average, the cost of downtime is over $5,000 in terms of lost sales, system restoration, etc.
- Customers, which we’ll talk about below, and
- Your reputation, because no one wants to partner with a business they can’t count on
And those aren’t things any SMB should risk.
Unhappy Customers
When your customers call your business phone number and get nothing but a busy signal or are put on hold forever, it can be incredibly frustrating. Most customers won’t even stick around if you put them on hold. Now, let’s say that your customers deal with that every time they try to reach you. It doesn’t take long for them to start looking for someone else who’s easier to get in touch with.
Increased Costs
Sure, you might save a few bucks upfront by going with a cheaper, less reliable SMB phone system. But in the long run, those savings can quickly evaporate. Frequent outages, maintenance issues, and lost customers all add up. Ultimately, investing in a reliable system is usually the wiser—and more affordable—choice.
And that’s just the beginning. Thankfully, if you invest in reliable SMB phone systems, you can avoid most – if not all – of these.The Rewards of Reliable Business Phone Systems
The Rewards of Reliable Business Phone Systems
We’ve talked about the negative. Let’s talk about the positive. Here are just a few benefits small business owners can enjoy when they switch to a better small business phone setup:
Consistent Communication
A reliable phone system ensures that every call comes through loud and clear. This means you won’t miss out on new business opportunities or important client conversations. Picture this: a potential customer calls with a big order or a partnership offer, and thanks to your reliable system, you can answer and engage without any trouble. That’s business you wouldn’t want to miss!
Faster Problem Resolution
When your SMB phone systems work flawlessly, your team can communicate without fear of being cut off, interrupted, or misunderstood. This speeds up how quickly you can solve problems or make decisions. Need to sort out a customer complaint or coordinate a project? With a dependable phone system, everyone can talk in real-time, leading to quicker solutions and fewer delays.
Customers Who Keep Coming Back
Good customer service starts with a reliable phone system. Clear calls and prompt responses make it easier for customers to reach you and resolve their issues. When your customers can easily get in touch and feel valued, they’re more likely to stick around and recommend your business to others.
Better Remote and Hybrid Work
Many businesses have remote workers or teams spread out across different locations. A reliable phone system ensures that everyone can stay in touch no matter where they are. Whether your team is working from home or on the go, they can communicate as if they were all in the same office, using any desktop or mobile device, keeping projects moving smoothly.
Fewer Interruptions to Your Daily Operations
Frequent phone system issues can seriously disrupt your business. A dependable system minimizes the risk of downtime and technical problems, allowing you to focus on your work instead of dealing with phone complications. This means you’re not wasting time fixing problems and can stay productive.
Expansion Without the Hassle
As your business grows, so do your communication needs. A reliable phone system can scale with you, making adding new lines or features easy without causing disruptions. This flexibility helps you manage growth smoothly without the need for a complete system overhaul.
More Focus on Your Actual Job Description
A reliable phone system means you spend less time battling your office phone and more time focusing on doing what you were hired to do without any interruptions. When your phone does what it’s supposed to do, you can, too, which will be reflected in your daily productivity.
4 Features That Make Up Reliable Small Business Phone Systems
Now that you know how important a reliable business phone system is, let’s talk about how to find one. Generally, a reliable small business phone system has four key features you’ll want to keep an eye out for:
- Cloud-Based Operations: Cloud-based VoIP phone systems are a big win in terms of reliability. They’re not tied to physical equipment that can break down. Plus, they often come with built-in backup and recovery options, which means less downtime if something does go wrong.
- Disaster Recovery Options: Make sure your phone system has backup solutions in case something goes wrong. This helps ensure you’re never left in the lurch.
- 24/7 Support: Problems can arise anytime, so access to support around the clock is crucial. You want a provider who is there for you whenever you need them.
- Ease of Use: Your phone system should be user-friendly so you and your team can quickly get the hang of it without a lot of hassle. If it’s complicated or hard to manage, it won’t help your business.
Now that you know what to look for, let us introduce you to a phone system that ticks all the boxes: Nored Telcom’s NTCloud Phone System. It’s built specifically for SMBs like yours and designed to be as reliable as possible.
Invest in Long-Term Success with Nored Telcom
A reliable phone system shouldn’t be a luxury. It should be standard for every virtual phone system. And with NTCloud from Nored Telcom, it is. Here’s why NTCloud is the right choice for companies who want reliable communication:
✔️ Rock-Solid Uptime: NTCloud is hosted in secure, state-of-the-art data centers with multiple layers of redundancy. What does that mean for you? It means your phone system is up and running 99.9% of the time, so you don’t have to worry about downtime disrupting your business.
✔️ Crystal Clear Calls: NTCloud uses advanced technology to ensure that every call you make is crystal clear. No more dropped calls or garbled voices—just smooth, high-quality communication every time.
✔️ Point-and-Click Scalability: Whether you’re a team of five or fifty, NTCloud can scale with you because it’s almost entirely virtual. You can easily add new lines or features as your business grows without major hassles or expensive upgrades. NTCloud also offers mobile apps that allow you to manage calls and messages directly from your smartphone, ensuring you stay connected on the go.
✔️ Built-In Disaster Recovery Measures: NTCloud has built-in disaster recovery features that automatically reroute calls if there’s an issue. So even if something unexpected happens, your customers can still reach you.
Are you tired of phone systems that consistently let you down? Contact Nored Telcom today, and we’ll give you a small business phone system you can count on.
