Thinking about employing an automated phone system for your office? It’s not a bad idea. Automated phone systems can be a great help by allowing customers easy access to self-service and helping your employees focus on the task at hand rather than bothering with answering and redirecting calls.

There are different types of automated phone systems, some better suited for certain businesses than others. For example, the Viking Automated Call Attendant provides a greeting and a directory for up to 10 departments. There’s also the Comdial Automated Attendant Module, which offers a single-level menu for greeting and routing. So how do you choose which automated phone system is right for you? Consider your needs and let us help.

Private Vs. Hosted

You may utilize your own PBX system or choose to use a hosted PBX service. If you are purchasing your own equipment, you must consider the appropriate number of lines to handle your call volume. If all of your available lines are occupied, the next caller will receive a busy signal.

With hosted PBX systems, there is no need to worry about the busy signal. Hosted services can handle a large volume of callers, and you may connect multiple office locations under the same, main phone number.

Installation

With hosted PBX services, installation is unnecessary. If you want to save on installation and maintenance costs, you may want to choose hosted services. But if you have lots of usage/talk time, you may benefit more from owning your own equipment.

When it comes to installation, you should choose your technician wisely. He or she should be familiar with your system as well as your specific needs. At Startechtel.com, we have highly experienced and well-versed technicians who can install your system for competitive prices. Learn more here.

Designing The Menu (setup/standards)

When creating your menu, you want to keep it simple, quick, easy, orderly and practical. Easier said than done, right? The best way to start is to get into the mindset of your customers. What will they likely be calling about? What do most customers need/want from your company? Is there common questions or general information that you can include in the greeting or add as an option within the menu? Our experience as customers as well helps to shape a more sensible menu.

When it comes to routing calls to different departments and personnel, would it be better to use names or route through extensions? That is dependent upon the relationship between your employees and customers. You may want to consider including a dial-by-name directory.

No matter how you set up your menu, it’s important to include an option to press zero for a live attendant. In case of emergencies, or for customers who do not tolerate automated menus well, you should always have someone on hand to answer.

Test your system before

It is important to test your system before it goes live to your customers. Go through every option to make sure there are no mistakes or hiccups.

Clearly, there are many things to consider when choosing and setting up an automated phone system. Have any questions or need some advice? Connect with us and your peers on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest. Or give us a call at 1-800-564-8045.

Have we sparked your interest in automated phone systems? Visit us online to browse our selection of automated phone systems, telephone equipment, and more.

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