Business telephones are quite different from conventional telephone systems. They are designed not only for basic calls, but also for advanced communications. Business telephones can be used by employees for taking multiple calls, and for ensuring that communications within the company flows. Getting the right telephone system for your company could make a world of difference to the efficiency of communication within the workplace. Before you go shopping for any kind of telephone system, you should make a list of some essential features that you want to see. Here are some key telephone features that you should include on your list.
Auto Attendant
This is a basic feature found in many different business telephone systems. Basically, the auto attendant is designed to take the place of a receptionist or an operator. Whenever someone calls, the auto attendant will guide them through the available extensions and the numbers to dial to reach other departments. This way, you don’t need a receptionist. This helps businesses save money on hiring additional employees. It’s one of the most common features that you will see in many kinds of business telephones today.
Automated Directory
Another feature found commonly in different kinds of telephone systems is an automated directory. This allows callers to directly search for extensions of the people that they want to call, without having to talk to an operator. The automated directory is also responsible for directly routing the calls to different destinations as required by the caller.
Call Hold
This feature is common in all kinds of telephones today. The call holding feature not only mutes the microphone, but also begins playing a pleasant tune so that the person on hold doesn’t feel frustrated, or overhears what’s going on in the background. This is especially useful in call centres and places where confidential matters are often being discussed.
Call Forwarding
Another feature that you will want to check for any business telephone is the call forwarding feature. If a caller asks you to route the call to any person within the company, you should be able to forward it directly by dialling the extension. This eliminates the need for employees to personally inform the other person to pick up the phone.
Conference Calling
Almost all business telephones come with the conference calling feature. This feature allows you to connect up to five or six callers together in one call and talk to them. This is highly efficient when talking to branch heads or different employees in the same department. You can discuss issues together and get input from everyone on the conference call, rather than talk to everyone individually.
Speed Dial/ Last Number Redial
Finally, you will want to check if the business telephone system comes with a speed dialling feature. This allows you to assign a number to frequently-dialled numbers, so you can quickly dial them. Moreover, you should check whether the telephone has a last number redial option, so you can redial the last number at the press of a button.
