Thriving in today’s economic climate requires unified communications
Yep, those old traditional landlines are on their way out˳ In 2017, almost 90% of phone numbers were connected to mobile devices or internet-enabled phones˳ And some experts have predicted 2020 is the year that landlines finally become obsolete˳ (To be honest, they probably won’t disappear that fast˳ After all, there are still people out there using analog modems, believe it or not˳)
Yet still, even with landlines falling out of favor, many businesses rely on traditional private branch exchange (PBX) phone systems for day-to-day operations˳
Their trust in these systems makes sense: landlines aren’t susceptible to remote hacking (though analog lines can still be hacked locally through good old wiretapping), they usually still work when you’ve lost power, and they’re based on-premise, which gives the owner total control˳ Owners love total control over anything that impacts their business, especially things that affect the bottom line˳
But the world of work is changing rapidly, and for any business to succeed in this moment, they need a better alternative – unified communications˳
How old phone systems hurt businesses
Older PBX phone systems in today’s business environment have some pretty serious limitations˳ Some of those are business-impacting and result in:
- Poor customer service: Leaving a voicemail and waiting for a response is so ’90s! In fact, most consumers expect to communicate with businesses online, be it online ordering, email, text, or live chat˳ If the only way to reach your business is by phone, you’re likely missing out on a major opportunity to handle service problems quickly, retain customers, and boost your reputation˳
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Internal miscommunication: Old phone systems can be frustrating for office employees to use˳ Imagine leaving a voicemail about an urgent issue for your boss and not receiving a response for hours or days˳ Relying on outdated technology makes employees feel less productive, which can spiral into other issues˳
According to a 2018 Unisys Corporation study, these frustrated employees are 450% more likely to quit than employees at companies with better tech solutions˳ Though this study sounds pretty far-fetched, and it is quite possible that the presence of outdated technology is an indication of a bigger problem with the business˳ Nevertheless, this questionable study supports the narrative that old technology can cause serious problems within a company˳ Thus, it is worth mentioning˳ Clearly, updating your system and improving communication for everyone beats recruiting and training new employees˳
- Less versatility: As many companies have made the switch to remote work, they’ve found landline phone systems to be far less versatile than VoIP-based PBX systems˳ Landline systems are tied to a specific geographic location and connect to the company’s separate phone network through phone hardware (e˳g˳, phone cables, phone wall ports, etc˳)˳ Thus, they can’t be easily integrated with computer software applications, SMS and MMS messaging, video calling, chat apps, and other cool features required to make remote work easy˳ In contrast, a unified communications system supports all of these tools, making it super easy to onboard remote employees˳
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Difficulty diagnosing problems remotely: Diagnosing and fixing problems with traditional PBX systems requires troubleshooting from the IT department (if you have one, that is) or a technician from the phone system provider˳ The process involves testing connections, assessing internal and external parts, and likely fumbling with equipment on your building’s exterior˳ This means scheduling a day and time for the repair, and in the meantime, your system remains down, causing you lost revenue˳
On the other hand, to address problems with cloud-based systems, you have access to round-the-clock tech support that can tap into your system and get things back up and running quickly˳ No appointment required˳ - Hard to grow: When your business grows, it’s quite difficult to scale your old phone system up˳ Usually, with every batch of new users, you will have to add a bunch of new hardware˳ This hardware is usually proprietary, costly, and likely has to be installed by a skilled technician˳ Web-based phone systems are much easier to expand˳
Why your business needs unified communications
As an alternative to your old phone system, it’s time to embrace unified communications˳ Generally speaking, this is a comprehensive service that enables all employees in your company to communicate in a way that delivers the best business results˳ Most unified communications components are based on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which gives you the ability to communicate from any location using the same phone number, extensions, and features˳
And looking more specifically at a VoIP PBX system’s benefits over an old phone system, there are several advantages˳ You have the option of using both physical phones and “soft phones”, which are computers or mobile devices that use specialized communications software˳ VoIP PBX systems also connect to all of your business locations, enable you to respond to messages and requests in a timely manner, and can easily be scaled up or down at any time˳ In short, a VoIP PBX system moves and grows with the ever-changing needs of your business˳ Your old phone system limits your options to serve employees and customers, and it ultimately cuts into your profits˳
Set up your Virtual PBX system today
Work with us to introduce cloud-based phone systems into your day-to-day business operations˳ Our VoIP PBX system helps you cut costs, connect all your business locations into one communications domain, send free SMS messages from business phones and desktops, and access free 24/7/365 tech support˳ Contact us today to discuss your needs and explore the best options for your company˳
Source by https://ezinearticles˳com/?How-Outdated-Phone-Systems-Are-Killing-Businesses&id=10317571
