This week’s blog features an article from our partners at Broadvoice “15 Solutions-Based Business Phone System Features SMBs Want Today”.
Today we’ve outlined the top 15 business phone features SMBs want today and the solutions they provide – all of which are available through b-hive. Along with the top features, we’ve shed light on the type of business or the industry that relies on these features for daily operations and communications.
b-hive’s Ideal Cloud PBX Customer
b-hive brings the big guns of an enterprise cloud communication platform to SMBs with 1-100 employees, or even 1000 across multiple locations. It’s a great fit for multi-site companies.
b-hive is a practical business phone system solution for:
- Doctor’s Offices or Health Practitioners
- Schools
- Real Estate Agencies
- Travel Agencies
- Financial Services
- Law Firms
- Architects, builders, and more.
Knowing the ins and outs of your business and pain points is key to understanding the solutions that will best meet your needs. Consider asking yourself following questions while considering cloud PBX systems:
- What are some of the challenges your company faces with your communications network?
- What type of phone system are you using today?
- What features do you have in your current business phone system?
- What features do you want in a new business phone system?
- How do you communicate between offices?
- Do you have any remote users? If so, how do they access or stay connected?
Top 15 Business Phone System Features for Small to Medium Size Businesses
While these are features that all SMBs want, we’ve taken the time to categorize them by the packages we offer at b-hive.
Cloud PBX Business Phone System Features
1. Call Forwarding
SMBs rely on call forwarding to provide a positive customer experience no matter the size of their team. Ideal for multi-site businesses and those with remote workers, call forwarding ensures your client’s calls are always answered — whether staff is busy, on the road, or even on vacation. Broadvoice b-hive offers two types of Call Forwarding: 1) Do Not Disturb, which redirects incoming calls to a specific number, and 2) Don’t Answer, which redirects incoming calls if they are not answered within a certain set number of rings.
2. Find Me Follow Me
A very popular feature, Find Me Follow Me allows your clients to create a unique call flow through a series of numbers. Eventually, the call is answered or sent to voicemail. For example, if a customer calls your client’s law office and there’s no one at the desk, the call can then be routed to an IP desk phone, then to a mobile number – all without the customer knowing. The final call route depends on the business, making this a valuable business phone feature for SMBs and mobility.
3. Web Based Portal
The portal is a very valuable and requested feature. Multi-site companies and businesses with remote employees benefit from managing staff directly from corporate without having to drive to the site. For administrators, they can use the portal to access reports, settings, including ring strategies and user settings. Users (on or offsite) have access to their personal voicemails, faxes, messages, team, contract centers, reports, and presence settings.
Pro Seat Business Phone System Features
4. Virtual Fax
Why do SMBs need a virtual fax feature? First, it’s much more affordable than traditional faxing with a machine. Virtual flax eliminates the need for not only the fax machine itself, but also paper, ink, and the extra phone bill associated with the line. Virtual fax is also very convenient, because it can be included in a cloud PBX phone system, which means your clients will only have one phone number associated with their business and they can fax directly from the online portal of the phone system. With a virtual fax feature, customers can send and receive faxes from the web-based portal and via email.
5. Chat System
Most companies today have some type of internal chat system for their employees, often a third-party software or platform that comes with its own price tag. When you ask about their current communications between departments, this is the time to educate them on the fact that b-hive has a chat system built in within the platform as part of the Pro Seat subscription. Called Communicator, this platform makes it possible for employees to chat, call and text one another from their desktop. It’s a cost-effective way to keep all business communications in one place and get rid of the third-party platform they’re already using.
6. One Number
Many businesses love the idea of having a single number for their company, as it improves the customer experience and keeps costs low. With the One Number Feature through b-hive, your customers can have a specific DID to receive calls, faxes, and text messages.
7. International Calling
Many U.S. based businesses including manufacturing companies do business overseas. With a global seat, customers can call 60 plus international locations without paying extra for international calling. For a list of international rates, please visit broadvoice.com/global. Rates are updated monthly.
Customize a Solution with Add on Features
8. Call Transfer/Extensions
Any SMB with more than one employee will benefit from the Call Transfer feature. It’s only visible on the phone and allows your clients to pick and change whether the call is transferred blind or warm.
9. Auto Attendants*
A prerecorded menu, an auto attendant replaces the need for an operator or a receptionist and allows callers to be transferred to the desired department or extension. “This is a great feature for SMBs,” says Otting. He finds that the auto attendant feature is especially helpful for growing companies that want to give a professional presence.
10. Voicemail + Voicemail to Email
It’s hard to find an SMB that doesn’t benefit from connecting their business line to their mobile phones. With the b-hive mobile app, companies can use their own mobile devices to call and receive business phones using their work number. Free to download with the b-hive platform, this type of mobile app is ideal for small companies of 6 to 10 seats, including professional services companies and companies with mobile employees. For example, heating and air conditioning companies with technicians who work out in the field use mobile apps to provide professional customer experiences no matter where they are.
11. Mobile App
It’s hard to find an SMB that doesn’t benefit from connecting their business line to their mobile phones. With the b-hive mobile app, companies can use their own mobile devices to call and receive business phones using their work number. Free to download with the b-hive platform, this type of mobile app is ideal for small companies of 6 to 10 seats, including professional services companies and companies with mobile employees. For example, heating and air conditioning companies with technicians who work out in the field use mobile apps to provide professional customer experiences no matter where they are.
12. Call Analytics
Today’s SMBs need to see their marketing efforts and justify their ROI, says Michael Otting, Broadvoice regional channel manager. Call Analytics within b-hive allows administrators to see data from inbound calls and campaigns related to inbound numbers. Clients can easily monitor the number and breakdown of calls by day, month, and year. They can also view a map with detailed demographics, including cities, states, and calling devices.
13. Hold Music
It enhances the customer experience, and most SMBs add this feature to their business phone systems. Broadvoice b-hive makes it possible for your clients to upload different music for different groups, such as contact center, general customer service, etc. It comes with two settings, system-based and custom. The system-based music loops in the background of the system and callers on hold will hear the music in its then current position. The custom music doesn’t loop and comes back to the start of the custom recording.
14. Conference Calls *
If your customer does businesses through conference calls, b-hive provides a feature that lets them hold conference calls with an unlimited number of attendees. Users call in with a conference extension and conference pin. What’s more, calls can be recorded, and customers can even upload unique greetings and hold music.
15. Intercom
A wide range of SMBs and multi-site companies need intercoms for daily communications. With the b-hive intercom feature, employees can page another staff member and have a two-way conversation.
*May come with additional cost
Providing the Solution that Matters with Broadvoice b-hive
b-hive is a unified communication as a service (UCaaS) with a suite of enterprise-level communication features for SMBs that allows them to easily find, connect and communicate with each other in real time using presence, instant messaging and voice.
Click here to read the original article.
Read our recent blog posts to learn more:
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Business Communication is Changing, Adapt with Hosted VoIP and UCaaS
-
A Guide to Cloud PBX for Small Business
