Signs It’s Time to Update Your Office Phone System

Your office phone system is often one of the most critical tools in your organisation, but can be one of the last things to see an update. Outdated systems can be used long after they stop meeting your requirements because they’re still in “working order”.

But, if your team has scaled or changed how they work; costs are creeping up or you’ve had feedback from customers unable to contact you, it may be time to reassess.

Here are the key signs that your office phone system needs updating.

Your System Can’t Support Remote or Hybrid Working

If you or your team struggle to take calls when on the move or working from home, your phone system is no longer fit for purpose.

With the rise in more flexible working practices, modern businesses need:

• Calls that can be routed to mobiles or laptops
• Softphone apps, instead of a dedicated desk phone
• One business number, regardless of location, to make life easier for your customers

If your existing office phone system relies on staff being physically in the office, it might be a sign to modernise your system.

Your Office Phone System is Expensive to Maintain

There are often hidden costs with older phone systems, for example:

• High call charges
• Expensive maintenance contracts
• Costly replacement parts

Modern cloud-based systems often operate on a more predictable per-user monthly cost, reducing overheads and making budgeting easier.

If your costs are creeping up, it might be time to reassess.

You’re Missing Key Features

Growing businesses need a level of flexibility and robustness to thrive. You might be looking to:

• Add or remove users more easily, without new hardware or long lead times
• Record calls efficiently and safely
• Send voicemails to email
• Integrate your calls with your CRM or Microsoft Teams

Today’s office phone systems are designed to integrate seamlessly with how you’re already working.

You Have Concerns Over Reliability and Downtime

There can be risks associated with legacy office phone systems such as:

• Calls going unanswered during busy periods through a lack of call-queueing options
• No failover or disaster recovery
• Little visibility of call volumes or wait times

Modern systems offer intelligent call routing, reporting and call handling features and are built with redundancy and resilience in mind.

Your Business Has Outgrown the Original Setup

Office phone systems are often installed during the infancy of a business, and aren’t revisited and things change, and your business grows. If you’re finding the following, it might be time to consider an update:

• Inconsistent customer experiences
• No clear call routing structure
• Poor reporting and visibility
• Calls feel disconnected from other systems such as IT support, CRM

A unified, integrated approach can improve efficiencies across your business.

If some of these signs sound familiar to you and your business, now might be the time to consider upgrading your office phone system. Upgrading doesn’t have to cause disruption. The experienced team at Swiftcomm can deploy quickly with minimal downtime, leaving you with immediate flexibility, reliability and cost control with your system.

Contact us today to find out more.