Guide to Getting the Best Business Phone Service Providers in 2023

Signs you need modern business phone services

If you’re thinking about upgrading your phone service and wondering when to do it, here are some telltale signs.

Your existing business phone system is outdated.

You may be wondering, “What exactly is a business phone system?” Back in the day, it meant a network of connected phones to talk with your team, customers and business associates. Today it’s grown to include an array of communications features that would have been considered science fiction in the 20th century.

So, if you have a traditional small business phone system with copper-wired landlines, it’s clearly time to move to a cloud-based business phone system provider. Doing so will help you reduce your phone service expenses and tap into the world of possibilities available via the internet.

Do you have a business VoIP phone system with an on-site server? When originally installed, that system was probably billed as the “next generation” business phone service and required the skills of an IT professional for setup and maintenance.

Then cloud-based business phone services came along, which brought new functionality, increased productivity and cost savings to millions of small and mid-sized businesses.

Even better, you don’t need to hire an IT professional to set it up or wait for your service provider to send out a technician every time you want to add a business phone line, reassign office spaces or add a new feature. You can do it yourself through an account management portal you access online.

You need to communicate with workers in different locations.

During the pandemic, many small businesses had to quickly accommodate employees to work from their homes. And a lot of small businesses realized the advantages and value of giving employees choices. The remote-worker or hybrid model will likely continue for the foreseeable future.

That means your teams expect a reliable, fast phone system that works seamlessly, whether they are in the office, at home or out in the field.

With an agile business phone setup, remote workers have choices. They can take their IP (internet protocol) desk phones home with them, connect to their home internet router and begin making unlimited calls instantly. Or access their business phone lines through their mobile phones and desktop apps. A VoIP service make it easy to switch from desktop to laptop to a smartphone.

Your business is growing and you’re hiring.

Business growth can be unpredictable. A spike in service demand may require adding more employees. Getting them situated with a work environment and a phone must happen quickly.

As you bring on new people, you’ll want the best phone service that makes onboarding easy. That includes adding lines and knowing the exact business phone service cost, so it’s easy to budget accurately.

Your team needs more powerful business communication tools.

Business phone challenges can slow productivity. The team might miss a valuable call from a prospective customer. Or a supplier’s message may not reach the warehouse manager in time to make a shipment that day.

Your team shouldn’t have to muscle through the glitches of an inflexible PBX system or first-generation VoIP system. Annoyances, like dropped calls or having to listen to lengthy voicemails, take a toll on productivity. Today’s VoIP technology offers crystal-clear calling and advanced features, like voicemail transcription, which lets you read your voicemail messages and prioritize who to call back first.

You want to ensure flawless customer service calls.

Is your support team reporting that on-hold times are so long that callers often hang up in frustration? Are customers leaving voice recordings in a generic company voicemail box that is monitored once a day, wasting an entire day of response time?

Callers want help quickly. If they can get a bill sorted out or make an appointment with minimal effort, they’re more likely to give you repeat business and refer their friends. A business VoIP phone service with a virtual receptionist helps you with call routing to the right person, department or ring group so someone can take action.

Business Phone service features

One of the hardest parts of researching different business VoIP phone services is figuring out which features you need. Or even what’s available. It’s hard to know what to select if you have no idea how you can use the features. Some of the top business phone service providers use different names and their features operate just a little differently.

To give you some insight, here’s an overview of popular Ooma Office features, along with similar names, and examples of how these features work at Ooma:

Virtual Receptionist (aka Auto Attendant, Digital Receptionist, Virtual Assistant)

Think of the last time you called a large company. You probably navigated through a phone menu to select a particular department or extension with an auto attendant. You may have even had to choose your preferred language. In these instances, you were using a multi level auto attendants (or nested), virtual receptionist.

Video conferencing

Ooma Meetings is the Ooma Office video conferencing tool that lets you video meetings with up to 25 attendees on the Ooma Office Pro plan, or 100 if you have Ooma Office Pro Plus. Invite anyone to join your video meetings and two or more people can do screen sharing simultaneously. This is handy for comparing notes and sharing info quickly.

Ring Groups

If your business has a group of employees who can answer a call, like a full customer service team, support or accounting department, a Ring Group is an effective way to make sure no call goes unanswered.

You can assign users and all their associated devices to a Ring Group. Incoming calls either ring simultaneously on every device in that ring group or sequentially in the order you set up, until someone picks up.

Online Faxing (aka Digital Fax, eFax, Virtual Fax)

You don’t have to have a clunky physical fax machine to send or receive a fax, thanks to digital technology. Incoming digital faxes are sent to employees’ email addresses in the form of a PDF. The Virtual Fax feature comes with a direct access number.

Music on Hold

Give your customers a song, a pre-recorded message or both to listen to when they’re waiting on hold. Use the opportunity to provide information like operating hours or current promotions. You can also upload a music MP3 or WAV file, as long as it’s no bigger than 5 MB and you have permission to use the song.

Email Audio Attachments

Voicemail can be sent directly to your email as an attached audio file. This is especially handy when you’re away from the office but can still access your email.

Voicemail Transcription

Ooma Office Pro and Pro Plus convert voicemail messages into readable email that’s sent to users. This makes it easy to skim and determine which ones to act on first.

Team Messaging

Sometimes a brief text message sent to a colleague’s or a customer’s mobile phone is preferred over phone calls. You can even attach photos and PDF files.

Call Recording

Recording calls can be an important tool to train sales staff, verify order details and resolve customer disputes. With Ooma Office Pro and Pro Plus, you can automatically record unlimited calls or just the ones you select.

See how a technology company uses call recording to coach its reps, resulting in a 28 percent sales increase.

Call Blocking (aka Block List)

Phone scammers and telemarketers often mask their numbers and show up as “Private Number” on your Caller ID. Ooma Office lets you to decide if you want these calls automatically blocked or sent straight to voicemail.

With Ooma Office, you can place up to 1,000 suspicious numbers on a block list. Just select them from your call history or in your Ooma Office dashboard to add them.

Enhanced Call Blocking

Robocalls are an annoyance that can waste precious business resources. That’s why Ooma Office Pro and Ooma Office Pro Plus use Enhanced Call Blocking to automatically screen all incoming calls against a dynamic database of more than 2 million known and verified robocall numbers. If there’s a match, the call is automatically blocked and will never ring your business phone.

Multi-device Ring (aka Multi Ring, Simultaneous Ring)

Expecting an important call? Use this feature to simultaneously ring a combination of your devices, such as analog phones, an IP desk phone, a mobile phone and the Ooma Office Mobile App.

Call Park

Parking places a caller on hold in a designated “parking spot” extension. Anyone on your team who knows the parking spot extension can retrieve the call. The advantage of Call Park is that you don’t tie up a line, like you would with a simple Call Transfer.

Intercom Calling

Intercom calling lets users dial a device that automatically picks up the call on its speakerphone. This makes it easy to inform maintenance that you need a cleanup in aisle 4.

Call Routing (aka Call Queuing)

When everyone on your team is busy, calls are automatically placed on hold and then routed to the first available person. Think of it as a simple inbound call center.

CRM Integration

When you’re working in a customer relationship management solution, like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365, this feature automatically displays info about callers. This powerful tool helps you personalize conversations and anticipate their needs.

Hot Desking

If you have shared workspaces at your office, hot desking makes it easy for employees to access and use their business phone lines on any unassigned phone. The employee punches in a code, then enters their extension number and voicemail PIN. All incoming calls will ring on this phone and outgoing calls will show their Caller ID.

Call Screening

An automated virtual receptionist prompts a caller to state their name. The name is recorded and played back for the person answering the call. The recipient then decides to send the call to voicemail, transfer it to another person, answer the call or reject it.

Seek feedback from your team.

Now that you know something about the advanced features available with a VoIP service, it’s time to get input from your colleagues. If you have a really large organization, talk to at least one representative from each department.

Here are some points to discuss:

• What are the limitations of the existing phone system?
• Which advanced features do they want in the new system?
• Do you want a toll-free number?
• Will every employee need their own business phone line or can some departments share one?
• Do you want a phone system with analytical tools to track metrics like call duration, volume, peak calling time, number of missed calls?

The information you gather in this phase will give you a shopping list of what to look for in the right business phone system for you.

Required technology and equipment

The fundamental requirement for VoIP business phone service is high-speed, dependable internet. As mentioned before, VoIP technology uses the internet, rather than traditional copper wire phone lines, to make and receive business phone calls. So you’ll want to make sure you meet the bandwidth and network requirements of the VoIP providers you are considering.

Ask if you need specific modems and routers to optimize cell phone service. If so, find out if they are included or must be purchased separately.

The beauty of subscribing to a new VoIP business phone service is you won’t necessarily have to spend much on new phones. In fact, with Ooma Office you can download and use software on a PC or smartphone, and start calling right away without any desk phones.

Some employees may want to use business desk phones, while others prefer to use a phone application. Perhaps they’ll want a hybrid combination.

Business desk phones

If you have any traditional phone lines or business desk phones you’d like to keep using, you’ll need to adapt them to VoIP technology with analog telephone adapters, although you may find it’s more cost-effective to purchase new IP phones. Ask your new service provider for guidance on their preferred adapters.

You can generally purchase IP phones from your provider. For example, Ooma has styles ranging from entry-level two-line versions all the way up to 12-line phones with 48 programmable keys and a 7-inch display. Some connect directly to your network with an Ethernet cord, others are wireless so you don’t need to place them near an Ethernet outlet. All come ready to take out of the box, plug in and start using.

Softphones

The word softphone is short for ‘software telephone.’ It’s an umbrella term for both desktop and mobile apps. These apps take advantage of the hardware on your computer or smartphone to create a virtual phone—eliminating the need for a business desk phone.

Once set up, the apps let users access their computer’s or phone’s features to make, take and manage their calls.

Incoming calls pop up on the user’s screen, allowing them to respond with a touch or a click to accept the call.

You can even enjoy the flexibility of unlimited calling from any device with immediate access to business-phone advanced calling features like extension dialing to one or more numerous locations, call forwarding, video conferencing, SMS messaging/chat, call recording and call waiting.

Let’s explore the advantages of both types of softphones:

Desktop phone app

A desktop business phone application lets employees make calls from their PC or laptop. Users download the desktop app to their computer, sign in and start using the best business phone system and features.

The significant benefit of desktop apps is the big screen. This makes it easy to find and navigate to the various business phone features. To make calls, use a mouse and keyboard on your computer.

Mobile phone app

After downloading your service provider’s app from the Apple or Google Play app stores, you open the app, log in with your business phone credentials and click the contact you want to call. With the Ooma Office mobile app, you’ll be able to easily identify which incoming calls are from your Ooma Office line and which are from your personal smartphone number.

Here are a few of the benefits of mobile apps and advanced calling features available on the Ooma Office mobile app.

Remain connected on the go.

The Ooma Office mobile app is like tucking your business phone in your pocket and taking it anywhere you go. This is especially handy for sales agents who spend more time visiting clients than sitting in an office.

Keep users’ cellphone numbers private.

Whether team members work from home or out in the field, they can use their business phone app to make calls directly from their cellphones. That way, their business phone number, not their personal cellphone number, is the number their contacts see on their caller ID.

Not only does this protect your team’s privacy, it also creates a more professional impression.

Flip from desk phone to mobile device seamlessly.

A business phone app also lets employees move between multiple locations throughout the day and shift quickly from office phone to mobile device, even in the middle of a call.

In retail businesses, for instance, team members are often on the move. A manager might be in the office for a few minutes then on the showroom floor or outside in a service area. They might begin a call on a desk phone then flip to a mobile device as they walk out to the service area—without interrupting the call.

Watch how one retail store fields a gamut of calls around its facility and between devices (including using mobile devices to send faxes and manage voicemail).

Choosing the best business phone service provider

Now that you have a good idea of which features your team wants and the types of business phones your team plans to use, you’re ready to compare providers. With so many small business phone service providers to choose from, it’s hard to know where to begin. Sifting through the best business phone services, plans and features can eat up precious time.

Here are three simple steps to focus your research on those providers who deserve your time and consideration.

Get referrals from respected sources.

Reach out to members of your business networking groups, like your chamber of commerce, Rotary Club or LinkedIn contacts. Find out what they like and dislike about their phone service provider. Keep in mind that not all business needs are the same, so your contacts may value some features that you don’t need and vice versa.

Search for lists of the best business phone services. Place more weight on those generated by unbiased sources—reviewers who don’t get paid for endorsements. For example, PC Magazine polls its readers every year for its Business Choice Awards.

You’ll probably find that a handful of business phone services rise to the top. Start your research with those that received the highest online ratings and personal recommendations.

Compare features and prices.

Most business phone service providers offer tiered plans to accommodate different business needs. The side-by-side visuals make it easy to understand how the plans differ in cost as well as in basic business phone service features. For example, here’s an overview of the three different Ooma Office plans.

To eliminate surprises, ask about any fees, such as one-time activation fees and per-line costs. Check to see if there is a charge to transfer your existing business number to your new provider. Will you be required to sign a contract?

Usually, VoIP services offer free unlimited calling within the United States or Canada, which may be all you need if you don’t make a lot of international calls. Consider getting a monthly international calling plan only if you spend a lot on long-distance calls.

Monthly bills

Additionally, get a clear understanding of the monthly billing cost and what the service includes. Cloud phone service invoicing should be straightforward—easy to understand and manage. Look for a provider with all-inclusive pricing so there are no surprise fees in your invoice at the end of each billing cycle. This will also help you stick to a budget.

Most small businesses report significant reductions in their phone bills when they switch from a traditional phone service to online phone services.

Look for ease of use and great support

Not all VoIP business phone services are created alike. Make sure that your new service is easy to set up, easy to use, and easy to manage. Even better—look for one that will go the extra mile to help you.

• Can you get a demo to see the user interface in action?
• Are you able to figure out how to access the features you need?
• Will you be able to set up the service yourself or will you need an IT expert?
• What kind of support is available if you run into a problem after normal business hours?

Getting answers to these questions can save you a lot of headaches down the road. And help you feel confident that you’ve done a thorough job of researching.

It’s time to contact the service provider that checked all the boxes for your business.

Sign-up and setup

Gone are the days of complicated phone installations—of flipping through a thick manual or calling in an IT professional to update the system or waiting for weeks for the phone company to send an installer out to your location.

For example, setting up your new business phone with Ooma involves a few simple steps that are all done online.

Do you already have an established business phone number that you want to keep? Transferring it to a new provider won’t be a problem. The FCC says that number is yours to keep. Keep in mind that some companies may charge a transfer (porting fee) for porting a toll free phone number. If so, ask for it to be waived or negotiate a lower fee.

Or, you can choose a brand new business phone number. With Ooma Office, you have many options: a local number by area code, a number with repeating digits, toll free numbers, and vanity business phone numbers.

Get Your Business Phone Number

Next, select the plan you want. Ooma Office has three plans, all starting with more than 50 business phone features.

Enter the number of employees who will make and receive phone calls to figure out your costs.

Follow the prompts to activate your account. Then download and open the app on your device or plug your VoIP phone into your router (if you’re using a desk phone).

Set up your preferences in My Ooma—the online account management portal page. This is where you put in your extensions and manage all your business phone numbers, conference calls and faxes.

You’re now ready to start unlimited calling!

Make a big-company impression with every call.

It doesn’t matter if your company has two employees or two hundred. Your new business phone systems, will give customers the professionalism of a large business when they call.

Create consistent calls that customers love.

Customers expect a positive experience when they call your company. If they can reach the right person quickly and get the resources they need, their trust increases.

Not only that, if customers, business associates and suppliers can get what they need effortlessly, their loyalty will soar.

Tailoring your virtual phone system for every department and user across your business puts you in a position to attract and delight customers and grow your business.

Like any buying decision, the better prepared you are from the outset, the easier you’ll find the business phone buying process.

Use the above tips to choose the perfect phone for your business communication—without the confusion. Your new small business phone service will be up and running quickly.