If your current phone system is outdated, it could be affecting the efficiency of your business. In today’s competitive, and often ruthless business world, standing out from the crowd can be a difficult task but starting with your telecommunications systems seems like a good place to start.

In that case, here are some of the best phone features you might want to consider the next time you upgrade your communications package.

Call logging

Call logging can have a tremendous impact on both the efficiency of your company and the productivity of your employees. Having this feature in place means that you can collect information such as when your busiest times are, how long customer service takes, and whether you’re fulfilling demand.

Call recording

A lot of businesses find it useful to record the conversations they have with clients and customers, and for some, it can be a mandatory requirement.  This can be useful to monitor employee’s training and to provide constructive feedback so that the highest level of customer care is delivered at all times.

Call answering service

It can be frustrating for customers to have to remain on hold for a long period only to be greeted by a voicemail message before the beep. In fact, this can be the difference between gaining and losing a new customer. With a call answering service, a team of professionals will be on hand to answer all inbound calls, so your customers will think that they are speaking to a member of your team.

Call whisper

If your company offers a number of services or products, then it can be confusing to separate queries for each. Call whisper will allow you to record a pre-connection message for each product or service so that your team can prepare for the call. This means that you can run multiple businesses from the same line, or measure the effectiveness of each marketing campaign so you can identify exactly where to improve.

Virtual switchboard

A huge part of good customer service is that customer queries are dealt with as quickly and as efficiently as possible. A virtual switchboard service means that the customer is connected to the correct department based on the options that you offer, saving time and money.

Free international calls

For businesses looking to expand overseas, international calls are vital. Some companies, such as Planet Numbers, offer free international calls for customers that choose to take out an all-inclusive calling plan.

Emergency call routing

If for some reason, your company’s phone lines are down due to a power cut or another short-term issue, emergency call routing can make sure you’ll never miss a vital sale. Unanswered calls can make your company look unprofessional, but with this service, you can choose how your calls are redirected.

Missed call alerts

Some call handling services offer a missed call alert whereby you will be notified by email or SMS if someone has attempted to ring you. The alert will show the number, date and time of the call so you can call back to chase a lead.