Business VoIP Featured Article

What to Demand for Small Business VoIP

July 19, 2013

By Susan J. Campbell, Business VoIP Contributing Editor

The small business has a number of challenges when it comes to launching a successful strategy. Never mind the fact that the industry alone is challenging; there’s also the issue of looking as large as the dominating competitor in an environment where technology innovation is key to success.


Fortunately, the small business does have access to a tool that can help give that “big” impression in the form of business VoIP. While VoIP has become a standard communication platform for a number of businesses, large and small, it is still a new tool for a number of organizations that are slower moving when it comes to making a change to their spending.

For instance, it’s not uncommon for the business VoIP provider to view the small business spending $100 a month as a small account and one not worthy of a lot of attention. The provider taking this approach, however, ignores the fact that this $100 a month may be a considerable spend for that small business. Customers may expect first rate service and the provider may view them as an account easily passed off to a lower priced outsourcer.

The outcome of such a move could have far-reaching implications for the provider. For one, the small business may serve a number of larger clients who could benefit from business VoIP and trust the advice given by the small business. If the small business is unimpressed with the way the provider passes them over for the larger player, the provider just lost an advocate in the market.

This is an important value proposition for the small business seeking to implement this low cost, flexible communication platform. If a provider isn’t willing to treat their account as important as the larger customer’s, they’re likely putting the perception of their brand on the line. Why? Any communication tool is an extension of the business. If the quality is poor or non-existent, it creates a similar perception in the mind of the customer. At the same time, they run the risk of a customer not being able to contact them – a serious issue.

For the small business looking to implement the right approach to communications, there are specific things to demand in a business VoIP provider:

·         Competitive pricing (not the lowest pricing necessarily, but at least competitive)

·         Quality service guarantees (make sure the Service Level Agreement has a monetary element)

·         Local support (this includes proven on-site support)

·         Real-world references (give current customers that are also a small business a call)

Providers like Nextiva can walk the small business through the process of selecting the right service that fits the corporate environment. The solution is based on the number of lines needed, but not the size of the business when it comes to support. After all, every customer is an opportunity if he or she is treated the right way.




Edited by Rachel Ramsey

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