Like most who follow the news in the telecom space, you’ve likely seen all the comments about the benefits of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The proven cost savings alone should be enough to entice even the novice in the business space, yet many still focus on the risk of migrating to a new platform. If you’re worried about quality control, VoIP monitoring may go a long way.
Before you get to that point, however, it’s important to pick the right VoIP provider. Fortunately, there are a few tools you can put to use to ensure you’re never missing a beat and still hit on all important elements. iMedia Connection recently posted a blog on the topic. Let’s borrow from their insight to dig a little deeper.
Do Your Research
The Internet is a wonderful place to start when you’re looking for a wide variety of information. Just be sure to look for portals that offer unbiased data and not those put up just to promote a certain provider. Look to forums and don’t forget to ask questions on your social media channels as well.
Get In-Depth
When you narrow down your list to a few providers, it’s time to get down to the details. Go in-depth by examining their websites, looking for specific details along the way. Avoid the marketing hype and look at support packages, social media feeds (unhappy customer posts should show up) and the basic consistency – or lack thereof – on the site. Then, look at review sites and forums. Does the information you find here match that of what the provider is projecting?
Market Directories
Whether you still use the phone book or look to online directories, the reality is you want to be sure the providers you are considering are listed there. This demonstrates that they are dedicated to the market and want to put their name out there. A provider missing from these places may be too new to provide the consistent quality you need.
If you apply these steps when trying to determine the best provider, you’ll be on your way to making the right choice. But, don’t forget to include questions about VoIP monitoring. Do they do their own? Have they been audited by an outside firm? Can you monitor on your own? Get the answers to these questions as the quality of the conversation says a lot about your brand.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson