What is a Hosted PBX Service? According to 3CX, “PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange, which is a private telephone network used within a company or organization.” Essentially, it’s a service that links all the phones within a business together.
According to 3CX, “PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange, which is a private telephone network used within a company or organization.” Essentially, it’s a service that links all the phones within a business together.
Over the years, there have been several iterations of PBX services, and as technology has evolved, so has PBX. This tool is an asset to any business, especially one that receives calls all day long. However, hosted PBX services are the most modern version yet.
Older versions of this service required clunky equipment stored on-site that needed maintenance and updates by an IT professional. A hosted PBX service (also known as a “virtual PBX” or “cloud phone system”) allows digital phones in your office to use the internet, as opposed to using a traditional phone company. In this case, the phone system is stored “in the cloud” instead of the office.
That means no utility closet in your office, no IT maintenance and no service downtime. A hosted PBX service may sound tech-y or complicated, but it’s actually a concept that most of us are already familiar with as consumers.
Why
Do I Need a Hosted PBX Service?
As technology advances, customers expect businesses to grow along with it. Most business owners already understand the importance of building a website and having a social media presence, so that same concept should be applied to office phone systems.
Now imagine you have a beautiful website and social media feed, but when your customers call to speak to a real person, their experience is inefficient and frustrating. As a wise person once said, “ain’t nobody got time for that.”
Read on to find out how a hosted PBX phone service can benefit your business and, in turn, your customers.
Automation
When you call a business, would you rather be bounced around to several different people before reaching the one that can help you or be directed straight to the correct department right away? If you’ve experienced the former, you know how frustrating and time-consuming that can be. The latter, on the other hand, is made possible with a PBX service! With a hosted pbx service, the “auto attendant” will give the caller options first, allowing them to select the best one to fit their needs.
Providing that level of simplicity and convenience will only improve the customer’s experience, as well as your business. Plus, it gives the customers the impression that they are dealing with a reputable business, increasing their confidence in the service or product you provide.
Accessibility
A hosted PBX service will allow you to forward office phones to separate devices, a feature not previously available through on-site PBX systems. You can forward your office phone to your cellphone or to another member of the team if the intended recipient is out of the office completely.
This will ultimately be more convenient for your customers as well. The auto attendant will direct them to the exact employee who can solve their problem, even if that employee isn’t at their desk, or to someone else who can help them. This feature will lead to less voicemails, less phone tag, and less frustrated customers.
Cost-effective
When people think of high-tech business solutions, they may assume that it will be expensive. However, a hosted PBX service may actually save your business money!
First of all, the auto attendant will replace the need to hire a receptionist. Good thing you don’t have to pay robots.
Additionally, all your phone communication will be happening internally. Previously, if you needed to make a call to someone else inside your office, that call would go through an outside phone provider before coming back and reaching your employee. Because a hosted PBX service uses the internet, you can cut out the middleman and, therefore, save money on any additional costs you would have incurred from the phone company.
Hosted PBX services also allow you to review a log of all incoming and outgoing calls. You can see which lines are busiest to decide where to best allocate your business’ resources as well as track the amount and length of personal calls. Having that type of information will ultimately inform future decisions and save your business money.
Low-Maintenance
A hosted PBX service eliminates the need for on-site equipment and IT maintenance. All you need are digital phones and a browser to set up and manage your service.
This will ultimately save your business money, as well. Not only will you not have to hire a highly-trained individual to install the PBX box, but you won’t have to pay someone for regular service maintenance, either.
Scalability
With on-site PBX systems, it can be difficult to add extra phone lines. To put it simply, expanding your system is limited. That means that some small businesses have to overbuy equipment in hopes that they can eventually grow their business to support the cost.
Conversely, scaling your phone system with a hosted PBX service is unlimited. As your business grows, your phone system capabilities do, too. This will make the startup costs lower as well because you only pay for what you need at the time.
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If you decide that a hosted PBX service is the right decision for your business, the next step is finding a provider that is right for you. As with anything, it’s important to do the research and find a PBX provider that will best suit your needs. Soon you’ll be on your way to a more affordable, efficient and convenient phone service for your business and your customers.
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