Static on the phone line used to be a pretty common problem. Most of us have experienced poor quality calls at some time. You might have even experienced the bizarre phenomenon of being able to call the other side of the world without any issue. Speaking on a perfectly clear line, hearing them as well as you could if they were sat next to you on the sofa, but being completely unable to hear when you call someone that lives down the road. There’s often no rhyme or reason to why some calls are filled with static, buzzing and dropouts, while others are perfect.
Many of us have faced woeful misunderstandings due to faults on the phone line. Finding ourselves agreeing to something after the fourth “I’m sorry, could you say that again” because we’re just too embarrassed to admit that we haven’t got a clue what we are agreeing to. You might have spent hours trying to figure out why your phone line is so pitiful. Investigating the wiring both outside and inside your home, trying to explain the problem to an engineer, using that same terrible phone line. You might have been forced to learn more than you’d like to about your NID (Network Interface Device), where the outside wiring comes into your home. You might even have become a bit of an expert on the ins and outs of your phone line.
If static is a problem at work, you might have lost business. Customers don’t want to have to shout over static. Most of them hate using the phone at the best of times, they certainly won’t put up with battling inferior quality lines to get themselves heard, and your staff might be struggling with an earache if they are manning buzzy phones all day long. Your friends, family, colleagues and team members might all be telling you that it’s time to give up on that outdated wired phone. They might be insisting that it’s time to take your phone systems online by using a cloud-based service. But, why?
Are Landlines Dead?
You might be wondering if you really need a phone line at all. At home, you can almost certainly manage without one. Most of us use our smartphones to send messages to companies and communicate with our friends and family. You might not have had a landline for some time, and if you have got one, it might just be for your internet service. You might not even use your smartphone to make calls. Reports show that most of us don’t and that many of us feel some level of anxiety when it comes to speaking on the telephone.
But, when it comes to business, an office phone has many advantages. It offers you an extra way to communicate with customers, clients and suppliers. It means that everyone has a way to get in touch with you. Telephone calls also offer a more real and grounded way to communicate. Next to speaking face to face, it’s the best way to be fully understood. Speaking over the phone is an effective way to communicate, and it can be a great aid in building trusting and loyal relationships.
Could Cloud-Based Solutions Offer an Alternative?
But, that doesn’t mean that you need an old-fashioned landline connection. While a PBX connection has had many advantages to businesses in the past, it’s also held them back. Nowadays, you can use a hosted cloud system to get all of the benefits, and more, without the drawbacks, such as static on the line.
Move your telecommunications to the cloud with Carolina Digital Phone, and you’ll get amazing quality, with high definition sound and a distinct lack of static on the line. But, that’s not the only benefit to cloud-based systems. A primary advantage to small businesses is that it’s significantly cheaper. On-site systems need services and maintenance, and even then, often need complete replacing every ten years. When you go online, you hand support off to a third party, and there’s nothing to replace, aside from your handsets, saving a significant amount, both short and long term.
Another massive advantage is the flexibility that a cloud-based phone line offers. You could move offices, while keeping the same number and systems, without any downtime. You can also make easy adjustments, scaling up if your business grows and you need more communication options. You’ll be able to use voicemail to email services, call holding, conference calling and time-based call routing. And, you’ll never need to hunt for that NID again.