There are many situations in life when all signs point to a change for the better. When we heed these signs, we are always rewarded. When we ignore these signs, we always regret it — and wish we had a time machine to know then what we know now.
With this in mind, if your business is seeing any or all of the following signs, then you can be sure that your old private branch exchange (PBX) phone system is holding your business back rather than driving you forward:
1. Your Old PBX Phone System is Insufficient
Your business is not static and unchangeable. Rather, it’s dynamic and evolves. For example, over time you may have added more on-site/remote staff using mobile devices. Or, maybe you expanded into new locations or identified the need for more advanced features such as unified communications (UC) to drive operational efficiency, competitive advantage, and optimal customer service and experience.
However, your old PBX phone system probably isn’t designed to support any of these needs or support advanced features like interactive voice response (IVR), video conferencing, voicemail-to-email with transcription, and a host of other features. This is bad news for your staff, your customers — and the future of your business.
2. Your IT team Spends Too Much Time Solving Telecommunication Problems
If your IT team spends an excessive amount of time on telecommunications problems on the wrong things. For instance, if they are responding to support tickets from frustrated workers, dealing with hardware compatibility problems, maintaining trunk lines, or complex telephone company network issues, they aren’t focusing on high-priority tasks and projects. This is a massive waste of money and resources. Plus, problems with desk phone connectivity affecting outgoing calls, incoming calls, or anything else will slow down (if not bring to a screeching halt) productivity and collaboration. It could also negatively impact your reputation, and lead to customer loss.
3. You’re Managing Multiple Vendors
There is a very good chance that your old PBX phone system can’t seamlessly connect to different platforms and applications (for example, linking incoming calls with your CRM system so customer history is displayed). As a result of this, you’re forced to manage multiple vendors — which could mean dealing with very expensive consultants who cheerfully charge by the hour.
And that’s not even the worst of it. In addition to solving ongoing problems with your on-premise phone system, these pricey vendors must work with each other. As a result – you have to manage all the relationships. Otherwise, another vendor will simply dismantle the work of your current vendor. When this happens, vendors shrug and you pay the bill.
4. You’re Pouring Money Into Your Old PBX Phone System
Think of your PBX phone system as a car. When it comes to cars, eventually there comes a time when the cost of repairs and maintenance exceeds the price of a new vehicle. Plus, at some point, you are continuing to spend money on older technology. And, no matter how much you spend, you still won’t have access to additional features. The same thing happens with on-premise phone systems. There finally comes a point when keeping it functional is no longer financially sensible.
This is especially true if you’re saddled with proprietary hardware and software (which is likely the case) because it severely limits your options. The only folks happy about this are vendors who get to keep billing you for repairs and maintenance. Or worse, they hit the jackpot – selling you a brand new system costing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Either way, your vendor wins, and your business loses.
5. You’re spending an excessive amount of time training employees how to use your old PBX phone system
You appreciate that new employees need orientation, training, and support to make an effective contribution, and hopefully grow with your team for many years to come. But you don’t appreciate spending an excessive amount of time training these new hires how to use the on-premise phone system.
And to be fair, it’s not because these people aren’t trying to get up-to-speed as quickly as possible. It’s because your old PBX phone system uses “old school” interfaces, configurations, and tools that are confusing and non-intuitive. Naturally, the learning curve is steep, long, and frustrating for all involved — trainers and trainees alike.
The Bottom Line
If your business is experiencing any — or likely ALL — of these signs, then your next step is clear: switch to a cost-effective, scalable, flexible, feature-rich, fully supported, and future-proofed voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone system from Carolina Digital Phone! Our system uses digital signals that run on your existing Internet connection, which means there is no need to install old-fashioned copper phone lines. After all, don’t you agree that business phone systems should work FOR businesses instead of AGAINST them?
Schedule your free live guided demo and consultation now by calling Carolina Digital Phone at (336) 544-4-00. We can connect with your team in-person at your location, or over the web.