What Are the Benefits of Having Business Phones with Multiple Lines?
Communication is an essential component of any business foundation. Without open channels internally and externally, it becomes difficult to accomplish anything.
When a business has one phone line, they create an extra dimension for that communication. It’s part of the essential triad: in-person, online, and by telephone.
What happens when one client ties up the phone line for an hour or more? Leaving a voicemail or getting a busy signal might cause that person to look up your competitor’s information instead of working with your business.
That’s why the benefits of having a business phone with multiple lines are crucial to consider. When you have an interconnected network to use as an asset, the result offers more connectivity and less congestion.
Features to Expect When Using Business Phones with Multiple Lines
When investing in a business phone with two lines or more, you’ll find that several features included with this technology provide a polished and professional appearance.
Although some feature availability depends on the local service provider and the phone model selected for the office, the following options come with many of today’s multiple-line systems.
Included Phone Feature: | What the Phone Feature Offers to Businesses: |
Auto Attendant | This feature greets callers when they dial your business. It provides an extension directory to help each person reach the appropriate line to have their needs met. |
Caller ID | You can see who is calling your business with this feature. It can display as the number only or come with a name and location, making it easier to identify the important calls that can’t be ignored. |
Call Waiting | When you’re on the line with someone, this feature indicates that another incoming call is headed your way. It also lets you place one call on hold while answering a second when using a handset or speakerphone, reducing the risk of missing a call. |
Do Not Disturb | Incoming calls go straight to voicemail when this feature is enabled. It prevents the phone from ringing, which is helpful when absolute focus is necessary on a project – or everyone might be in a meeting. |
Hold Function | Businesses with this phone feature enabled can place the incoming caller on hold when business. External calls might have music or a helpful message to hear while waiting to receive services. |
Message Indicator | Some business phones with two lines or more have a flashing LED light that indicates a new voicemail is available to hear. |
Speed Dial Directory | This feature makes it easier to call the important numbers of your business by pressing a single button. |
Businesses can set up a multi-line phone system in only a few minutes when working with a reputable communications company or telephone provider. Even if your hardware is different from what the installer recommends, you can still access the benefits of this technology.
Some providers require contracts when installing a business phone with multiple lines. You’ll want to review the terms and conditions of that agreement before proceeding.
Why Have Business Phones with Two Lines or More?
When investing in business phones with two lines or more, you’ll find these benefits are often available once the network is available to use.
1. Abbreviated Dialing
Employees without a business phone network must use another communication method. That means they’re shouting, emailing, or potentially texting on devices outside your control.
Once you have an office phone system with multiple lines installed, abbreviated dialing allows for a quick conversation without needing to find someone. The individual would dial three or four digits to reach the other line.
Businesses can reduce intracompany long-distance costs with this feature because the calls travel over an internal network instead of the ones provided by the telephone company.
Even if someone doesn’t want to use this feature when calling your business, they can press a single button to reach a live person in seconds.
2. Cost-Effective Asset
When you take calls on a traditional phone line, you can have two callers at the most. That means more people get taken to voicemail or forced into other communication methods. When it’s hard to reach your company, the average customer will find a more accessible place to meet their needs.
If you switch to a business phone system, opportunities for savings and profit generation expand. Most companies find that they can save money in the long run by upgrading to this infrastructure asset.
3. Total Conformity
Multi-line business phone networks are highly scalable and retractable. Whether you need two lines to separate personal calls from others at a home office or a complete office installation that works with your current employee count, you’ll discover that modern systems can meet whatever needs you have.
4. Professional Appearance
Having multiple business phone lines installed offers a company of any size access to a more professional appearance. After choosing the equipment and platform you prefer, branding customization allows customers and leads to understand how and when to reach you at any time.
That means your clients won’t need to contact someone’s personal number to reach them. It also provides the opportunity to review phone activities to better comprehend what everyone needs. Legacy systems don’t have the technology to offer this benefit.
5. More Privacy and Security
When businesses have a full-featured business telephone system, they’re adding another privacy and security layer to their operations. If this investment includes cloud-based services, this work is done automatically. It can reduce unwanted phone calls with gatekeeping features that function to keep everyone safer.
6. Communication Unification
Business phone systems provide a unified interface for sharing all communication forms. Some products even integrate CRM software into the technology to route pertinent data to your database. You can incorporate conference bridges to eliminate third-party services, transfer calls to appropriate people, and reduce redundancies in larger corporations.
When investing in business phones with multiple lines, several advantages are possible. The exact outcome depends on what problems currently exist and other variables that apply locally. That’s why exploring what is possible today can help your company be ready for tomorrow. If you are ready get a multi-line VoIP phone system, In-Telecom is ready to be your VoIP phone system provider.