The Worst Advice We’ve Ever Heard About Business Phone Systems

Here at Votacall, we focus on solutions in more ways than one: we help our customers get the business phone system solutions that they need to stay strong and successful, and here in our blog, we provide information and advice that is solution-oriented. 

Today, we are not going to break with this tradition, but we are going to take a somewhat different angle: because instead of advising you on the best advice we have ever heard about business phone systems, we are going to the opposite end of the spectrum — because sometimes, knowing what NOT to do is as valuable as knowing what you should do!

And so, without further delay, here is the worst of the worst advice we’ve ever heard about business phone systems: you should focus on getting the cheapest price possible. 

Yes, it is important to get value, stay within budget, and achieve ROI. But if you only focus on getting the cheapest price, then this much is guaranteed: you will end up spending more — and often, much more — in the near future that will rapidly erase any savings that you hoped to achieve.

This is because not all business phone systems are created equal. The cheapest are basically hardware kits that are sent through the mail. Essentially, there is no service or support, which means that you are on your own when (not if!) you need to optimize the system or troubleshoot an issue. In fact, you will not even be able to effectively implement the system with your existing infrastructure, and your IT staff will not be happy (to say the least!) when they get flooded with end user complaints.

The safest and smartest way forward is to find the right balance between functionality, performance, flexibility, support and, of course, price. Does this mean you will get the cheapest price? No. Does it mean you will get a business phone system that aligns with your current needs, and is designed to scale and grow with your business for decades to come? Absolutely!  

The sage advice of 19^th century social thinker John Ruskin comes to mind: “It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”

To learn more about ensuring that you “get something better” when it comes to your next business phone system, contact the Votacall team today. We understand that value and cost-effectiveness are among your top priorities — but not at the cost of functionality, performance, flexibility, and support!

For more information on not concentrating on the lowest price but finding the right partner for your VoIP phone system, download our FREE eBook: