VoIP Phone Systems for Retail

We can slot VoIP phone systems into consumer or enterprise solutions. However, those are just the broad classifications and there are more nuances to VoIP systems than just their intended target segment. For instance VoIP phone systems for retail is a great match.

VoIP Phone Systems for Consumers

Consumer VoIP phone services tend to be similar to one another in terms of features, quality of service, prices or business model. Users will either pay for the device upfront after which calls will be free or there will be a monthly subscription charge for a particular bundle of minutes. Most consumer VoIP services like MagicJack or Vonage will follow either of the two business models and there is not much when it comes to differentiation.

VoIP Phone Systems for Enterprises

Since VoIP systems offer greater flexibility than traditional PSTN based hardware, we can customize them to fit a variety of situations for different types of organizations. So when we talk about VoIP phone systems for businesses, such services are not a monolithic entity. Different service providers cater to different segments and industries with their own peculiarities and characteristics.

VoIP Phone Systems for Retail and Small Chains

VoIP phone systems can be tailored to suit a variety of business needs and requirements. Different VoIP deployments and configurations will be needed for a small business, a midsize retail chain, and a multinational corporation or for any organization that falls in between. The requirements for a freelance contractor and a small business with two locations may be completely different. Hence it is important for businesses to choose a vendor that can customize the service for their requirements.

For instance, consider a small business such as a chain of retail stores. These type of stores may be a small family-owned bakery or a shop that sell pet supplies. They generally have few employees – usually less than 50 – but have to compete with larger stores for customers. Hosted VoIP (rather than traditional PSTN systems) is often a good solution for such businesses for a variety of reasons.

Cost of Getting Started with VoIP

In general, retail stores (that are not owned by large corporations) do not have the vast financial resources that can be commanded by multinational organizations. They’re not able to invest thousands of dollars into purchasing equipment that quickly depreciates. On the other hand, they also do not have the expertise required to maintain their own phone systems. Businesses can very easily get started with hosted VoIP and they do not find cost to be a significant obstacle.

Services like VoIPstudio offer month long trials so that businesses can test them out without much risk. If the business likes the service and it meets their requirements, they can simply continue to use it beyond the demo period.

No Need to Purchase Dedicated IP Phones

Although IP desk phones provide a number of advantages such as dedicated function buttons, large LCD screens and high quality audio, we do not explicitly require them for utilizing hosted VoIP. If the organization already has analog phones, they can use it with the VoIP service simply by connecting them to ATA adapters. Employees can even use their existing mobile devices for making or receiving business calls by downloading and installing mobile VoIP applications that are compatible with the service.

Flexibility and Advanced Features

Nowadays, even small retail stores have to compete with their larger counterparts even though they lack the resources to do so effectively. Hosted VoIP services that provide advanced features for a fraction of the price charged by traditional operators can be the ideal solution for such businesses. Features such as IVR trees or auto receptionist can create a positive impression on customers. Something as simple as being able to play a recording on holidays that states the usual business hours can be very effective when it comes to managing customers.

VoIP services can offer other features such as group voicemail inboxes, visual voicemail, the ability to send and receive faxes etc. . Even if the business doesn’t usually require such tools, utilizing them effectively can improve productivity and revenue in a competitive business environment. We used to consider these features to be luxuries for small businesses. But businesses require them now, and hosted VoIP solutions are often the best way to implement voice communication systems.