Small Business Phone Plans
There are plenty of things to consider when setting up a small business. Before the opening day arrives, products have to be lined up, storefronts or e-commerce ventures prepared, staff have to be hired, and so much more. Your business’s phone plan will feel like one of the last things you need to consider, but it is crucial.
Customer communication is necessary for all lines of business, no matter their industry or size. For small businesses, effective communication is particularly vital as it is this connection that provides insight and loyalty to future success.
So, it may be time to start looking into phone plans for your future small business venture.
What is a Small Business Phone Plan?
Small business phone plans do not differ too much in the fundamentals when compared to the usual mobile phone plans for personal devices. Both provide a means of accepting and making calls to necessary parties across Australia under regular plan fees.
However, a small business plan becomes a different semantic altogether when considering its usage. After all, such a phone plan is designed to connect with customers no matter where they are calling from. Thus, they require additional features to support high call volume, multiple store venues, or customer insight data collection efforts. That is when they stand out as a unique phone plan.
Small business phone plans are often applicable across multiple devices, preventing any call from going unanswered. This optimised line of communication not only increases customer satisfaction but also provides a unique form of marketing through the phone number’s memorability.
Phone plans for businesses are usually available for:
• 1300 numbers: Customers can call a 1300 number from any Australian fixed line at a local call rate and recognise it as a professional set of digits.
• 1800 (toll-free) numbers: Any Australian landline or mobile phone can call a 1800 number for free, making it a very appealing point of contact for customers.
• Virtual local numbers: Customers can call a virtual local number anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call. It is only used for inbound calls, making them uniquely designed for accepting customer calls.
Why Do You Need a Small Business Phone Plan?
Any small business that intends to find success in the Australian market should invest in a phone plan made for businesses, rather than personal phone usage. Not only does a business phone number look professional to customers, it also opens the lines of communication across all areas of business operations: employees, customers, suppliers, and even manufacturers.
With the modern workplace becoming more flexible, business communication lines must also become so. That is why a phone plan created for small businesses is needed. So these organisations can make the most of the unique benefits such a plan has to offer, including the following:
Improved Customer Communication
Streamlined communication in a small business can make customer communication a breeze, even when there are multiple stores. That is because a business phone number provides a centralised point of contact, after which customers can be directed towards the staff member’s phone line who can best help them.
When customer questions and concerns are resolved efficiently, they are more likely to be satisfied with a business’s operations. This means more loyal customers and higher revenue in the future.
Fixed Monthly Rates
You know exactly what you are paying for with a business plan as most are offered at a fixed monthly rate. This rate includes data, call time, and other features included in the plan, ensuring that you can budget business expenses more accurately.
Some plans may also be offered with no lock-in contracts, ensuring that you can always make changes to your plan or provider when needed. The money saved on surprise monthly plan fees and plan changes can then be used to support other areas and endeavours in the business.
No Hidden Fees
With the right service provider and small business plan, the fixed monthly rate will be the main expense you shall have to pay. Trustworthy plans come with no hidden fees, instead providing a unified billing cycle you can always count on being the same.
Features Included in a Small Business Plan
What features make a small business plan so different from the usual mobile phone plan? While most mobile plan providers are more intent on providing network coverage, unlimited calls, and data usage, business plans offer these and so much more.
Common features that are included in phone plans made for small businesses include:
Voice to Email
Any voicemails made to a device under a business account can be captured and the audio file sent to your email box. This means, that regardless of the device being used, your location, or whether you have your phone on hand, the voicemail can be accessed and followed up on.
The email format means that you can also forward the voicemail to another team member if required. There is no need to always be near a fixed office phone line when this feature is available.
Mobile to Mobile Overflow
When there is an influx of calls to the business number, there is no need to keep customers or suppliers on hold anymore. The overflow features allow the unanswered calls in the queue to be allocated to other mobile phones using the business number. This ensures customers are left happy with a lack of waiting time and only employees available to answer calls are required to receive overflow.
Caller Identifier
Always know who is calling your place of business with the convenient display of caller ID. Important suppliers or clients can be made a priority when they are easily identified as soon as they call.
Schedule Routine
Set phone lines and devices to accept calls based on business hours with the scheduling feature. Customers can be notified when they are calling outside of business hours with scheduled voicemails and redirected to appropriate communication avenues. This way, no customer interests are missed and they can always remain informed on business operations.
Furthermore, business staff can only be contacted during business hours. There is no need to disrupt their free time with unexpected calls when they are scheduled.
Business Announcement
Allow incoming callers to remain up-to-date on your business’s news and operations with the announcement feature. Many callers are looking for basic information when calling or a specific team to get in contact with. The announcement feature can be set to the start of calls to inform callers on key areas such as:
• Business hours
• Store locations
• Directions to alternate forms of communication
• Times of unexpected closure
• Which phone line will provide wanted answers
The announcement is fully customisable, ensuring you can put your business’s brand and needs first.
Live Call Reporting
Track the activity of your entire business’s live calls in one centralised place with this feature. Common included data points are:
• How many inbound/outbound calls occur daily
• Average length of time of calls
• How many calls are abandoned
• Missed call numbers
• Peak times of calls
This kind of information is crucial to identify areas of improvement in business operations. Changes to business structure and practices can be made with confidence founded on the data collected in live call reporting.
Missed and Cancelled Call Tracking
Keep track of all missed and cancelled calls with this feature. Know who needs to be called back and how team members are performing with customer communication. Then, make accurate changes to current operations to reduce the amount of calls missed or cancelled and boost customer satisfaction.
Simultaneous Ring
Significantly reduce the chances of a call being missed through the simultaneous ring function. Any phone connected to the business number can ring when a call is incoming. That way, the person most available to answer the caller’s needs can immediately heed the call.
Round Robin
Conveniently route incoming calls to where they need to go with round robin. Any caller can be directed to the right receiver based on a predetermined list of contacts across the country. Always get the caller’s needs answered with this feature.
Simple IVR
An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is an automated system feature that directly interacts with callers from the initial ring. This voice then gathers caller information by offering menu choices, and accurately directing calls to where they need to go based on responses.
Such a call feature saves time and manpower by taking on the initial calling load itself.
How to Choose a Small Business Phone Plan That’s Right For You
With so much to offer, it is no wonder why small business phone plans are becoming more necessary across various industries. Not only does the plan’s accompanying features provide critical market research, increased customer satisfaction, and ease of use, but it is also a reliable form of communication you can trust.
Let Teleca guide you to the small business plan that is right for you with our helpful telecom experts. Contact us to learn more about what phone plans are available and how we can tailor a solution perfectly suited for your business and its customers.
FAQs
Can I Port My Current Number to a Teleca Phone Plan?
Yes, Teleca allows existing business numbers to be transferred across to their available phone plans. However, we also have a range of phone numbers on offer that you may be interested in changing to for greater marketing potential.
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