7 Things to Look for When Choosing a Business Phone System

Switching phone systems is a big decision. Whether you're moving from a landline or shopping between VoIP providers, here are the seven things that matter most.

1. Total Cost — Not Just the Monthly Price

The advertised per-user price is just the starting point. Ask about setup fees, number porting costs, hardware requirements, and what happens when you need to add users. Some providers offer low monthly rates but make up for it with hidden fees.

Also pay attention to the pricing model. Per-extension pricing can be significantly more expensive than per-employee pricing, especially if you have conference rooms, lobbies, or fax lines that each count as an extension.

2. Contract Terms

Many providers lock you into 1-3 year contracts with steep early termination fees. This makes it expensive to leave if the service doesn't meet your expectations.

Look for month-to-month options. If a provider is confident in their service, they shouldn't need a contract to keep you.

3. Reliability & Uptime

Your phone system is mission-critical. Ask about uptime guarantees — 99.99% uptime means less than 53 minutes of downtime per year. Look for providers with redundant data centers and automatic failover.

Also ask what happens if your office internet goes down. Good providers offer mobile app failover so calls route to your team's cell phones automatically.

4. Included Features vs. Add-Ons

Some providers include everything in one price. Others charge extra for features like call recording, voicemail transcription, analytics, or CRM integrations. These add-ons can add $10-$20 per user per month to your bill.

Make a list of the features you need and get a total price — not just the base price.

5. Support Quality

When your phones go down, you need help fast. Ask these questions:

• Is support available 24/7?
• Do you talk to a real person or a chatbot?
• What's the average response time?
• Is there a dedicated account manager?

Read reviews specifically about support quality — it's the area where most VoIP providers fall short.

6. Ease of Management

You shouldn't need an IT team to manage your phone system. Look for a provider with an intuitive web portal where you can add users, change call routing, manage voicemail, and view analytics without calling support.

7. Migration & Onboarding

Switching phone systems can be disruptive if handled poorly. Ask about:

• Number porting timeline — how long to keep your existing numbers?
• Who handles the setup — your team or theirs?
• Is there training for your staff?
• Can you run both systems in parallel during the transition?

The best providers handle the entire migration for you and provide dedicated onboarding support.