Private Branch Exchange (PBX) Phone Systems

Improve customer satisfaction and productivity with a powerful communication tool

First impressions count, and they're often formed when customers place a call to your business. Do they get a busy signal? Does the phone ring and ring without being picked up? If so, you could be losing their business before you even have a chance to pitch your products or services.

To avoid such phone faux pas, consider investing in a critical business communications tool — a PBX phone system. A PBX phone system is like having your own phone network inside your office. It routes all internal calls and sends external calls out via lines called "trunks" that connect to the phone company's network. A PBX system allows you to:

1. Eliminate busy signals.
2. Ensure the phone will be answered every time it rings.
3. Guide customers to the appropriate person within the company.
4. Communicate internally with other employees for free.
5. Provide voicemail to each employee.
6. Assign an individual extension or number to each department or employee.

Determine how many trunks you need

In order to make external calls from your PBX system, you need trunks (lines) to connect to your phone company's network. However, you don't necessarily need a trunk for each employee or each phone number you have. For instance, if you have 20 people in your office, chances are they won't all be on the phone at the same time so you probably don't need a trunk for every employee. Your calling patterns and the number of employees who will need extensions determines the number of trunks required.

Get the basics

Look for a PBX system that includes call forwarding, hold, call waiting, conference calling, intercoms, transferring, call pick-up groups, voice mail and the ability to control which external phone numbers can and can't be dialed.

Get extra features

Depending on your communication needs, consider an auto/attendant/receptionist feature, interactive voice response (IVR), caller ID, music on hold or call detail records (CDR).

Get the latest technology

PBX systems once used telephone cables exclusively, but today's systems combine old-fashioned telephony with Internet data capabilities. The latest breed of PBX systems also use VoIP (Voiceover Internet Protocol).

Find a system that fits your size

PBX systems designed for very small businesses and home offices often cost less than $1,000. Systems that support up to 100 people are called "key systems" and can range from $1,000 to $20,000.

Fake it

If you don't have the budget to set up a PBX phone system or your business involves telecommuters who don't share the same office space, forgo the traditional PBX and get the same services without the hardware.

• When purchasing a PBX phone system, ask the supplier if they offer maintenance contracts and a support hotline. If you have a PBX problem, the phone company will not come to fix the system. They will only fix problems with outside lines.
• Consider purchasing refurbished equipment from a PBX dealer to save up to 30 percent off of your initial setup fees, but make sure the equipment has been checked out and guaranteed by the supplier.
• Provide training to all employees who will use the phone system.
• Ask your PBX provider about fees associated with your system, such as 411 calls. They often offer such services at a discounted rate on an a la carte basis.

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