If you have own or manage a business, you should know by now that you can’t use your personal number for your clients, customers, or just about anyone in your business network. Not only will it cost you money, battery life (if you’re using your own smartphone), and time, but it can also cause you so much stress when you get calls at the most inconvenient times.

The easiest solution to all your phone answering problems? A virtual phone system.

What is a virtual phone system?

A virtual phone system is basically an internet or cloud-based phone service that answers phone calls that are going to a specific phone number. These virtual phone system providers have ‘automatic receptionists’ or operators that will greet the callers. These messages should include the choices that your callers can select. These options will then forward the caller to extension numbers (e.g. your office phone, number of your business’s specific department, etc.) which can easily be set up. The callers will be put on hold while they are being forwarded to other extension numbers.

What are the 3 best virtual phone systems in the market today?

Anyone serious with their business and customer support should hire answering services. But which one do you choose? We list down the top 3 virtual phone systems available today:

Grasshopper

You’ll find Grasshopper on a lot of top virtual phone systems lists, and for good reason. Business owners also widely use Grasshopper, especially those who are just starting out. It’s probably because of their very affordable pricing which starts at $12.00. There are also different pricing plans for those who wish to have upgraded features.

What we love about Grasshopper is its value for money. It’s very simple and easy to use, and you also get an account manager. You can customize your main phone greeting, and you can choose toll free and/or local numbers for your business. If your business is growing, you can also add more departments and employees with Grasshopper’s service. Other features include a handy Android/iOS app, SMS messaging for business, unlimited call handling, and of course, call forwarding and screening. It also has a 24/7 customer support, but one disadvantage of Grasshopper is that it does not offer free trials. But for Grasshopper’s very affordable price points, you get a pretty sweet deal!

RingCentral

If you’re a small business owner or if you’re just starting out in the industry, RingCentral may be the best answering service for you. RingCentral specializes in phone services for small to medium enterprises! Whether you already have phone numbers for your office or not, RingCentral can still provide great services for you.

RingCentral is also one of the fastest growing phone service companies today. Its cloud-based phone system boasts of great features that can be very useful for your business. One feature that makes RingCentral great is their auto-receptionist with call forwarding. Similar to Grasshopper, RingCentral also has an app for both Android and iOS devices. They also offer conferencing instruments, online fax services, and business texting. With plans starting at $24.99, you can also already choose toll free, local, or vanity numbers with RingCentral!

Nextiva

Nextiva is an award-winning virtual phone system, and more than a hundred thousand offices across the country can attest to their great service. While it’s one of the more expensive and high-end systems, Nextiva definitely delivers on great features.

Nextiva can handle small to large business enterprises, and as long as you’re connected to the internet, you can access your calls. They also have a system in place ensuring that your customers will never get a busy signal when they call your office. You can also use Nextiva’s data analytics of your calls, and like most phone systems, they also have auto-receptionists. It truly is one of the most reliable phone systems out there with its vast network, but it just comes at aa higher price point.

Give Your Business a Boost

If you want your customers attended to at all times, you should definitely sign up for a virtual phone system. Try out the ones we listed, and see how it can make a difference for your business! If you want to make sure that your customers can always reach you, it’s best to use a virtual phone system for your business number. That way, even if you’re not available to answer the phone, someone else can take care of your customers’ needs. Try out one of the virtual phone systems we’ve listed, and see how it can make a difference for your business!