1. Advanced Call Management
Advanced call management determines how incoming calls are handled. Using this functionality, you can choose whether to hold, block, or prioritize calls so that call quality is maintained.
Feature Availability: Most providers have this business phone system feature out of the box and you won’t have to pay extra.
2. Anonymous Call Rejection
This feature allows you to block all calls with blocked or anonymous caller ID information.
Feature Availability: You get this feature by default with most providers. However, you’ll have to activate it manually before use.
3. Auto Attendant
An auto attendant is a menu system that helps companies answer and route calls to the correct destination.
Feature Availability: All providers have some form of an auto-attendant out of the box – the only difference is the ease of setup. Take a look at our list of best auto attendant phone systems.
4. Automatic Service Failover
Also called a Fallback or A/B Fallback Switch, this service switches your internet source to 4G or some other type of network when your main network is done.
Feature Availability: Most providers offer this feature as part of their uptime guarantee.
5. Auto Dialers
This service automatically dials numbers from a pre-set list.
Feature Availability: Every business phone system has some type of auto dialer as a standard feature.
6. Automatic Call Distribution
Automatic call distribution (ACD) is a tool used by businesses with high volumes of incoming calls to distribute them to specific agent groups or individuals.
Feature Availability: All providers have this as a default feature. For example, you can get it with Nextiva’s plans that start at $50.
7. Business Text Messaging
Use this feature to send text messages from your provider application to a database with your customers’ phone numbers.
Feature Availability: Many providers have this as a default feature. For example, you have to purchase it as an additional feature with Talkdesk. Providers that do have it put a limit on the number of included free messages.
8. Busy Call Forwarding
Busy call forwarding automatically sends your calls to another rep when your line is busy.
Feature Availability: If a provider does not have this feature, expect to spend about an extra $2 per month to have it included.
9. Busy Lamp Field (BLF)
BLF is useful for quickly determining if someone in your organization is available for a call. Using SIP, the system determines if the line is busy, which then displays a busy light on your IP phone for that line.
Feature Availability: Most SIP providers have this as a default feature, but you may have to set it up manually.
10. Call Analytics
Call analytics is the collection, analysis, and reporting of incoming and outgoing call data to better measure performance and customer experiences. It is done in real-time, and there are key performance indicators (KPIs) that are often used to track and visualize specific metrics.
Feature Availability: This is not a commonly offered feature. Some providers have this as a default feature, while most others have this as an add-on paid feature.
11. Call Barge
Call barge is a feature that allows a supervisor of a call center to listen in on calls and barge in when the agent is having trouble. The conference allows you to address both the agent and the customer.
Feature Availability: This feature comes as default with most providers.
12. Call Blasting
Call blasting is a call center technique that is used to contact large groups of people at the same time.
Feature Availability: This feature is not standard and is usually a paid add-on. Most call center software providers have a pay-as-you-go structure that averages about $0.045/min. Larger providers will also have unlimited plans for businesses with more outgoing calls.
13. Call Flip
Call flip lets you transfer a call from one phone to another without a hassle. This means that an agent can take a call on their desk phone and transfer it to their mobile device when they need to leave the office.
Feature Availability: Most providers include this as a default feature. For example, it’s included in Nextiva and Grasshopper but you have to manually activate it.
14. Call Forwarding
Call forwarding allows a call to be transferred to an available agent’s desk.
Feature Availability: This is a standard and widely available feature from all major providers.
15. Call Hold
Call hold allows agents to place a caller on hold for a short period.
Feature Availability: This is a standard and widely available feature from all major providers.