Remote, hybrid and in-office work models have come a long way in the past two years. Workers went from the expected 9-5 rat race to suddenly being plunged into a remote work model. Finally, workers were welcomed back to the office, but to the surprise of HR departments everywhere, workers did not want to come off the remote model, which gave rise to the hybrid work model.
So, the question becomes: how do you, as a business owner, support your workers when they work from various places? This is where a good UCaaS solution comes into play. The trick now becomes finding the right UCaaS provider.
UCaaS providers can be your new best friend, but they can also be a thorn in your side if you pick the wrong one. Therefore, it is so important to know what you are looking for in a UCaaS provider. If you are using UCaaS for the first time, or are searching for a new UCaaS provider, here are a few tips on what to look for (and look out for) in a UCaaS provider.
Services Offered By UCaaS Providers
Providers are exceptionally good at promoting the services they offer. A quick trip to their website usually gives you a good idea of their services. If a UCaaS provider does not have a great website, but you are still interested in working with them, it is worth a phone call to discuss their UCaaS solution further. However, you may find some UCaaS providers do not offer all the services you are looking for. At this point, move on to another provider.
If you are unsure what services you and your company need, here are some basic services that most UCaaS providers offer, and most businesses need: voice communications, video conferencing, email, and messaging. Some other great services foster collaboration amongst workers. This includes document sharing and desktop sharing. Mobility is another feature of UCaaS that is especially important to remote workers.
Support
An important aspect of UCaaS providers is the support they provide. There are some providers that offer 24/7 support. This is important because you never know when issues will occur. You do not want to have issues “after hours” and not have anyone to call for help.
Service Level Agreements
Great UCaaS providers have service level agreements (SLAs) that cover a variety of areas. This includes uptime, security, privacy, and usage. A great UCaaS provider will give you a guarantee of up to a 99.999% uptime. This is possible through a geo-redundant network that has fail-safes in place for outages.
Ease of Use
As a business owner, you have a lot on your plate. One thing that should not add to your stress load is your UCaaS communications solution. When working with a UCaaS solution, you will have access to a management portal. This portal should be easy to use. If you have any questions on this area of your UCaaS solution, your UCaaS provider should be able to walk you through the program.
Migration
If you choose to go with a new provider, you will need to migrate any current communication avenues to the new UCaaS solution. Each UCaaS provider may have a different migration process. It is well within your right to ask questions about this process. Some areas to ask about include the timeline for migration, the costs associated with set up, and their general approach. A good provider is transparent in this process and will be happy to walk you through the process.
A Perfect Fit
This is just a brief list of some items that need to be considered when researching UCaaS providers. Here at Axxess Networks, we know how important finding the right fit is. We believe that you and your company deserve a great UCaaS provider that goes above and beyond for their clients and would love the opportunity to be that for your business!
We offer white glove delivery and set up, a variety of plans and features, and our customer service does not end there. We are here to help you troubleshoot any issues that may arise. Our reliable UCaaS solution is just what you and your employees need to take your business to the next level. Contact us to get started today!
