Questions to ask before you replace the phone system
Numbers, the internet circuit, 911, Teams, and who you call when a call sounds bad. Ask these before you sign.
A new phone system is easy to buy and annoying to unwind. Before you sign, ask a short list of questions. If the salesperson cannot answer them in plain language, you are not ready.
Which numbers move, and which stay? Local numbers, toll-free numbers, fax numbers, and the alarm line are not the same kind of move. Write them down. A port has paperwork and a date. “We’ll figure the numbers out later” is how a customer calls the old system on the Monday you thought you were done.
What happens when the internet stops? Cloud phones ride on your internet. Ask how calls fail over to mobile phones, and whether a second circuit is part of the design. This is a network question. It is why buying phones from the team that already runs the firewall is different from buying them from a catalog.
How does 911 work for someone at home? A laptop in another town should not send emergency services to the empty office. Ask how dispatchable locations are stored for remote people. Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act are the names on that requirement. You do not need to memorize them. You need the system to do them.
Do the desk phones you own still work? Sometimes a SIP phone can be reused. Sometimes it is a paperweight. Get a model-by-model answer, not a shrug.
Does Microsoft Teams enter into it? If the company lives in Teams, say so at the start. Operator Connect, Direct Routing, and a platform’s own app are different projects.
Who do we call when a call sounds like a tunnel? If the phone vendor blames the network and the IT vendor blames the phones, you have bought a quarrel. One team should own the path.
We put the fuller version of this on the business phones page, including what we will not quote until it is confirmed. If you want the bill read with you, ask for a phone quote.