VoIP for Remote Workers: Benefits, Features & Best Tools

Introduction

Today, “VoIP for remote workers” is not just a term but is something that is bringing a transformative change in the way businesses operate and employees communicate with each other. If you are considering taking your business remote or simply looking for an alternative VoIP service provider, then keep reading this guide and find the best VoIP for remote workers. 

What is a Remote Phone System?

A remote phone system or VoIP for remote workers allows you to make calls over the internet without having to install a phone line. VoIP phone services can improve communication among remote workers with features like unlimited audio, virtual receptionist, mobile apps, and more. This phone service allows your team to make or receive calls from any device from anywhere, and reroute calls to other numbers, ensuring seamless communication with team members. Keep reading to find out how you can benefit from a phone system for remote workers. 

5 Best VoIP for Remote Workers: Quick Glance

1. Emitrr
2. Nextiva
3. Aircall
4. RingCentral
5. CloudTalk

A few signs that your current phone system can’t keep up with your business 

Here are a few signs that will tell you that it is time to look for new phone options for remote employees:

Your remote team is experiencing poor call quality

Call quality is quite important when working remotely, as most of the communication takes place through calling. While downtime could indicate an issue with your internet service provider, your phone system also plays an important role. Hence, if you are experiencing frequent call drops and poor call quality, then it might be time to look for an alternative. 

You need more remote communication channels

For smooth and hassle-free communication, remote teams cannot just rely on calls. Your team can better communicate with each other if they have access to more communication channels, such as one-on-one texting, group texting, etc. If your current phone system does not offer extra channels of communication, then it’s time for you to consider an alternative. 

Your current remote phone system is hard to scale

As your business grows, you will need the scope to add more employees to the phone lines. With traditional phones, scaling is that easy. With it, you may need to hire an IT technician to add or remove team members, call routing, etc. Instead of so much hassle, you should choose a VoIP phone system, such as Emitrr, that allows you to add more lines and scale up as your business grows. 

Your remote office phone system is not cost effective

One of the biggest challenges with a traditional phone system is that once you have put in the money, you can’t really scale down. This means if you experience high call volumes during a certain season, then you can’t scale down during the off-season, which is not very cost-effective. Many VoIP providers offer flexible plans, allowing you to make the most out of your investment. 

Does Your Business Need a VoIP for Remote Setup?

Having a VoIP for remote setup may be best for you if you have a business that has field staff. For example:

Home service business 

In a home service business, your service team cannot sit bound to their desks. They should be able to take calls easily from wherever they are and should be able to communicate with the customers as and when needed and so, a VoIP system is the best fit for such businesses. 

Home care business 

Having a VoIP phone system for your home care business could be a game changer. Apart from assisting the patients in their day-to-day activities, the caregiver may be required to book appointments for the patient’s next visit, communicate with the hospital to get medications, equipment, etc., or simply need to get in touch with doctors in case of an emergency. All this can be managed easily with the help of a VoIP phone system for remote workers.

Real estate business 

In a real estate business, you and your team may often need to perform field sales by meeting clients in order to generate sales. In this case, with the help of a remote working telephone system, you can seamlessly do so much. You can get on a conference call, transfer or route calls to the right person, utilize the call pop feature to pull up caller details and secure more leads by tying all your phones no matter where you are. 

Delivery/logistics/transportation business 

In a delivery, logistics, or transportation business, communication is the most important thing, and since it requires a lot of coordination between teams, partners, and customers, having a VoIP system with features like call transfer, call routing, instant messaging, etc., is crucial.

Security services 

Businesses that offer security services cannot rely on traditional cell phones for effective communication. Be it call encryption, real-time monitoring, toll-free calls, or seamless communication with your remote team- all of this can only be found in a remote worker phone system, and so, if you run a security service business, then VoIP is for you. 

Features to look for in a VoIP for Remote Workers

Remote office phone system comes with plenty of features, but for this specific use case, here are some important features that you cannot miss: 

• Call forwarding: Forward or redirect an incoming call to another number. 
• Conference calling: This allows you to get on a call with more than one person for easy and quick communication.
• Call recording: Allows you to record calls in a single click and access them later to take notes, monitor call quality, and more. 
• Mobile integration: Integrate the VoIP system with your mobile phone so that you can take calls from anywhere, anytime. 
• Call encryption and security: Ensures your calls are encrypted so that communication remains secure and private. 
• Voicemail transcripts and summaries: Instead of listening to a really long call, use this feature to summarize and transcribe voicemails. 
• CRM integration: Look for CRM integration so that your team can easily access client information and other details for easy understanding and communication. 
• Users & extensions: Easily add or remove users, configure user settings to match specific roles, and assign extensions.  
• Analytics dashboard: Get valuable insights into important calling metrics such as missed calls, call duration, peak call times, etc. 
• Call transfer: Easily transfer a live call to another number. 
• Call quality & stability: Ensure the VoIP phone system you choose comes with good call quality and stability for smooth communication. 

Must Have Capabilities in VoIP for Remote Setup 

You will most commonly find the features listed above in a VoIP phone system; however, have a look at these capabilities that are an absolute must-have when it comes to choosing a VoIp for remote setup: 

Texting

While there are many advantages of using a VoIP system, it heavily relies on the internet network and connectivity. If, on a certain day, the network is not the best, should your team struggle to communicate? For this reason, you should look for a VoIP system that also offers texting capabilities so that even if the network is not the best, your team can still communicate and update your customers and the team to carry out the business process smoothly. 

Integration with your system 

If you are in a business that requires field service, such as home service business, construction business, etc., and if you are using a field service software such as ServiceTitan or HouseCall Pro, etc., then you must ensure that the VoIP system integrates with your existing field service software. The integration of these two systems can empower your technicians to take on new business opportunities while performing live repair work; it can allow them to access caller’s information, update details, and progress of the work on the go without switching between multiple apps. 

HIPAA compliance and security 

Many healthcare professionals offer remote consultations to patients or even telehealth options. If you are one of them and are looking to switch to a VoIP phone system, then you must ensure that the VoIP provider is HIPAA compliant and implements the needed security measures such as encryption, two-factor-authentication, secure chat, etc., to ensure patient details remain safe.  

Benefits of VoIP for Remote Workers 

Remote office phone system comes with a plethora of benefits, let’s have a look at them: 

Mobility & flexibility

Remote work is all about mobility and flexibility, and VoIP services give you exactly this. Team members can make or receive calls easily using their phones, laptops, or desktops, ensuring they remain available always. And that’s not all. VoIP phone systems also offer virtual extensions, call forwarding, etc., empowering your remote team members who are always on the go.

Remote work phone systems ensure security & privacy

VoIP phone systems implement and use a variety of security protocols such as RTP, SIP, encryption, etc. This ensures that all communication is transmitted securely to the intended destination without any breach of data and company privacy. 

Remote work phones are scalable

As your business grows, your remote team will expand, and as such, you should have the option to add more people to the line for uninterrupted remote communication. VoIP phone systems, unlike traditional phone lines, let you add or remove extensions and adapt to your scaling business. 

Remote phone service offer analytics to monitor employee activity

In a remote job setup, employers often worry about employee productivity. However, many VoIP phone systems come with analytics features that can help you track metrics like call volume, call duration, average call time, etc. Using these metrics, you can easily track the performance of your remote team and take a sigh of relief. 

CRM integration 

Your customer relationship tool is a hub of customer data, and you can use it with your VoIP system to reduce human error and save precious time. VoIP can easily connect with CRM and other tools allowing your employees to get more context on every phone call. This feature can especially be useful for the customer service department of your business. 

Remote phone system offers reliable communication

VoIP services are cloud-based, and cloud providers ensure that the phone systems are available and working round the clock. Landlines may encounter hardware failure and disrupt the work of your remote team, but VoIP service providers like Emitrr offer strong uptime so that your team can work uninterrupted from anywhere. 

Remote workforce phone system saves cost 

As per the Federal Communications Commission, it costs about $1.5 to $3.5 per minute to make international calls; on the contrary, calls made using a VoIP phone system cost less than a dollar per minute. So, by using phone systems for remote workers, your remote team can save a lot of money while making international calls.

VOIP For Remote Workers Vs. Traditional Phones

Here’s a quick video explaining how VoIP differs from a traditional phone system: 

5 Best VoIP for Remote Workers: Detailed Analysis

Emitrr

Emitrr Overview 

Emitrr is the best VoIP for remote workers and our top pick for those looking for a high-quality VoIP system for their remote team. This phone system comes with 99.99% uptime, robust security, and plenty of calling functions, including call forwarding, recording, call analysis, extensions, etc. Emitrr is super affordable, offers the best value for money, and is one of the only software that is rated 5/5 for its customer support on Capterra. The software also integrates with 1000+ external CRM/EHR/PMS tools and is the best choice for businesses of any size and industry. 

Emitrr features 

• Call forwarding: Redirects an incoming call to another number or device.
• Call recording: Record calls that you can access later for quality purposes.
• Users & extensions: Assign, edit, remove, or add extensions to different users to determine call-forwarding behavior. 
• Toll-free numbers: Allow customers to call you for free.
• Call pop feature: This shows important caller information and calling history to the person during a live call.
• Call disposition: Tag or label the call as per the call’s outcome. 
• IVR menu customization: Build and set up your custom IVR menu with options to edit, delete, etc., as per your business needs. 
• Mobile & Desktop app: Access the remote office phone system on your desktop, mobile, laptop, etc. 
• Missed call text: Sends an automated text message in case the call is not answered.
• Multi-location management: Manage and track performance across multiple locations. 
• CRM integration: Integrate with your existing CRM software to access caller information faster.
• Simultaneous & sequential calls: Determine if the call should go to your team simultaneously or in a sequence. 
• Set maximum caller wait time in queue: Set maximum time the caller waits for an available member.

Other communication features:

• Two way texting
• Group texting
• Inbox management
• Message transfer and more

Pros of Emitrr

• Wide range of features
• No downtime 
• Excellent call quality
• Easy-to-use VoIP features 
• Centralize Communication for Calls
• Seamless Integrations 
• Easy dashboard set up & training
• Affordable & flexible pricing

Cons of Emitrr

• More features are coming soon!

Emitrr pricing

Emitrr offers the most affordable and flexible pricing option, starting at just $30 per user per month. 

Emitrr Customer Support Channels

• Live chat: Chat with Emitrr’s live representatives
• Phone: Call Emitrr at +1 (210) 941-4696
• Email: Send email to Emitrr’s support team at [email protected]
• Help desk
• Knowledge base
• FAQs/forum
• SMS

Emitrr Reviews & Ratings

• Capterra: 5/5
• G2: 4.7/5

Nextiva 

Nextiva Overview

Nextiva is an AI-powered VoIP tool that can be used by your remote team to communicate seamlessly. Based on the features you want, the software offers four different kinds of pricing options to choose from. The call quality of this software is quite good, and the pricing is competitive; however, customers often complain about dropped calls and other audio-related issues.  

Nextiva Features

• Smart call routing: Routes incoming calls smartly as per the availability of the agent. 
• Conversational AI: Use advanced conversational AI to allow callers to use their natural language when describing the issue.
• Call presence: Lets you monitor the phone status of your employees.
• Voicemail notifications: Get notified when someone leaves a voicemail. 
• Anonymous call rejection: Turn on this feature to automatically reject anonymous calls. 
• AI voicemail transcription: Utilize AI to get the summary of a voicemail 

Nextiva Pros

• Competitive pricing
• Offers app for remote calling
• Good call quality

Nextiva Cons

• Dropped calls & audio problem
• Binds you in a contract
• Difficult to navigate and use 

Nextiva Pricing

Nextiva has four different kind of pricing options:

• Digital: $20/user/month
• Core: $30/user/month
• Engage: $40/user/month
• Power Suite: $60/user/month

Nextiva Customer Support Channels

• Phone
• Email
• Live chat
• Ticket submission

Nextiva Reviews & Ratings

• Capterra: 4.6/5
• G2: 4.5/5

Aircall

Aircall Overview

Aircall is a flexible business phone system that allows you and your remote team to connect with each other easily. This VoIP phone system comes with capabilities like power dialer, tagging, SMS, etc., and offers three kinds of pricing options. Here’s a quick overview of Aircall: 

Aircall Features 

• Toll-free numbers: Allow customers to call you for free. 
• International numbers: Claim international and local numbers for your business in 100+ countries. 
• Shared contacts: Share selected contacts with your team so that everyone can be a part of the conversation. 
• IVR: Use this to set up an IVR directory that guides the callers to the correct destination. 
• Custom filters: Use this option to sort and access the exact conversation that you are looking for.  

Aircall Pros

• Competitive pricing
• Easy to use 
• Good customer support 

Aircall Cons

• Unstable connection
• Binds you in a contract
• Limited Integrations
• Poor billing ethics 

Aircall Pricing

Aircall offers three kinds of pricing options:

• Essentials: $30/license 
• Professional: $50/license
• Custom: Custom

Aircall Customer Support Channels 

• Phone
• Email

Aircall Reviews & Ratings 

• Capterra: 4.3/5
• G2: 4.3/5

RingCentral 

RingCentral Overview 

RingCentral is a popular VoIP software offering AI-powered calling features and other functionalities. The software is pretty easy to use, and it comes with three kinds of pricing options. RingCentral can be used by a remote team; however, you may face call quality issues at times. Here’s more information about RingCentral. 

RingCentral Features 

• IVR: Use an easy drag and drop option to create an IVR that takes the caller to the right person or department. 
• Visual voicemail: Use this to preview voicemail messages if you can’t listen to them. 
• Heads up display: View the real-time presence and status of 100+ extensions. 
• Caller ID: Use this feature to see caller information before picking the call. 
• Unlimited storage for files: Store unlimited call records, files, etc., for free and access them if needed.  
• CRM integrations: RingCentral integrates seamlessly with plenty of CRM tools.  

RingCentral Pros

• Easy of use
• Plenty of useful features

RingCentral Cons

• Call quality issues
• Call drops
• Can’t be used on two devices at the same time

RingCentral Pricing

RingCentral offers three kinds of pricing options:

• Core: $30 per user per month
• Advanced: $35 per user per month 
• Ultra: $45 per user per month 

RingCentral Customer Support Channels

• Phone
• Live chat
• Knowledge base
• Support case

RingCentral Reviews & Ratings 

• Capterra: 4.2/5
• G2: 4/5

CloudTalk

CloudTalk Overview 

CloudTalk is an intuitive and easy-to-use remote calling software that allows you to track team productivity, coach your team remotely, and speed up onboarding. This VoIP software offers affordable plans starting at $25 per user per month and comes with excellent support. However, CloudTalk’s system is super glitchy and offers limited integrations only. 

CloudTalk Features 

• International numbers: Get access to 160+ international numbers and expand your business easily. 
• Skill-based routing: Assign custom skills to your team and assign calls based on those skills. 
• Callback: This unique feature automatically redials an unanswered call and then distributes it across available agents. 
• VIP queues: Use this feature to add VIP tags to certain calls and to prioritize them in the queue. 
• Notifications: Get alerts on your device every time you receive a call or a missed call, etc. 

CloudTalk Pros

• Easy and quick to set up
• Unique features
• Excellent support 

CloudTalk Cons

• Buggy app
• Call drops
• App can’t transfer calls easily
• Limited integrations 

CloudTalk Pricing

CouldTalk offers four kinds of pricing options:

• Starter: $25 per user per month
• Essential: $30 per user per month
• Expert: $50 per user per month
• Custom: Contact for pricing 

CloudTalk Customer Support Channels

• Email
• Phone 
• Live chat 

CloudTalk Reviews & Ratings

• Capterra: 4.4/5
• G2: 4.3/5

Use cases of VoIP for Remote Workers

A VoIP service can ideally be used by all kinds of businesses, however, here are some common use cases for the same:

Remote customer support 

VoIP service may be used by the customer service department of your company to offer remote call support to your customers. With options like call forwarding, recording, call queue, music on hold, etc., VoIP may be just the solution you need.

Call centers 

VoIP can be used by call centers looking to integrate calling into their system that can be scaled easily, and that can support cost-effective international calling, etc.

Real Estate businesses 

Real Estate business owners and their team members are always on the go, and as such, VoIP for real estate with features like conference calls, call queues, call forwarding, etc., could be very useful for smooth communication. 

Ecommerce businesses 

If you are running an e-commerce business or a small business remotely, then having a VoIP system can help you save a lot of cost and time spent on communication with vendors, customers, etc. 

How Remote Workers Can Use Emitrr’s Phone System?

Emitrr is a robust VoIP phone system that offers a number of capabilities for remote workers and here’s how it can help you: 

Track your calling activity 

Make calls directly

Manage incoming calls

Manage users and extensions

Check voicemails and convert those into text

Gain Insights with advanced call analytics

How Emitrr Stands Out From Other Alternatives?

After comparing the five best VoIP for remote workers, we believe Emitrr is the best option to go for, and here’s why:

• No hidden charges: Emitrr offers transparent pricing with no hidden charges. 
• 24×7 human support: Emitrr is rated 5/5 stars for its customer support on Capterra and offers 24×7 human support via call, chat, email, knowledge base, etc.
• Excellent call quality: Expect no delays and no call drops with Emitrr’s VoIP system.
• Free onboarding and training: Enjoy free onboarding and training for all the plans. 
• 1000+ CRM integrations: Emitrr integrates with over 1000+ tools, including Zapier, Salesforce, Hubspot, etc. 
• Calling & texting features: You get access to not only calling features but also texting features such as mass texting, automation, scheduling, two-way texting, and more. 

FAQs

Conclusion 

Getting a VoIP system can help you take your business team communication to the next level, and Emitrr is one such VoIP provider that you cannot miss to check out. With advanced calling and texting features, zero downtime, superior call quality, and excellent customer service, Emitrr is one of the best options to consider. Book a demo to learn more.