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Monday, July 7th
Founded by Andrew Frame and Michael Cerda, Ooma introduced its initial product as a "VoIP in a box" device, with peer-to-peer VoIP technology. The goal was to offer phone calls over other Ooma users' landline services.
Both personal and home plans
Since then the company has expanded significantly to include other tech integrations and video conferencing. The company's service portfolio encompasses two primary business models: Ooma Telo for personal or home use, and business solutions including Ooma Office Pro and Ooma Enterprise.
30-day free trial
Ooma's website exhibits signs that it may not be entirely up-to-date. Some of the links travel to blank pages. For example, if you click on the "Plans” link on the top navigation bar, it will take you to a blank page. To get to actual plan information, you have to select one of the items from the dropdown list instead. Further, it was a bit difficult to find details for the free trial. Ooma offers a 2-month free trial for its home phone features, but the business side of the company doesn't offer a free trial at all. Instead, you get a 30-day money-back guarantee that stands in place of a free trial. While you do have to put your payment information in to get the software, you have 30 days to try the program and return it for a refund if you don't like how Ooma works.
Three plan tiers
There are three business plans offered by Ooma.
Prices from $19.95 to $149.75
The initial prices listed on the website (starting at $19.95 per month for the Essentials plan) are based on the number of users, and the base price assumes one user only. You can see prices for up to 5 users ($149.75 per month for the Pro Plus plan) before you need to call Ooma for a quote. On anything 6 users or higher, the plan will be tailored to your business instead.
Try Enterprise for large businesses
For businesses requiring more sophisticated capabilities like API integrations and customized call center flows, Ooma offers Enterprise Solutions. To learn more about Enterprise Solutions, you'll need to call for a free consultation, but the general gist is that the Ooma Enterprise option is for large business ventures looking for more data analytics and automation features in their business phone systems.
Outages and lackluster customer service
Unfortunately, Ooma fell from an "A+” rating to an "NR” designation on the Better Business Bureau, and that slide from popularity is also reflected in customer reviews. Between reviews on Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs, Ooma holds an average rating of just 2 stars out of 5. Customers complain about troubles installing new devices and the lack of 24-hour assistance from Ooma. Several customers claimed that Ooma didn't honor their 30-day money-back guarantee, making it even more frustrating when they wanted to cancel. There are also a host of reviews talking about service outages and long periods where the Ooma phone systems were completely unavailable for use.
Too many problems and no solutions
Ooma doesn't stand out in a lot of areas, making it the lowest-rated service in our review. First, the prices are high for what they offer, especially when you get into multi-user systems. Further, there isn't a dedicated free trial, forcing you to pay before you decide. Finally, Ooma's inconsistent service and customer support may pose challenges (and is a source of grief in plenty of customer reviews). With numerous complaints highlighting reliability issues and frustrations with cancellation procedures, Ooma receives a low rating in our review.
Deciding on the right business phone system for your company can take a lot of research. What do you want to accomplish with your new business phone system? Are you looking for a basic system that provides separate numbers for business calls and can route them to different employees? Or do you require a fully-featured system with capabilities for video conferencing, file sharing, app integration, and global reach?
Sometimes a small business only needs a few features whereas a larger corporation might not be able to function without those extra integrations. Understanding your specific requirements and how you intend to grow as a business is crucial before diving into the world of business phone systems.
Regardless of your business size, there are plenty of ways to serve your company with a new phone system. Even solo entrepreneurs can find suitable providers with features meant to help out a single business owner specifically.
Some systems are as simple as adding an 800 number to your existing device, making it simple to separate your business from personal calls while still managing your life on one phone. Other systems are primed for large, even international, businesses that need to field hundreds of calls, record videos, or send out automated texts.
While a business phone system might have been an expensive venture before, the landscape has evolved from the days of purchasing equipment and installing landlines. Nowadays, most business phone systems rely on mobile phones and offer totally online or cloud-based calling systems. Companies can use existing hardware and minimize upfront costs significantly. However, monthly expenses can still range from $12 to over $100 per user, depending on features and provider choices.
Despite potential initial costs, investing in a business phone system can yield some serious benefits. Enhanced productivity, quicker response times, and better data collection can be essential to your business and its future growth. Make sure to weigh the long-term advantages against the upfront costs when considering a business phone system for your company.
When picking out your new business phone system, you might get overwhelmed by the many available options out there. Here are several factors to consider to help you find the perfect phone support for your business:
To help you pick out the best phone system for your business, Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked the top providers on the market. Our research aims to give you the tools and techie details to navigate through the options and find the perfect phone system match for your company. We hope this helps you confidently choose a business phone system that meets your operational needs and helps you get back to the most important thing: running your business!
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