Founded in 1999, RingCentral is one of the leading small business cloud communications solutions providers. RingCentral offers local and toll-free numbers, auto-receptionist, multiple extensions, advanced call management, voicemail, internet fax, conferencing and more. I have used RingCentral for several years. I wanted to share with you the pros and cons of using the service.

PROS CONS BOTTOM LINE
  • No hardware to buy
  • Easy set up
  • Scalability
  • Simple management
  • Integrations with apps
  • Language barrier with overseas customer service
  • I had to call customer service to close a trial account
  • In business since 1999, well-established business
  • Inexpensive cloud phone for small business
  • Trusted by 350,000 businesses

What RingCentral does well:

RingCentral offers a wide range of cloud phone services for small business. The company offers a reliable service. It has its own data backbone in the USA, Europe and Asia.

RingCentral offers a free trial, so it is low risk for small businesses to try their service.

Users also like the fact that they no longer need to own a fax machine to send and receive fax messages.

There is a simple administrative interface. You can easily check your account and make changes from one easy-to-use dashboard.

Where RingCentral could improve:

I had set up a trial account with RingCentral. There was no way to delete my trial account from the dashboard. I had to call customer service to cancel my trial account. I think RingCentral should make it easier for people to cancel an account, especially if it is a trial account.

When I talked to customer service it was an overseas call center. I think there might be people who would have a problem with the language barrier. Perhaps additional training might be beneficial to improve the customer service experience.

I recommend the RingCentral would respond to negative reviews online. I only found one negative review on consumeraffairs.com where there was a response from RingCentral.

What was surprising to me is that I only found one negative review where RingCentral responded to an upset customer. I think RingCentral could turn many of these negative reviews into positive experiences by responding and escalating them.

RingCentral Pricing

RingCentral offers three plans: standard, premium (Premium is the most popular RingCentral plan.) and enterprise. All three plans include a free 15-day trial. During your trial period, you have full use of the RingCentral cloud phone system. The free trial also includes 50 minute talk time for up to 5 users. To compare pricing with a couple of RingCentral competitors, we have looked at Vonage and Grasshopper. Vonage offers a plan for $9.99 per month for the first 12-months and Grasshopper charges $24 per month for their introductory plan. Grasshopper does not offer a free trial, but they offer a 30-day money back guarantee.

The Bottom Line

RingCentral offers a wide range of small business communications services. They have been in business since 1999. RingCentral is one of the leading cloud phone system solutions providers. They have over 350,000 business customers. They also offer a free trial. If you need a phone solution for your small business give them a try.