Jive is small but can be said as one of the best business VoIP providers that focuses on providing a plug-and-play setup and an easy-to-use user interface. With this hosted VoIP system, you’ll be up and running with little downtime. It is one of the best VoIP services on the market.
So, what else makes Jive a good choice for small businesses? We reviewed everything the company has to offer and tested some of their features to give you a better look at what you’re buying before you actually buy.
Keep reading my Jive review to learn everything there is to know about this VoIP provider.
Overview
Summary: Jive is dedicated to providing the best configuration process along with a simple user interface that makes using the system easier for everyone involved. This is a hosted VoIP service, meaning you don’t need to maintain any extra hardware on site.
What We Liked
- Super simple configuration
- High call quality
- Thorough reporting and monitoring functionality
What We Didn’t
- Customer support isn’t the greatest
- Video conferencing costs extra
Setup Process
Getting set up on Jive is simple enough. The best part about the setup process is how involved Jive is throughout. After registering for the service, a service representative will work closely with you to ensure you’re up and running as soon as possible.
During the setup process, you can port over any existing phone numbers, choose your own toll-free phone number, pick a fax number and get phone numbers for individuals on your team.
After working through all these initial steps, you’ll have the option to get on a call with your service representative and go through a configuration call. While this isn’t a requirement, it’s incredibly helpful. This added service is especially for those who aren’t familiar with VoIP systems in general.
This VoIP provider sells phone systems that are pre-configured with all the necessary software, and we recommend following that route if possible. If you purchase Jive’s phones, setup is as simple as plugging everything in and making calls.
Related: Also, take a look at our Grasshopper VoIP review.
Call Quality
Jive excels at providing excellent call quality. This call quality is backed up both by testing and customer reviews, where most customers agree that call quality is where Jive really shines. If you’re mostly concerned about call quality, both incoming and outgoing, you can’t go wrong with Jive.
Plan Availability and Pricing
One of the things that Jive does well is the way it sets up its pricing plans. Rather than provide a huge number of different tiers, Jive provides one all-inclusive tier whose price only changes based on the number of users you have.
For 1-4 users, you’ll pay $29.95 per user per month. Plans with 5-9 users pay $25.95 per user per month. With 10-24 users, you’ll pay $23.95 per month. For 25-49 users, you’ll pay $21.95 per user per month. When you have 5o or more users, you’ll pay $19.95 per user per month.
This pricing is a little less competitive than other virtual PBX systems that we’ve reviewed, but the plan does tend to offer more for your dollar over some of the other services.
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for more than just voice, you’ll need to pay extra for it. Features like premium video conferencing and contact center functionality are only available as paid add-ons.
Related: You can also browse to our Nextiva VoIP review.
Outstanding Features
The interface for Jive’s virtual PBX provides administrators robust reporting features. Through this comprehensive reporting functionality, you can see how many minutes you’re using and how many calls your placing overall.
You can pull reports from the organization as a whole or you can view numbers for specific users and phone numbers, narrowing down results by specific dates.
The base reporting features are good enough for most users, but Jive still offers a more in-depth reporting functionality as the Contact Center add-on if you want more.
Customer Support
The one area where Jive disappointed us the most was in the customer service department. While the company offers a variety of different methods of contacting support we found support to be lacking.
Phone support came with long wait times and multiple transfers before our questions were answered. Jive customers also agree that the customer service is one of their biggest pain points. Out of everything, they wish their customer service was better.
After reviewing and testing Jive’s hosted VoIP service, we’ve given it a high score. Jive offers a ton of functionality in their base pricing, but you’ll need to shell out more cash for premium features like video conferencing or more robust reporting functionality.
While their continuing customer service could be improved, their initial setup support is stellar and incredibly helpful. Overall, Jive is a great choice for small business owners looking to up their VoIP game.
Related Articles:
- Why is RingCentral the Best VoIP System for My Small Business
- How VoIP Can Benefit Small Business Owners
- Jive Review: Robust Reporting and High Call Quality
- RingCentral Review: Budget Friendly and Feature Heavy
- RingCentral vs Vonage: RingCentral is Better for Business
- Landline vs VoIP: Which Works Better for Your Business and Why
