Yesterday, I had lunch with a lawyer who just switched phone systems. He made the move because his old system was getting long in the tooth and he was able to get a better deal from the new vendor.

So far, so good.

He went through an installation disaster (but we’ll save that for another day).

As we talked about the phone system, it became clear that he mostly thinks of his phone as a dial tone. He needs to be able to make a call and receive a call. That’s pretty much what he asked for, and it’s (aside from the three weeks of minimal service during the transition) mostly what he got.

He didn’t realize that his phone system could do other things for him—lots of other things. I’m guessing that he’s not alone. After all, most of us (excepting me) are more interested in practicing law than playing with phones.

So for those of you fascinated by life and work (and not by phones and other gadgets), I’ll mention some of the cool things that your new phone should do for you (and may already do if you bother to dig in and figure out what you’ve got).

1. Your phone handset should be plug and play in any Internet connection in the world. I can plug my phone into an ethernet port anywhere, it automatically makes contact with our phone service provider via the Internet, and I’m up and running. Some handsets will run over Wi-Fi and don’t require a cable.

2. You should be able to use software on your computer to make calls instead of having to use a handset (it’s called a softphone), and it should work just like your handset but be on your screen. It generally requires a headset.

3. You should be able to use your cell phone pretty much like an extension in the office. You should be able to receive calls, transfer calls to others, etc.

4. You should have your own phone number so callers can dial you directly and avoid calling the main line and pressing your extension. Everyone should have his or her own number.

5. You should have a personal fax number (since we can’t seem to kill the fax yet), and faxes should come to your e-mail box.

6. You should have voicemail.

7. Your voicemail should come to your e-mail box if you like and should be transcribed so you can read it rather than listen to it.

8. You should be able to make any changes required (e.g., changing users, replacing handsets, revising extension numbers, etc.) without having someone at the vendor do it for you. You should have a control panel that gives you control.

9. You should have 411 information and 911 emergency.

10. You should be able to forward calls, transfer calls, and place calls on park and hold. Call transfers should be done blind and with and with alerts (meaning someone tells you who’s calling or just puts the call through).

11. There should be an online log of your calls.

12. You should be able to record your calls, whether call by call or all calls.

13. You should receive and transmit caller ID.

14. You should be able to have the phone ring simultaneously at the office, at your home, and on your cell. You should also be able to make it ring sequentially from location to location (e.g., starting at your desk, then your cell, then your home).

15. You should have the ability to have more than one phone and have them all work on the same number (e.g., handset on desk, softphone on laptop, app on iPhone).

16. Your system should provide PBX-type features including a virtual receptionist (if you want) so that the main line can be answered by the system and calls can be routed appropriately.

[ While I have you here, I wanted to remind you that you can get the latest articles delivered to your inbox a week before they go up on the web. Just one email per week. Sign up here. ]

17. You should be able to pre-arrange holiday greetings for the main line, greetings for when the office is open and closed, etc.

18. Expect voicemail greetings based on the caller. For instance, you should be able to set one greeting for family, another for clients, another for everyone else.

19. You should be able to check your voicemail online, via your e-mail box, via your phone, and from any location.

20. Conference calling (that you can actually use) and call waiting that you can understand should be included.

21. Toll-free numbers should be an option.

22. Call groups (so you can assign the main line to a number of people for backup) should be standard.

23. Music on hold should be included.

24. You should expect a pricing plan that allows for affordable lines in rooms (like conference rooms) where the phones are rarely used (since everyone uses their cell phones).

25. Expect reasonable support from the vendor with heavy support during the setup of the system (check the web for reviews of the vendors).

26. Ideally, you’ll be able to call into your system and place calls via the system rather than direct from your cell phone in order to mask your cell phone number (if that’s an issue for you).

That’s a good start. I’m sure there are other things that I should have included. The phone is our most important business tool. Obviously, you need to be able to make a call, but the phone can and should do more for you today given technological developments.

Many systems offer these features and more, and they keeping adding new bells and whistles. It’s a pretty great time to make a call.