Telecommunications are business critical no matter which industry you operate in. Business telephone calls probably still rank as the number one way to initiate B2B deals worldwide. A reliable telephony provider is essential, yet they vary enormously. Whilst much of the industry’s advertising promotes cheap business phone calls, it often does not say much about after sales care. This article gives you a 5 checkpoint list for choosing a reliable provider and avoiding some industry pitfalls.

1. Check out the Small Print

Especially when looking for deals for cheap business phone calls, check whether there are any minimum charges and how you are billed. You should only pay by the second, without bills rounded up to the nearest penny. Otherwise the advertised rates can be meaningless, as the provider relies on slick marketing to make its average cost products sound better value.

2. Ask about Customer Care And Engineers

If you have a problem with your telephony system, the last thing you want to do is wait in an automated queue. The final indignity can be being put through to a Tier One operative who is not allowed to deviate from a standard, unhelpful script. Check the customer care team receive relevant telephony training. Then move on to ask about the engineers. If you aren’t hearing experience with the major current and obsolete telephony products, find another provider. You need the depth of experience to tackle a wide range of system issues. Expect the provider to be ready to discuss a level of remote fault repair running at around 70%. The successful response time should be 97% or higher, with a maximum response window of 24 hrs.

3. Ask about Product and Service Upgrades

The latest business VoIP systems allow you to make organic upgrades to your system when you are ready. Having a flexible system is far cheaper than replacing a suddenly obsolete one as the technology moves on. You should also expect that your call charges are regularly reviewed to make sure you are always getting the latest best deals.

4. Can they make your existing system last longer?

One way to delay the cost of purchase, installation and training for a brand new system is to find a company who can work with obsolete systems. They should be able to extend the life of your existing system until you are ready to upgrade. This requires properly trained engineers and a comprehensive stock of what is termed ‘post-production stock’ (relevant system components).

5. Do they work with business VoIP?

VoIP for business has definitively changed the game plan entirely for small to medium businesses. It is another way to minimise outlay for a new system. You gain a fully managed business telephone calls service without the need for a Private Branch Exchange (PBX). Before business VoIP, the prohibitive cost of a dedicated PBX switching system meant only larger corporations could entertain one. Now there is the Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange (IPBX) without the need to install expensive switching equipment. Business VoIP can also create savings on line rental of up to 50% and deliver tangibly lower call rates.

Author Bio: Leon Perry is a team member at SynergyOne, the UK’s leading industry specialist for business telephone calls. SynergyOne offer products, services, information and advice on all aspects of business VoIP, telephone systems, lines and maintenance.

Category: Business
Keywords: Cheap Business Phone Calls,Business telephone calls,business VoIP,VoIP for business