The deregulation of the telecommunications industry during the 1980s made it possible for anyone to start a telecommunications services company and begin to compete with the likes of ATT.
Present day telecommunications carriers can handle a myriad of services for both voice and data. But with so many choices, how do you find and decide on just the right one for your company?
The following is a list of questions that should serve as a guide to helping to narrow down your choice of prospective carriers.
1. What experience do you have as a provider in the telecom industry and what type of companies are current clients?
After the deregulation of AT&T, the number of telecommunications companies based in the U.S. soared. Many have since gone out of business. In many respects, the marketplace has returned to a psuedo “monopoly” state, with just a few carriers currently dominating the industry.
The company you eventually decide on does not have to be the biggest. It should have a successful, steady, and multi-year track record for servicing similar companies in your industry. A little research goes a long way in this area.
2. Do I have to sign a contract, and if so for how long?
Telecommunications carriers like contracts because they “lock” in customers for a set period of time. Do not shy away from companies who require contracts, but do be diligent on the negotiation of the terms.
Generally, the longer the term of the contract, the better rates you should be able to negotiate. Rates and lengths can vary widely, so plan on spending considerable time hammering out the details of the contract to your advantage.
3. What kind of billing increments and surcharges are involved or included in the pricing?
Telecom carriers have devised a variety of methods for billing customers for local and long distance calling. Always ask your prospective carrier to lay out ALL billing options for both local and long distance calling.
For example, if your outgoing long distance calls tend to be very short, ask if the provider offers 6-second (or even 1 second) billing increment plans. Depending on the monthly volume, these alternatives could add up to major cost-savings.
Hidden charges or surcharges should be uncovered before signing any contract. “One time” charges (ex. installations) and monthly recurring charges should be identified as well. Your telecom representative should be able to easily explain the billing method(s) used and any surcharges or penalties that will be incurred if contract requirements are not met in a given month.
4. Are you a reseller, or do you own your own facilities?
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 forced incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) to open up their networks to competitors. As a result, hundreds of CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carriers) were created to take advantage of the newly deregulated environment. These “resellers” are companies that did not actually own the network or switches, but rather “leased” them from the incumbent LECs.
Always ask your prospective telecom vendor if they do indeed own the equipment and switches used to transmit your telecom voice and data traffic. Going with a reseller is not necessarily a bad decision, but companies that have control over the network have a distinct advantage over 3rd party resellers.
5. Who handles the account after we sign the contract?
When it comes to telecom services, what can go wrong probably will at some point in the future. For this reason, it is imperative that your telecom provider be there when you need them. Billing issues, service outages, moves, adds, changes, etc. will require the intervention of a real live person to assist when help is needed.
Be aware of the issues that can (and probably will) go wrong, then insist that your account be assigned a personal representative when they do. Ideally, the account representative should alert you to more competitive plans and services when they become available during the term of your contract.
Summary
The importance of your understanding your business needs is vital to choosing the most cost-effective telecom service provider. The main objective should be to seek out and engage a telecom provider who first seeks to understand your business, then provides efficient and cost-effective solutions to help your business prosper. The time and effort it takes finding just the right one is well worth it in the long run.
If you engage a telecom consultant to work on your behalf, they will be able to assist you in finding the best and most cost-effective carrier for your business. If you plan on going it alone, be sure to get your key questions answered before making your final decision.
Karen Thatcher is CEO of TelCon Associates, Inc., a 37-year old telecommunications consulting and bill management firm. To learn more about how you can reduce and control corporate telecom expenses more effectively, visit http://www.telconassociates.com
Author: Karen Thatcher
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Latest trends in mobile phone
Related Posts -
Battle of the Budget - An Opportunity to Reduce Operating Costs With Managed IT Services Per Matt Dickerson, Managing Director and Senior Network Consultant of AXXIS Technology, and cited as one of the Top 15 Worldwide SMB consultants, "The typical small business or firm spends 30% of the I.T. budget on hardware purchases and 70% on I.T. maintenance." What are those numbers for your...... - Telecom Consulting - Why Use the Services of a Telecom Consultant We live in a busy world where communications are vital for the success of businesses and those who want to be always one step ahead of the competition should use telecom consulting services. By working on all aspects of the communication in your company the specialized consultants will aid......
- VoIP Providers - Look-Out For the Best The latest internet telephony services are delivering end-to-end media-rich collaborative applications for voice, video, data and images over the internet. These services offer unified communication and they are gaining popularity among various business houses of different sizes. The merit of IP services is that it provides a competitive edge......
- Voip - Voice Over IP and Business: Is It For You? VoIP allows users to make phone calls using their high-speed Internet connection. This translates into free, or very low cost long-distance calling. Because VoIP uses the power of the Internet, traditional phone companies are left completely out of the loop. Of course, now that the idea of VoIP is catching......
- Small Business Voice Mail Services The voice mail system was developed by Bob Cohn and Peter Olson in 1982. Voice mail system is a centralized answering machine which stores, records and plays back the voice message from users both inside and outside a company. Voice mail systems support shared message storage, fax delivery, teleconference,......
Related Websites -
How to Pick a Financial Advisor If you are getting serious about investing or managing your personal finances, it may be time to think about hiring a financial advisor. Before you take that step however, there are a few things to think about. It is vital to make sure that you are working with someone that...... -
Trinity Alps Marina, Lewiston, CA Trinity Alps Marina is located in: Lewiston, CA Phone: 530.286.2282 Average Water Depth: Trinity Lake varies in depth according to the time of year. Please call ahead before you arrive to check the current depth level. Marine Standby Channel: At this time the marina does not monitor a marine standby...... - Search Engine Marketing Company- Take Your Business To New Heights Search engine marketing isn’t a new technique but with the changing trend it has gained a lot of popularity and importance. If we talk about the potential market, the UK is one country which carries true potential of search engine marketing. You can find the best and competitive search engine......
- All That Gold That Glitters in Macau, Ho's is Still in The Money As the news has come through that Pansy Ho was formally cleared by the Nevada gaming authorities, this interesting and quite revealing report about Pansy and Stanley Ho was published by Burke Hansen an Attorney at large in San Fransisco. The prohibitionist cult in America that has wreaked havoc on......
- Hiring Iphone Developers an Evergreen Option for Enhancing Quality in Usage Regular innovations in the field of telephonic communication through latest technologically sound mobile phones and other gadgets have brought revolution among users worldwide. These hi-tech mobiles not only used for communication purpose as well as they are feeding users for their diverse needs like entertainment with customized applications, business information......
Related posts:
[...] the original post: 5 Questions to Ask Your Prospective Telecom Provider By admin | category: management consultants | tags: 1980s, att, business, industry-during, [...]
[...] the original post here: 5 Questions to Ask Your Prospective Telecom Provider Link 2 This Post!1. Click inside either code box2. Right-Click then Copy3. Paste the code into [...]
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by goalliant: I just post 5 Questions to Ask Your Prospective Telecom Provider on http://ping.fm/Tn6jn...