Purchasing a business phone service is a partnership with a qualified licensed vendor and your business. You decide on a new system and cut the check. You breathe a sigh of relief. The process of installation starts off well, then BAM change order, then another, then another. You are now sitting at your desk and wondering what went wrong. How could this have been prevented?
There are some simple ways of avoiding costly change orders
#1. Communication
The business phone service vendor you choose is the expert. It’s their role to help you understand and make sense of all the choices you have. Look for a vendor who talks to you about your business; about how your business works, about your growth, about your future. Not just about today’s needs but needs that are 2 or 3 years down the road. It is also important that you are open and honest about what you want and do not want. You may not know the terms, like mobility or call accounting, but you can describe what you are needing. All business phone systems have similar features. With proper communication you will each have an understanding of what is needed when putting together that quote.
#2. Infrastructure
Again, you may not be the expert in what you have installed for cabling, network, switches, routers etc. The business phone service vendor should be doing a walk through with you to determine if you have the correct infrastructure in place. The cost to re-cable a building may be more than the phone system itself. Be honest with the vendor. If you do not know if your network is ready for the new IP phone system, tell the vendor. Doing the testing prior will save not only time but frustration. If you have an outsourced IT department, bring them into the discussions. They will need to be part of the installation.
#3. Dial Tone
At Gaynor it is not uncommon to get blank stares back when we ask what type of dial tone you have. Understanding and reading a phone bill is quite hard. The type and quality of dial tone is critical to the design and components parts of any business phone service. Also communicate if you believe what you have is working or not working. Do you get complaints of busy signals? Does the staff want to dial out and can't? When changing your telephone system, it may be a time to review your dial tone. Do this before the contract and avoid the additional change orders.
#4. Optional Features
Chances are you interviewed 2 or 3 business phone service vendors. Now you are getting ready to pick, but you may be getting confused on what system does what. Make sure you fully review the expectations of the system and what options you are choosing. Some features such as email to voicemail might be standard on some systems but not others. If you wanted this feature and it was not included, you would be looking at a change order.
#5. Phone Handset Features
The number one change order that Gaynor Telesystems, Inc. sees is for the changes in the handsets. All business phone systems have multiple types and styles of handsets. Take your time in deciding what is right for your business. The break room can be a different phone than the backup receptionist, BUT if the break room phone is next to the file room that may be a highly used phone and should be the same as others. If your staff is used to having buttons that allowed them to see all the lines, is that still important? If it is, make sure you have those buttons on the phones.
Gaynor Telesystems, Inc. prides itself on having less than 1% change orders. We take our time to listen to our clients, visit their sites and get to know their current and future needs. What to know more? Ask for a quote today to discover how we can assist you in getting that new business phone service without costly change orders.
And remember:
“The most important thing in COMMUNICATION is to hear what isn't being said.”
~Peter Drucker