Thought Leadership piece with Dana Keane, Utility VoIP Product Manager
Companies used to buy dial tone service from one provider, long distance service from another provider, PBX service (a private telephone network) from another provider, and internet service from another provider. Today, everything is bundled together.
Think about how you receive and pay for these services at home. You have a company once viewed only as a cable or phone provider offering everything – phone, cable, internet – with discounted bundle pricing.
The same applies to businesses. Today’s providers bundle their services and claim to offer the lowest price. That’s how telecom has been sold for 30 years, right?
“I can get you a cheaper phone bill!”
Here’s the problem. Not all providers are the same. Not all providers offer the same services. Not all providers offer services of the same quality. And not all providers offer the level of support you need to stay productive.
Beware of Price-Based Sales Pitches
When you choose a provider based on the price tag, you’re taking a major gamble. Cost is certainly a factor in the decision-making process, but you have to go deeper to find out what you’re really paying for.
How responsive is the provider? Are they cutting any services to get you the cheapest price? Is their support team fully staffed? Will they support your local area network? Will they help you train new employees?
If issues to crop up with your new provider’s services and support is not included, how much extra will it cost to have these issues addressed? If you contact them about an issue that is out of their control and not necessarily their responsibility, will they point you in the right direction or leave you to fend for yourself?
Downtime and lost productivity could easily negate any “savings” you see on your monthly phone bill.
You’re not just buying dial tone these days. You need to make sure your provider can support you from the handset your employee is holding to the person on the other end of the line. You also need to have tools and functionality that improve the way people work.
What You Get from Utility VoIP and Ancero
Utility VoIP is a cloud-based VoIP phone system, which means you have no premise-based hardware to purchase, install, or manage. Utility VoIP can be used across multiple sites and by your remote workforce, and you can add or remove users as needed.
More than a phone system, Utility VoIP integrates voice, email, presence, chat, data, applications, and other services into a modern Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) platform – all for a single monthly fee. The Utility VoIP UC Client and Mobile App allow your team to seamlessly collaborate, maximize productivity, and stay connected, regardless of location or device.
To help you get started with zero downtime, Ancero will guide you through a proven onboarding process, from planning and implementation to onsite user training and ongoing support. While you focus on getting work done, Ancero will monitor your system 24/7 for quality of service and proactively troubleshoot issues, usually before users even know they exist.
Remember, when someone says, “I can save you money on your phone bill,” the services they’re offering are likely as weak and antiquated as that sales pitch. Dig deeper than the price tag to understand the value of what you’re buying, how the provider supports the product, and the true cost of what is and is not included.
To schedule a free demo of Utility VoIP that answers these and other questions, contact Ancero Today!