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How to Select and Purchase a Telephone System, and things to do before contacting a dealer |
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Things to do before contacting a dealerYour new phone system will only be effective if it enhances the operation of your business. Possible enhancements as a result of telephone systems can include:
- Making it easier for customers to contact you;
- Increasing staff productivity;
- Reducing other costs of doing business.
It is in your best interests to really do your homework before you start to talk to any prospective phone system vendor. Here are a few steps in the right direction to ensure you are in the best position to make the right decisions for your business:
- Familarise yourself with the technology of phone systems and the features they can provide - this Buyers Guide is a good start.
- Meet with your management team and key users of your existing phone system (eg receptionist, sales support, accounts receivable...) to identify problems with the current system, features of the current system that are essential to be maintained and features in new phone systems that will assist.
- From the meeting establish a small team that will be involved in selecting and implementing the phone system. Not only will this reduce the workload it will assist in the acceptance of the change associated with the new phone system.
- This team should produce an overview specification of your requirements for a phone system and should also look at the call patterns within the business and between other branch offices if relevant. The latter may require a manual survey for a week if your system doesn't have SMDR facilities.
- You should also look at your current phone bill as changing your system which may involve incorporating
ISDN or VoIP, is an ideal time to rationalize your overall call costs. - Once you have a draft specification and a good idea of your call flows, then you start contacting phone system vendors. The easiest way to do that is to use our Free Phone Quote service and we can arrange up to 3 phone system dealers to contact you.
The key message here is that you know your business best and need to take full responsibility for the implementation of the phone system to deliver the best outcome for your business.
Telephone Systems dealers
The majority
of office phone systems are bought through dealers who
handle not only the sale of products but also for the installation and
programming of the system. Some manufacturers do employ their own sales and service
staff to look after larger-scale customers and installations with specialized requirements for
their telephone system. However, most businesses finding a good business
telephone system dealer can be the most important part of the purchase,
since any phone system you choose needs to be properly installed for
optimal performance.
The most important consideration in choosing an
office phones dealer is the stability of the business and their product
expertise. Upon purchasing a telephone system, you are entering into a
long term business relationship with the dealer involving ongoing
service and add ons to the system as your business grows and its needs
change. This relationship can and should extend for the life of your new telephone system number
and perhaps the life of your next system! So spend some time reviewing
the dealer's operations, company structure and history to make sure that
they are right for you.
Product expertise: relates to both the
ability of the dealer's sales people to fully understand your business needs
and suggest the optimal telephone system solution as well as their
technical ability to deliver a stable, working telephone system as
specified. Established dealers do tend to specialize in one or two
products as the cost of training, spares and the complexity of today's
products makes it uneconomic to support more products. You definitely do not want
to be the guinea pig being tested on by a dealer attempting to learn about a new product, so really ensure that
you understand the dealer's product credentials well.
The
first step of the buying process is to narrow your search down to 2 or 3
different brands based on your own personal criteria (eg
needs, recommendation, current product, ...). Arrange appointments at your
premises with the sales reps from at least two or three different dealers who
represent your preferred product and service your required locality.

| Buyers Guide Tip: Meet on the Premises
We find that visiting your site really allows
the dealer to get a better sense of your existing infrastructure and
communication needs. |
Once you have the proposals from a number of dealers (which
should cover all equipment costs including options, installation and
service charges plus finance options and a recommended telephone
company for the network services) shortlist at least two
and arrange a demonstration of the shortlisted phone systems at the
dealer's premises. The dealer will be able to simulate most of the
features they recommend and you will have a chance to inspect their
offices and meet the dealer principals. Even if the demonstration is at
the manufacturer or distributor's premises, you should visit the
dealer's premises before signing a purchase order. Again, perhaps bring along another member of staff who will be using the system heavily to ensure they find the system, handsets and features easy to understand and use.
Inquire about
the dealer's specific installation experience. Ask about the size of
the companies involved and what options or features were added. Also
obtain a list of references, including several completed in the past
year, so you can ask about their experiences in detail. When it comes
time to your installation, make sure the office phones dealer sends
experienced technicians to conduct the implementation.
Ongoing
support of your phone system can range from being important to
absolutely critical, depending on your business. Vendors will provide a
combination of warranties: the manufacturer's guarantees of their
hardware (typically one to three years) which covers hardware only not
the dealer labour costs and dealer-provided service level agreements
(SLAs.) An SLA specifies how quickly the dealer will respond to a
problem with your phone system - 4 hours is fairly typical for major
outages during business hours. If your business needs 24 x 7 coverage
or shorter response times, expect to pay extra for these premium
service levels.
Here are some other questions you may want to ask a potential dealer:
- Who
will install the system particularly if there are multiple systems in
different locations? The dealer or a subcontractor? If it is a
subcontractor, how is this relationship managed by the dealer?
- Who will provide training? What will training include?
- Does the dealer have remote maintenance capabilities?
- What changes can we make ourselves to avoid service calls?
- Is the dealer an accredited telephone systems professional?
Next Page: Financing Your Telephone System >>
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