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How to Select and Purchase a Telephone System, and things to do before contacting a dealer |
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Telephone Systems dealers
Telephone Systems dealers
The majority
of office phone systems are bought through dealers who
handle not only for the sale but also for the installation and
programming. Some manufacturers do employ their own sales and service
staff to look after larger customers with specialized requirements from
their telephone system but for 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. On purchase of a telephone system, you are entering into a
long term business relationship with the dealer that with ongoing
service and add ons to the system as you grow and your business needs
change, should extend for the life of your new telephone system number
and perhaps the life of your next system! So spend some time looking at
the dealer’s operations, company structure and history to make sure
they are right for you.
Product expertise relates to both the
ability of the dealer’s sales people to 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 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 don’t want
to be the guinea pig the dealer learns about a product on so make sure
you understand the dealer’s product credentials well.
The
first part of the buying process is to narrow your search to 2 or 3
different brands based on your own personal criteria (eg
recommendation, current product, …). Arrange appointments at your
premises with the sales reps from at least two different dealers who
represent your preferred product and service your required locality. We find that visiting your site allows
the dealer to get a better sense of your existing infrastructure and
communication needs.
Once you have proposals from the 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.
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.
Some other questions you may want to ask:
- 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?
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