What to Look for in a Telecom Provider

Life is a never-ending scroll of choices. Should I phone my grandma after work today or go to the gym? On a business level, choices and decisions have a heftier weight because your work is most likely your livelihood. On a daily basis, business owners, managers, and directors make numerous decisions when selecting services to use or businesses to collaborate or partner with. Choosing a telecommunication provider for your business is one of those decisions that can have a huge impact on your business.

NorthBay biz shares 3 important factors to look for in a telecom provider and we couldn’t agree with them more:

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  1. Personal Customer Service
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<em>“Be certain to make customer service a primary factor when choosing a telecommunications provider. We can all recall times we’ve received bad customer service. It’s likely you’ve questioned why you chose to employ the organization’s services in the first place.</em>
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<em>When you’re determining which telecom company is right for you, don’t be afraid to ask each company to provide you with customer references or examples of great customer service. You can also ask that they explain the steps they’re taking to provide your business with the best possible communications experience.</em>
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<em>For example, if you have a billing question or want to upgrade your service, will your service provider know who you are? If it’s located in the same area, it’s more likely to do so. Also, don’t forget to find out where decisions are made. Be sure there are company executives in your market. Someone familiar with your business is more likely to find solutions when you need them.</em>
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    &lt;em&gt;Some telecom companies operate on a decentralized business model, which means they may provide service to many states, but always operate on a local level to ensure the highest level of service.”&lt;/em&gt;
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    2. Reliability
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    &lt;em&gt;“Your telecom provider should help you grow your business, not slow your business. Unfortunately, too many companies find out they didn't ask enough questions about reliability until they have an outage and the resolution is sub-par. Your business is your livelihood, and your telecom provider should help you serve your customers while growing your business.&lt;/em&gt;
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      &lt;em&gt;As a business owner, ask yourself how much business or money you'd lose if your phone or Internet service was down for 15 minutes, an hour or even a day. &lt;/em&gt;
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      &lt;em&gt;No doubt the answer would be hundreds, thousands and upward. Knowing you have a reliable telecom provider who stands behind the reliability of its service is invaluable. Sure, all telecom providers may have an outage due to weather or unforeseen circumstances, but the difference lies in the ability to repair the service while minimizing the impact on your business.&lt;/em&gt;
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        &lt;em&gt;Ask your potential providers if they own their own fiber optic network or lease it from others. Ask about their repair escalation procedures, and find out if you'll get a recording or a live person when you call into their repair or maintenance line. Try it! Look up the repair number on the company website, and call. Did you get a recording or a friendly, helpful person?”&lt;/em&gt;
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        3. Flexibility and Scalability
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        &lt;em&gt;“In any service-oriented business, you should be wary of companies that don't allow for flexibility. You should be able to upgrade, add services or select new product options incrementally as your company changes. Also, with the pace that technology is changing, make sure the company has a history of upgrading its network and expanding its product set for businesses like yours.”&lt;/em&gt;
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            If you are looking for a telecom provider who will listen, commit, solve, and grow with your business, fill out our free assessment form here and let’s get talking.
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