Purchasing Resources for Phone Services

Phone Services

Having a wireless phone service has become an increasingly popular method of communication among business owners. However, there are many different benefits to owning a landline telephone.

This guide will give you information on purchasing landlines and the reasons to do so. Also included are some of the pitfalls of purchasing a landline. This guide will also assist business owners in making the decision to purchase a landline, either to replace or in addition to an already existing wireless service.

For more information on purchasing a landline or maintaining an existing landline, read about the benefits, pitfalls, and pricing options mentioned below.

Benefits

There are several benefits to having a landline in addition to or instead of wireless phone service. Some of these benefits apply to all landlines users, while other benefits are most valuable to businesses.

Cheaper Phone Service Rates as Demand Decreases

In 2001, customer spending on landline phone services was three times greater than spending on cellular services. By 2007, cellular services accounted for 55 percent of total telephone expenditures, while landlines services only accounted for 43 percent of the total.

This statistic provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey makes it clear that demand for wireless services is rising, while demand for landline service is declining. As demand declines, landline service providers may choose to decrease their rates to make landline services more affordable.

No Worries over Signal Strength

One of the biggest concerns of wireless customers is signal strength. Even in their own homes, a customer can find that their signal strength is so low that they cannot use their phone. They may also run into dropped calls as they move from an area with good signal strength, to an area with poor signal strength.

Since a landline does not rely on radio signals, you never have to worry about signal strength. There are problems that you can have with your individual line, which the phone company can fix. These problems will not change based in where you happen to be standing and once they are fixed they should not reoccur.

Provides Greater Security

Cellular services are less secure than landline services. It is easier for a hacker to listen in on a cell phone conversation, than a landline conversation. This is a greater concern for businesses, where sensitive information may be discussed over the phone line. This can include customer credit card numbers, the company’s own financial information, or other sensitive business matters.

Keeps Employees on Track

If you implement wireless phone service in a business setting, your employees will be able to go where they want and do what they want while talking with customers, clients, and co-workers. This makes them easily distractible and possibly less effective if they are talking to a potential customer or client. A landline keeps employees at their desk and focused on the task.

Pitfalls

Customer Service

As a business, it's important to know whether or not any phone services you choose have a toll-free customer service hotline. Having a hotline is very beneficial to customers and is good for business. Making sure you get a service with this feature is extremely important because, without one, customers cannot reach your business at all times. If customers cannot reach your business, it can hurt your relationship with the client.

Overall Cost

The cost of a phone service is particularly crucial when deciding whether or not to purchase, especially for a small business. Discount service providers may seem inviting because of their low prices, but the level of customer support they provide is often sparse and not at the same level offered by the bigger, more established names. Take some time to ask about support hours and policies, and get references to other customers. On the other side, the peace of mind that comes with a big name provider can be very costly. Balance your need for saving money with your expectations of customer support.

Billing Increment

Another crucial difference between phone service providers is the billing increment. In other words, the smallest amount of time you can be billed for. Some providers have increments as large as one minute, which means that a 61-second call gets billed as two minutes. It's best to get the smallest billing increment possible.

There are two elements to a billing increment. First is the initial increment, which is the cost of simply connecting your call. Second is the cost of each increment, whether it is six-seconds or 60. Lowering your bill increment is extremely valuable for businesses that make lots of short calls.

Billing Services

Another thing to look out for is how they bill you. Do they send you a paper bill at the end of the month, or do they have an online service that allows you track your usage on an ongoing basis? Are you able to pay your bills online? Make sure that the phone service provider you choose has the flexibility you require.

Pricing

Wireless Phone Services

Mobile phones have become a standard in the way many According to a recent study done by the NMRC (short for New Millennium Research Council), by the end of 2011 the United States non-wholesale market for wireless phone services will hit around 290 million subscriptions. Mobile Ecosystem says that a quarter of the entire wireless market will be based on non-contractual prepaid phones. Between the two service types, the prices are very competitive and the choice is primarily based on preference. Contractual and prepaid wireless phone services will run between $20 and $200 per month depending on features.

Conclusion

While it may seem like the popular option to only have a wireless phone, having a landline also has its benefits. One of the biggest benefits of having a landline is a cheaper service rate. As demand decreases for landlines, the price has also dropped significantly. Users don’t ever have to worry about signal strengths that can often be a problem with wireless devices. There is also extra security, since landlines are much more difficult to hack than wireless devices.

The pitfalls of purchasing a landline include a lack of customer service with telephone companies and the increased cost of having a wireless phone and a landline.