Knowing available options and choosing service types that fits your business needs are both critical elements for keeping telecom costs as low as possible.

Many business owners, managers and controllers make mistake that telecom cost savings can be found in ‘big ticket” items such as long-distance service. Choosing correct local telephone service package is first and most important step in controlling telecom bills.

Three Types of Local Telephone Service

In most states, three types of local telephone service are available to business customers.

1) Flat-Rate Service: line cost is high, but user can make unlimited local calls on line at no extra charge.

2) Message-Rate Service: line cost is lower than a flat-rate line, but user pays an additional per call charge, usually $.07-$.12 per minute.

3) Measured-Rate Service: line cost is usually low, but user pays for each minute of local outbound calling. There is an initial rate for first minute and a lower rate for each additional minute of call.

Wireless service has experienced tremendous growth over past few years. It is not uncommon to see people with a pager and a cellular phone hanging from a belt clip.

Business owners need not pay for wireless services just because employees request them however. Establishing a company wide wireless policy is a must for business owners that want to gain control of telecom costs.

How?

By making decisions based on which, if any, wireless services are truly needed by an employee to enhance their job performance and efficiency.

Here is simple process for establishing a wireless policy for your employees:

STEP # 1: Determine Wireless Needs of All Employees

Before supplying all of your employees with all latest wireless gadgets, first ask these questions:

1) Which job functions could benefit from use of wireless phones or pagers? Examples: Sales, management, maintenance, etc.

2) Do any job functions require use of wireless phones and/or pagers, such as emergency personnel, on-call staff, etc?