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When thinking of getting a new telephone system, most organisations feel confused think they should call in a so-called 'expert'. Companies often call in two or three potential suppliers, listening to their suggestions and asking for the best price. This can be time consuming and often, you end up with something that works for suppliers but not necessarily for you! When choosing something as important as a telephone system, most people don't realise they actually have all the expertise themselves. After all, who knows your company and your customers better than you? We don't expect you to install the telephone system yourself but here a few top tips to help you through the process: • A meeting with key staff will identify the most important functions and any problems that currently exist. Where possible, involve customer feedback. • Draw up a 'long list' of common themes from these meetings and list in order of importance, I.E. must haves, preferable and useful. • Do some research including using the web, journals and even talk to other businesses you have contact with whose systems seem to work well. • From this ground work, you will see a short list of features and specifications will emerge that can form the basis of a request to tender document and a simple selection process will show willing and interested potential suppliers. • Having developed your own specification, you'll be able to stay in control of the process and arrive at a short list of preferred systems and you will also now have a feel for which suppliers have responded well to your questions. • Once you have your quotes, further research into the systems using the web, blogs etc, help you decide which short listed supplier(s) and systems might satisfy you as best for your needs. • Larger or more complicated projects (for example, a multi-branch organisations) it's a demonstration is always wise and ask to visit reference sites. This proves the solution works and shows the competency of the supplier and their customer relationships. • Consider how you'll pay for your new system, I.E. outright purchase or perhaps lease? Either way, it is imperative that you identify any warranty period and on-going maintenance or support charges after any warranty period expires, and what's covered by support. Whilst potential telephone system suppliers may have the technical expertise you lack. As long as you think carefully about what you want to achieve from any new system, it's their job to match what you want. Remember, they cannot hope to know you and your customers as you do so when it comes down to it, you're the telephone systems expert! So when you need to look for a telephone system for your business remember to get one that fits in with your requirements and your customers requirements.
For more information on Telephone System Maintenance and Telephone Systems please visit our website.
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