We’re all familiar with the wisdom that “you get what you pay for.” Frankly, there probably isn’t anyone out there who hasn’t learned this lesson the hard way, whether the situation involved a car repair, home improvement project, and the list goes on.
Sometimes, we even KNOW that we’re headed towards disaster, but we just can’t help ourselves. We silence that little voice in our heads that says: “Are you seriously going to do this again?” Alas, we end up spending more money, wasting more time, and suffering more stress. So basically, we hit the trifecta of purchase-related misery.
However, there is another way to look at this old wisdom that, for some people — or maybe most people — would be more memorable and valuable: instead of trying to remember that we always get what we pay for, we should also keep in mind that we DON’T get what we DON’T pay for. Case in point: purchasing a new hosted cloud phone system.
Understandably, businesses that are in the market for a hosted cloud phone system are looking to get the most for the least. There is nothing cheap or miserly about this. For businesses, achieving value and taking the shortest path to ROI is not a nice-to-have. It’s essential for success, and in the long-run, for survival.
But that’s where the trap lies: some businesses are lured into believing that they can save money on a new hosted cloud phone system by, for example, using Google Voice, connecting SIP Trunks to their existing in-house PBX system, or dealing with mass market vendors and taking a “DIY approach.”
All of these are BIG mistakes, because businesses DON’T get what they DON’T pay for. For example, they don’t get:
- An on-site evaluation of their unique needs, so that they ultimately get the customized telecommunications solution that is going to work for their specific business.
- A comprehensive pre-implementation assessment to ensure that the networking infrastructure is ready to drive the hosted cloud phone system.
- Responsive post-implementation 24/7/365 support.
- Access to a full range of advanced calling features at no additional cost, including auto attendant, voicemail-to-email and more.
- Continuous system monitoring to meet a guaranteed uptime standard of 99.99%.
- Multiple fraud management strategies to ensure compliance and prevent misuse (deliberate and accidental).
- Ongoing upgrades, security patches, and innovations — all of which are included in the service level agreement and not billed extra.
- Access to E911 service, which is essential for keeping employees and customers safe.
The bottom line? Businesses that attempt to save a little money on their hosted cloud phone system by going for the cheapest price always end up in the same place: wishing they could go back in time and make a different choice. Because in life, we get what we pay for — and we also DON’T get what we DON’T pay for.