Back in 1603, a principle of contract law emerged that shifted the responsibility for discovering defects from the seller to the buyer: Caveat Emptor. If your Latin is a little rusty, this translates as “Let the Buyer Beware.”
Fast forward about five centuries, and the principle of Caveat Emptor is very much alive and well for all kinds of transactions and purchases, including when it comes to switching to a digital phone company.
Basically, the advice — and frankly, the warning — to heed is that you must conduct your due diligence BEFORE you sign on the dotted line. Otherwise, your investment and experience could be regrettable instead of rewarding.
To ensure that you head down the right path, you must avoid a MASSIVE mistake when switching to a digital phone company: thinking that all digital phone companies are pretty much the same.
Here is What You Need to Know When Choosing a Digital Phone Company:
At first glance, all digital phone companies may look the same. But on closer inspection, you will discover that there are three very different types of companies in the digital phone marketplace:
“Do-it-Yourself” Mass Market VoIP Vendors:
These companies only care about selling as much hardware as possible. Their commitment to quality assurance and customer support is non-existent, and they take every shortcut imaginable. As a result, their prices are sometimes (but not always) the lowest. But as the old saying goes: you get what you pay for…and you don’t get what you don’t pay for! Many businesses who choose Mass Market VoIP Vendors end up paying much, much more when they calculate the total cost of ownership. Alongside the disruption they experience when (not if!) something goes very wrong.
Carrier Service Providers:
These are traditional phone companies who discovered several years ago that there is profit to be made in selling digital phone systems — and not surprisingly, that’s what they do. What’s the red flag here? It’s that Carrier Service Providers allocate most of their resources to sales instead of service, and their focus is on selling long-distance minutes and supporting their traditional phone service lines (which is basically a cash cow). Many businesses that choose this option often end up paying too much for too little, and escalating their complaint is futile. Carrier Service Providers are large enterprises, they simply do not care about losing a customer or getting dinged by a bad review.
Dedicated Solutions Providers:
These are VoIP phone service specialists that have proven experience on both sides of the transaction: helping businesses choose the right (and most cost-effective) digital phone system for their current and anticipated needs. And just as importantly, providing responsive LOCAL support delivered by technical experts who understand the technology inside and out. On the whole, Dedicated Solutions Providers are committed to building long-term relationships and delivering outstanding customer experience. Remember: Dedicated Solutions Providers generate a large part of the revenue from word-of-mouth referrals and recommendations. That can’t happen if they over-promise and under-deliver, or if they cut corners when it comes to value, quality, honesty, or service.
The Way Forward is Clear
Naturally, it goes without saying — but we’ll say it anyway, just to be perfectly clear — that your business MUST purchase your digital phone system from a Dedicated Solutions Provider. You’ll thank yourself later, and so will your colleagues and customers!
Carolina Digital Phone: A Leading Digital Phone Company
Carolina Digital Phone is proud to be a leading digital phone company with over two decades of experience serving businesses, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions across North Carolina and the Southeast. We are DEDICATED SOLUTIONS PROVIDERS who put our customers first — and you don’t have to take our word for it. Just check out the more than 100 5-star reviews that we’ve earned. Going the extra mile and delighting our customers is in our DNA.
Learn more by scheduling your free consultation and demo of our affordable, scaleable, future-proofed, and feature-rich digital (VoIP) phone system. We can visit you on-site, or connect with you over the web if you prefer. Call us now at (336) 544-4000.