Buying tips

• Flesh out all the fees. Very attractive pricing that is asterisked with "additional fees may apply" should be thoroughly investigated before you sign up.
• Focus on what matters. Sales pitches can be rife with flashy features and technical lingo that obscure the basic purchase facts. Keep your focus on the features that matter to your business.
• Check support. Make sure your provider's support hours match your business hours to ensure you can get help when you need it. Also, understand what level of support is provided.
• Keep long-term needs in mind. Build in flexibility to expand or decrease your system or service commitment in future years.
• Make the most of references. References can be a tremendously useful source of information about your potential vendor. Ask them specific questions about what works and doesn't work with the vendor. To ensure a similar experience, speak with businesses comparable to yours.
• Involve the affected. Even though it can take time to involve multiple people in the purchase, doing so can help ensure your purchase becomes well integrated.

For more information, visit the phone systems buyer's guide.
(This will redirect you to the BuyerZone USA site.)