How to find the right phone system dealer

Written by Anastasia Zoldak

When seeking bids for telecommunications equipment, businesses should request proposals from a number of phone system dealers to get a full range of competitive bids. Evaluating competing bids will help you get a handle on what features and capability are really important for your business and how much you'll have to spend. In addition, many phone system dealers also offer services such as maintenance contracts, employee-training services, upgrade services and extended warranties.

As a result, finding a reliable office phone dealer is as important as the purchase of a business communications system, since the dealer you choose will have a long-term impact on the success of your new phone system.

Finding a phone system dealer

The most important rule of finding a phone system dealer is to consider factors other than price. When you shop for telecommunications equipment strictly by price, you'll often get incomplete proposals. If the dealers that are providing proposals believe that cost is the deciding factor in your phone system purchase, then the focus of their proposals will be on cost rather than satisfying your firm's communication needs. In other words, they're more likely to cut corners just to get the apparent costs down – even if that means they'll have to tack on additional fees later.

Your interactions the dealer's salespeople will offer you an insight into the quality of the company. If the sales force provides helpful information, prompt attention, and is pleasant to work with before the sale, chances are that the company will provide excellent customer service afterward.

During the initial sales meeting, you should expect a phone system dealer to discuss the various business phone systems and features available. The dealer should assess your telecommunications needs to determine the best products to meet those requirements. They should also discuss pricing so they have enough information to provide a complete proposal.

The quality of the proposal or price quotes is another key indicator of a phone system dealer's attitude toward customer service. The proposal should not be generic in content, but a tailored document addressing your specific needs. Companies that take shortcuts on this pivotal sales point will often cut corners in other aspects of their business. A phone system dealer also needs to offer some kind of warranty and provide customer referrals.

All businesses should interview a minimum of three phone system dealers, ask for proposals, request a sales demonstration of the chosen phone system, and review references prior to choosing a phone system dealer.

Service agreements

Keep in mind that when you buy a phone system, you'll have a need for ongoing support and maintenance after the sale. Maintaining your communication systems is a critical step to success: if customers can't contact you because your systems are not functioning properly, they'll have a significant negative impression of the total professionalism and quality of your company.

For this reason, when you request phone system proposals, you should also request service proposals. A phone system dealer should be able to supply you with both during the sales cycle. Start your search with BuyerZone's free request for phone system price quotes. Just answer a few basic questions and we'll match you to up to 5 of the best phone system dealers in you area.