Although long distance is by and large a pricing game, there are a number of service factors to watch out for, especially when considering a smaller carrier.

One key factor is the business hours of technical support. Generally, carriers will offer either 24-hour or 9 to 5 service. With carriers offering 9 to 5 service, any after-hour calling problems will need to wait to the next day to be resolved.

As a result, these carriers may be a poor choice for businesses that make calls after hours or on weekends.

A second area to investigate is operator availability. Not all carriers offer operator service. If you typically use services such as collect calling or operator-assisted international dialing, you should make sure the carrier you choose offers operator service. However, if you seldom need this assistance, you can gain additional savings by choosing a carrier that does not offer this service. (Note: When you need operator service, you can simply dial a carrier's access code + 0. However, per use charges can be fairly hefty.)

If the threat of network failure has kept you with larger and more expensive carriers, it may be reassuring to know that the threat of breakdown is very remote. If network security is an important concern, you are better off using two or more carriers and splitting your traffic. While this solution may reduce the volume discounts your receive from either carrier, it will be far more secure than using any single carrier. It is worth pointing out, however, that this is not necessarily a failsafe measure because of the extensive reselling that goes on in the industry.

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