In COVID times, pretty much every business is looking for ways to save money. As you approach the New Year, and look at your 2021 budget, consider how you could save money on your business internet and phone services, take advantage of COVID, and save money on your monthly bills. Here’s how.
There are lots of ways to save money on your monthly internet and telecom bills. Are you on a legacy contract with noncompetitive rates? Can you sign up for a higher internet speed at the same price by locking into a multi-year plan? Can you add phone services you’re getting elsewhere into a package deal and save money overall? These are all things to consider as you renegotiate your bill.
Here’s How to Renegotiate Your Business Internet and Phone Services Contracts!
1. Gather Data
Get your latest internet and voice invoices in a digital format. Assess if you’re in a contract and document that. If needed, call each vendor and ask them for your contract end dates and the termination notice requirements. (This step alone may motivate them to offer you improved terms, but still go ahead and do your homework.)
Review the last few months for each service to make sure they follow a similar price pattern. If there is a spike in price, compare and figure out what the vendor is dinging you for. This is all information you’ll want to know when negotiating or replacing vendors. E.g., you may find an internet company charging you data overages or a phone company charging extra for long-distance calls.
2. Assess Your Needs
For the internet, document the download and upload speeds and what you’re paying for it. How can you tell if you’re paying too much or if your speeds are sufficient? It greatly depends on your location and how your business operates. This is a conversation we’re happy to have with you. Our general advice would be: has anyone in the office complained about your internet speeds? The answer we hear is usually no; however, there is little downside to more speed other than cost. You can likely get more speed for less money with a multi-year commitment.
For your phone service invoice, document how many lines you’re paying for, if you’re renting the equipment, and other services on the invoice. There are several types of phone services that could be on your invoice, and it’s best if you work with someone who understands this industry to decipher it. Our general advice is to know that changing phone companies can be painful. If you have to get new phone equipment, learn a different interface, port numbers, etc., there likely will be downtime and a learning curve involved. It’s best to do your research and choose a phone solution that works best for your long-term needs instead of making this decision solely based on price.
3. Get Pricing
For the internet, you’ll need to find out what providers service your building. For Phoenix, it’s all CenturyLink and Cox. You can go to their website and request a quote. If you’re already engaged with one of these companies, call them and ask for options to lower your bill. There is another way, and it involves working with a broker (like us). Send us your invoices; we’ll use partner channels with Cox, CenturyLink, and many others and relieve you from having to deal with their salespeople. We’ve done dozens of deals like this, and we’ve been able to get the sales’ people “best offer” right off the bat.
For phone services, it all depends on your situation. Have you invested in an on-premise phone system, and are you paying $500+/month for a T1/PRI with 20 channels? This could be cheaper. If your phone bill mentions PRI or T1, please find a telecom broker to decipher your invoice, as these are intentionally a pain to read and understand. If you have VOIP, it’s easier, but you’re likely in a contract. In the worst case, call your existing phone company and ask them for options to lower your bill.
4. Work With A Broker
That’s where PK Tech comes in! Due to our clients requesting us to step in and handle their internet and telecom contracts, we’ve signed up as partners with nearly every vendor out there.
Send us your invoices, and we’ll audit them. We see a lot of bills and call BS on vendors every day.
Will you pay more if you use a broker? No. It costs the same or less as it has less overhead for the vendor.
Whose name is on the contract, and who would invoice you? It’s still between you and the vendor. We’re simply bypassing the sales department and dealing with their less “salesy” partner channel and working in YOUR best interests.
