There are a dozen reasons to choose a Canadian VoIP Provider. Here are the 3 most important.
Most businesses start researching service providers using Google. However, when you google “Small Business VoIP Provider” there is an astonishing 47,200,000 results that show up. How do you narrow down 47 million options? Even if 50% of these results are just articles or links to other service providers/blogs/etc that still leaves you with over 23 million VoIP telephone providers to choose from. Choosing a Canadian VoIP Provider for your small business just makes sense. Let us explain.
As a small business owner, this is your opportunity to be selfish, to find a VoIP telephone provider that matches your philosophy and expectations. It’s a buyers market and you’ve got endless options to choose from. Do you want a huge telephone provider with call centres located in far away lands with poorly trained employees? A provider that will keep you on-hold for an hour just to update your voicemail password? As a small business, you are the ‘underdog’ in your industry. You deliver better service and have a deeper commitment to building strong customer relationships. You should find service providers that share that philosophy.
With that said, it makes sense that you choose a local provider that can support your business with on-site technicians, local support, in Canadian currency and they keep your data safe within Canada.
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There are 5 questions to ask before choosing a new telephone provider
1. Why are you switching to a new provider?
This question really boils down to motivation. What has your current provider failed to deliver that has lead you to find a new provider? I strongly suggest you really take a moment to think about the various reasons that you have been disappointed by your current provider. This list will help you to formulate questions to ask your new provider. The last thing anyone wants is to switch to a new telephone provider to uncover they are just as bad, or worse than your current provider.
2. Do you care more about price, or excellent customer service?
If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. There is a reason price varies when choosing a VoIP Provider. You need to balance your desire to save money, with the level of service that you want. If phones are not important to your small business, maybe the cheapest option is your best bet. However, if you are like many of our customers at B1 Communications. reliability and customer service matter. We aren’t the most expensive option in the marketplace, but we are not the cheapest. We have a philosophy of cost savings, with a level of customer service we can be proud to deliver. It’s a balance of value and service that keep our customers happy and loyal.
3. What kind of commitment or contract is required? What happens if things don’t work?
Many telephone provider want to lock you into a long term contract with very expensive cancellation policies. This includes Shaw, Telus and other major telephone providers. They want to lock you into a 3, or 5 year contract. This should be of concern, if you are unhappy, there is very little options around switching unless you’re willing to pay a high penalty. We’re contacted on a weekly basis from unhappy customers looking to switch providers and sadly they are locked into a long term contract with that provider. At B1 Communications we don’t lock any business owners into long term contracts. We believe our customers should stay with us based on the level of service we deliver each and every day. This includes our leased telephone options. No contracts are required.
4. What is included in the VoIP Providers services? How much does everything cost?
One of the misunderstandings small business owners have is the cost of features, services, on-site visits, setups, etc. It’s really easy to sign a long term contract with a new provider to only find out that you have to pay extra for setup, staff training, or accessories. It’s really important that you choose a VoIP provider in Canada who will be transparent, and open about potential and expected costs that go beyond your monthly services agreement.
5. Is VoIP your new providers focus or is it an after-thought?
Many fully managed IT providers want to increase revenue by offering VoIP services to their Canadian small business clients. It makes sense, VoIP can be lucrative if you manage to deliver reliable services to a growing number of small business customers. However, if you are the customer you want to know the network and your telephones are a top priority for your provider of choice. Many businesses simply resell another providers service, or put something together themselves. This can get you into trouble when they lack the understanding of how to fix issues, or overcome feature requests that are unique to your business.
VoIP Providers In Canada For Small Business Owners
It’s important to choose a VoIP Provider that will give you the flexibility you require, with on-site support and a dedicated team of VoIP experts who can help you get setup, trained and support your ongoing needs.
If you’re a Vancouver business and looking for a reliable VoIP telephone provider.
Our team is here. contact us today for a custom quote.
