Five Ways Businesses Can Save Money on Their Phone Bills

I have worked at the same phone company for almost a decade now and, as part of that, I have spent a large portion of my life looking at customer phone bills (both ours and bills from competitors) in an effort to find ways to save my customer's money.

When it comes to businesses that aren't currently my customers, I obviously do whatever it takes to convince them to switch to my company. However, in many cases, the customer could save just as much without switching providers simply by making a few changes. Here are five easy ways a business can reduce its monthly phone expenses.

First, receive an electronic invoice instead of a paper one. A couple years ago, my company started charging a paper invoice fee to customers who received their bills through the mail. This did not go over well but, after some research, I found most other phone companies do the same. Sometimes the charge is just a couple dollars. Other times, a company might be charging more per phone line. In either case, a business can reduce its bill just by having it sent to an e-mail address rather than by mail.

Second, unless you plan on providers, sign a contract. Phone companies like contracts because it gives them a guaranteed monthly income and, with most at least, they will give you a better rate in exchange for one. In fact, in some of the areas my company services, a month-to-month price is as much as 25% higher than a contracted price. That's money that adds up quickly. So, if you plan on staying with your provider anyway, it's best to have one.

Third, get rid of your dedicated fax lines. If your office has a shared fax, keeping that on a landline phone isn't such a bad idea. But, if you have several people with private faxes, you can save yourself some money by getting rid of the traditional phone line/fax machine set up and use electronic faxing (to and from e-mail) instead. There are a variety of providers out there that offer this type of service, most are considerably cheaper in price and many even allow you to keep your existing fax number.

Fourth, while you're at it, take a close look at your other lines too. Not too long ago, before broadband, many businesses used dial up. And, most of those had a dedicated phone line just for the internet. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many customers I've come across that cancelled their dial up service but forgot to cancel that extra line. I've also come across customers with lines that weren't being used for a variety of reasons ranging from cuts in staff to the phone being disconnected because of a remodel.

If you have a phone vendor, it's best to have them take a look at your phone numbers and verify where they are ringing to. If you don't, you can often do this yourself simply by calling the number. If you have a lot of phone lines, chances are you'll find one or two you don't need any more.

Fifth, install project codes. Most long distance companies offer this service for little or no money each month and, if your company makes a lot of long distance calls, it can save you a fortune. A lot of my customers saw personal calls reduced when their employees weren't able to make them anonymously any more.

If you take the time to follow these steps, there's a good chance you'll be able to reduce your phone bill as much as you would by switching to a new provider without the hassle.