High business telephone bills can seriously harm the cash flow and profits of any business, whether small or large. Wasting money on high bills can be extremely frustrating since there are a number of ways to get cheap business phone calls. And this needn’t mean you have to compromise on call quality or service provision. These six steps can help you check whether you’re getting the best deals, and they will work for all sizes of company.

1. How to always get the most competitive tariffs and rates

If your supplier won’t give you a guarantee that you will always have the lowest call charges no matter what, you can simply take your business elsewhere. The more competent suppliers will also guarantee that they will beat any reasonably comparable offer you’re ever made for cheap business phone calls.

2. You could get discounted line rental

Again, the more competent business phone systems suppliers will have certain agreements with BT which allow them to offer business customers meaningful discounts for line rental. Read your terms and conditions carefully to find out if you’re also entitled to free ADSL broadband.

3. Scrutinise your bills for ‘hidden charges’

Sadly, some of the less competent suppliers in this very competitive market may claim to provide cheap business phone calls, and then disguise the real amounts paid using ‘hidden charges’. Be especially aware of inflationary increase clauses; another problem is connection fees which were mysteriously never discussed when you signed the contract.

4. Be wary of ‘minimum charges’

If you have to pay a minimum charge, perhaps it’s for a service which you use so rarely you could well manage perfectly without it. Paying for services which don’t serve you just doesn’t make sense. You may find poor suppliers hide behind ‘industry jargon’ to disguise irrelevant service provision. A competent supplier will tailor your package to reflect your real-life business needs and talk to you in everyday language.

5. Obtain price comparisons and calls breakdowns

Have potential business phone systems suppliers create a price comparison between the rates they would offer and what you’re currently paying. It’s also possible to obtain a breakdown of potential savings for all the business telephone calls you make, whether national or international calls. If you can see substantial savings, you may well want to switch.

6. Train your staff how to handle calls more effectively

There is one more proven way to make sure you get cheap business phone calls. Often business calls involve airtime which isn’t actually focused on the business at hand. There are many straightforward phone techniques that still involve good customer service but cut down this unnecessary airtime. Before dialling or answering calls, set goals and make sure all the paperwork and computer files needed are already open. Limit social chat to the first 30 seconds or so of the call, then move onto analysing business problems and suggesting solutions. Having worked through the business at hand, check whether the caller has anything else they’d like to have resolved. This then gives you a polite way to bring the call to a natural ending.