We’ve compiled a handy guide on buying business telephone systems. It’s not intended to be a definitive list but rather a guide to ensure you answer all the important questions. Here we cover the first 4 popular topics. In our next blog post we’ll cover the remaining topics.

  1. Popular Business Telephone Systems
    An important rule is to always buy popular brands of business telephone systems. Popular brands are a sign that the system is easily supported by a number of different phone dealers. There are some relatively decent systems out there but the issue is that only a handful of dealers support them. If that dealer goes out of business or you choose no longer to be affiliated with them where do you go for support? Popular brands include: Alcatel, Avaya, Cisco, Ericcson LG, NEC, Panasonic, Samsung to name a few.
  2. What guarantees to you get?
    Every phone system comes with a manufacturer warranty and the typical period is 12 months. This covers parts but very rarely labour. Some business telephone systems, like the Avaya, even offer optional extended warranties of up to 5 years. The other consideration is what personal guarantees and warranties are the phone company installing your new solution offering. Very few offer any aftermarket support unless you pay for it with expensive maintenance agreements. Infiniti offers buyers a 14 day money back guarantee after the system has been installed for the ultimate peace of mind. Make sure you not only get the right solution but also aftermarket support should you need it.
  3. Payment Options
    Many phone companies will only provide an option to rent. This is often a way to disguise the actual price of business telephone systems. This is most common when telephone companies involve phone call savings to offset the rental amount. You should always ask for the outright price as well as any other options they may present. There are 4 common choices – rent, lease, buy or bundle.
    • Rent: this is where you make monthly tax deductible payments over a designated term of either: 24, 36, 48 or 60 months.
    • Lease: Just like a rental you choose a term that suits. However, with a lease you have a fixed residual, or balloon payment, at the end of the term which means you can opt to buy the business telephone system if you choose.
    • Pay outright: pay by cash or credit card.
    • Bundle: this is where you use your phone calls to pay for business telephone systems. If done properly, you can get a solution for next to nothing and can be a fantastic option.

No matter which payment option you choose it is always a god idea to speak with your accountant or financial adviser for most advantageous payment method to suit your business and cash flow.
In our next blog we’ll give you more helpful hints in buying business telephone systems.