Ten
Tips for Choosing a VoIP Provider
What should you consider
when choosing a VoIP provider? Read our simple tips and do your own VoIP
comparisons before making your decision.
VoIP phone service is a
fast growing business. Numerous companies offer VoIP service to
residential and business customers. These companies may vary in size and
services, but professional
VoIP reviews are very few. Therefore, choosing a VoIP
provider seems to be a difficult task for many people. Here are some simple
tips to help you compare individual VoIP providers before making your
decision.
1) Price
Many people look at the price first and choose the one offering the lowest
price, thinking that they get a good bargain. Price should never be your
first priority when choosing a VoIP provider. With keen competition in the
market these days, the price difference among different service providers is
minimal, probably differing by only a few dollars per month. You should
consider your need first and find the VoIP provider and service plan that
best accommodate your need, then compare the price.
2) Service
Having good quality and reliable service is probably the most important
criterion when choosing a VoIP provider. What is the point to sign up for
the cheapest service but fail to get a quality phone call? However, bear in
mind that the quality of VoIP service depends on the quality of broadband
connection. If you use the VoIP service from standalone VoIP providers,
make sure that your broadband connection is also up to standard.
3) Customer
support Many of you may encounter some technical problems when you first
install a VoIP phone. Make sure the VoIP provider provides good customer
support including 24 hours phone support 7 days a week.
4) Satisfaction
guarantee It does not matter how much research you have done beforehand,
sometimes, you just need to try the service to see if you like it or not.
Most companies do require you to sign a 1 year contract and a penalty fee
will be charged if you unsubscribe before the contract period ends.
Choosing a company that provides 30 days satisfaction guarantee can protect
you from any loss. If you dont like their service, you can terminate it
without a penalty.
5) Company
size It is usually safer to choose a market leader than smaller
companies. Large companies are often better run and they have more
sophisticated equipments and facilities than small companies. In addition,
you dont want your VoIP provider close down suddenly and have to go through
the selection process once again.
6) Service
plans There are many VoIP service plans to choose from. Some provide
unlimited local and long distance calls; some even provide unlimited global
calls to international cities. Some plans are designed for residential
customers, while some are for small businesses or large corporations. Choose
a plan that most suitable for your need.
7) Local
area codes Find a VoIP provider which can offer a local area code.
Otherwise, your friends living in your area will be charged for long
distance calls when they call you using an analog phone.
8) Additional
features Call forwarding, call waiting, conference call, caller ID, call
filtering are all very useful bonuses. Make sure the VoIP provider provides
these features for free.
9) E911
VoIP phone service operates differently from analog phone. Make sure the
VoIP provider offers E911 service (enhanced 911). The enhanced 911 service
allows your personal information like name and address to be given to your
local dispatch center automatically. Remember to update your address with
your VoIP provider when you move so the dispatch center can reach you
immediately during an emergency.
10)
Reviews There are a few sites
listing customer reviews which can be used as a reference. However, please
bear in mind that these reviews can be tainted and since the quality of VoIP
service is affected by other factors (e.g. quality of broadband connection),
it is not uncommon to find both good and bad reviews for the same company.
If in doubt, you can always call the VoIP companies to express your concern
and ask for clarification.
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