As you determine which pricing method is advantageous in your situation, be certain your vendor is fully disclosing ALL OF YOUR MONTHLY CHARGES, and provides a sample monthly bill. Don’t rule out plans that charge by the minute. You may find that a good per-minute price saves tremendously more than some so-called “unlimited” calling plans. Certainly, there are situations where an unlimited calling plan is best, but don’t assume it’s going to be cheaper. Remember: it’s the right combination of hardware and service that will ultimately create the value you receive for the dollars you spend.
Contract Fine Print Before signing any agreement, pay close attention to contract termination fees. Say your business grows more rapidly than expected, and you move from a VoIP to a PBX system to accommodate the growth. The cost of terminating a long-term contract with a VoIP provider may bear heavily on the overall cost-effectiveness of such a transition. Also be sure to inquire about the customer-support options of each provider. The peace of mind of having technical support available for questions and technical issues may be well worth the extra financial investment. Make sure you have a clear understanding of any limits contained in “unlimited” calling plans. It bears repeating: Carefully review every contract associated with the phone service you choose before committing to a binding agreement. Selecting a telephone solution that meets your business’ current and future needs is a powerful tool for setting yourself apart from your competition. Creating a less frustrating and more enjoyable phone
experience for your patients builds loyalty and gives your practice a professional edge. Remember that the key to picking the right system is finding the optimum combination of telephone hardware and service plan that is dynamic enough for your business now, and for where it will be in 5 years. Take time to understand the technology; make careful, informed decisions; don’t lock yourself into a long-term service plan without fully understanding the commitment; and when in doubt, ask questions. Your telephone system is an integral part of your business, and it’s well worth your while to choose one that will benefit your practice now and in the long run.
Glossary of Terms POTS: Plain Old Telephone Service. The oldest type of telephone service. If you have ever used a home telephone with a standard telephone jack, you have used a POTS system. PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network. A collective term for the network of analog and digital telephone systems used by the entire world to make and receive phone calls. VoIP: Voice Over Internet Protocol. Also called IP telephony, broadband phone, internet phone, or voice over internet. VoIP uses a high-speed Internet connection, rather than a traditional phone line connection, to make and receive phone calls. PBX: Private Branch Exchange. A system used to interconnect multiple phones (and other devices that use phone lines) to each other, and to connect them to outside telephone lines on the Public Switched Telephone Network. Although not exactly the same, the term Key System Unit (KSU) is sometimes used interchangeably. Hosted PBX: A software PBX hosted and maintained by a phone or Internet provider, rather than purchased by the business and installed inhouse. Typically managed by the end-user through an online portal. Premise PBX: The opposite of hosted PBX systems, PBX equipment is purchased or leased by the business and maintained in-house by the business itself. Hybrid PBX: Hybrid PBX can have several different meanings. In today’s world of telephone technology, it’s mostly used to describe a premisebased PBX that has the capability of integrating POTS and VoIP service, as well as analog and digital (IP) phones. Multi-Line Business Phone: Two and four-line business phones available at office-supply or electronics retailers. Distinguished by the user’s need to select a line on which to place a call (e.g, “Line 1,” “Line 2”), as opposed to PBX and VoIP phone systems that automatically choose an available line to place a call. aceOnHold is a TDA Perks Program partner that delivers personalized and professional on-hold messaging with no contracts or monthly fees. aceOnHold offers a 100 percent-satisfaction guarantee. For more information, contact aceOnHold at: (800) 892-9179, or visit: https://www.aceonhold. com/home/tda/. For more information regarding other TDA Perks Programs, visit tdaperks.com, or call (512) 443-3675. Texas Dental Journal l www.tda.org l April 2011
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