Small businesses and non-profits often overpay for telecom because nothing forces a review. Contracts renew, promotions expire and lines outlive the reason they were ordered. Work through this list with your last two or three bills in front of you.
1. Lines and numbers you do not use
List every line and number on the bill and mark what each one is for. The ones nobody can explain are usually a former employee's line, a fax number from years ago or a line for a system that has since been removed.
2. Users you no longer have
On a per user system, check the license count against your current headcount. Licenses for people who have left are easy to miss.
3. Copper phone lines
Traditional copper lines have become steadily more expensive as carriers retire them. Find out what each one serves: alarm panels, fax machines, elevator phones and some card readers still use them. Some can move to alternatives, and some have code requirements, so check with whoever maintains that equipment.
4. Features you pay for twice
Conferencing, call recording, voicemail to email and texting can end up billed by the phone provider and by another tool you already use. Pick one.
5. Expired promotional pricing
A 12 or 24 month introductory rate that has quietly ended shows up as a price rise with no change in service. Compare this month's bill with one from a year ago.
6. Auto-renewal terms
Find the contract end date and the notice period. Many agreements renew automatically unless you give notice 30 to 90 days before the end. Put that date in the calendar now, even if you plan to stay.
7. Taxes, fees and surcharges
Government taxes are not negotiable, but a provider's own recovery or administrative fees are part of its price. Read the fees section line by line and ask about anything you do not recognize.
8. Internet speed against what you use
Check whether your plan matches how you actually use it. Some businesses pay for speed they never touch, while others would be better served by a second, cheaper connection as a backup than by a faster single one.
9. Equipment rental
Monthly rental on routers, modems or phones can run for years after the equipment has paid for itself several times over. Check whether buying it, or returning it, makes sense.
10. Who you call when it breaks
Price is not the only thing on the bill. Check what support you are paying for, how quickly problems are meant to be fixed, and whether anyone can come on site.
What to do with what you find
Start with the items that save money without changing anything people use day to day: unused lines, departed users, rental you no longer need. Then look at the contract before its renewal date. If you would rather someone else did the reading, our free Cost Clarity Audit works through this list and more, and gives you the result in plain English. You can also request the printable Cost Clarity guide.