So, what makes for a good conference call service? Is there a difference in conference call service providers? What are the main things that you should make sure you get in a conference call service.
I have been in the conference call service business for over 14 years, so I know a lot about what goes on behind the scenes in a conference call service company. But, for the average user, has no idea and so many of the conference call service providers look the same from the outside how would anyone know the difference? Maybe I can shed some light on some of the main things to look for in a conference call service company so you know what to look for and what to watch out for when selecting a provider.
- Services
- Quality
- Reliability
- Support
Services
First, you should make sure that the conference call service provider you are looking at has the service to match your needs. You will need to know how many conference calls per month your company does. This is easily calculated by finding out what the average number of people on a conference call is and how long, in minutes that they are typically on the conference call. If most calls have 4 - 5 people for about an hour you simply take the number of participants (4) times the number of minutes (60 for an hour) and you will see that you generate 240 minutes per conference call. Then by taking the number of conference calls per week that you do you can determine the number of minutes per month. If you do about 3 conference calls per week then 3 times 240 times 4 weeks in a month gives you 2,880 conference call minutes per month.
Now that you know how much conferencing you do you should confirm the features that the conference call service provider offers to make sure it is what you expect. Most conference calls that you have probably used in the past are the type that is called reservationless. You are assigned a toll free access number and a passcode to get into the conference call. Unless you want your participants to have to pay long distance charges while they access your conference calls you should make sure that the access is toll free.
There are a number of other features that you may or may not need so you should make a list of the things you need in a conference call service and confirm that the provider you are looking at does offer them because not all conference call service providers offer the same services. A few features to consider are recording of conference calls, transcription, host controls, online account access and volume control on the conference call.
Quality
Quality really comes down to one simple thing. Does the conference call sound good? The sound on a conference call is really based on two factors, the conference call equipment itself and the network that connects the conference call equipment to the telephone network itself. Since there are many options for a conference call service provider to choose from here, your best indication of quality is the conference call itself. Can you clearly hear the participants, etc. Most conference call service companies will offer a free trial of some sort to hear the quality of the conference call.
Reliability
Reliability is a tough thing to measure when looking at a conference call service company. But you can find out a little about their infrastructure to give you an idea of how reliable their network may prove to be. Does the company have more than one piece of conference call equipment? If there is a problem on the conference call equipment your conference call is on can they move your conference call to another piece of equipment? What long distance network are they using? A major provider like AT&T or Sprint will have a network that provides some redundancy in the event of a problem where a smaller provider may not.
Support
And finally, support. You may never need to lean on a conference call service provider’s support team, but if you do will they be there when you need them? Does the conference call service company offer 24/7 support? Do they assign a representative to your account to provide a contact in case you have questions or issues that need to be addressed? What about online support? Does the conference call service company offer online self help in the form of a searchable database, user guides and account access tools so that you can make changes to your conference calls yourself?
So, when you are reviewing conference call service companies, remember that price alone should not be the only thing you look at to determine which company is right for you.
Tags: Conference Call Service, Conference Call Service Provider, Conferencing, Free Access, Match, Participants, Passcode, People, Provider Services, Quality Reliability, Service Business, Service Providers