Posts Tagged ‘Provider Services’

With a Conference Call Provider Service makes all the Difference

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Conference call services all look very similar to one another these days.  They all provide a dial in number and a pass code and allow you to access the service without a reservation.  So how do you distinguish between different providers?  You will find, maybe the hard way, that with a Conference Call Provider Service makes all the difference.  With a conference call provider service means the quality and reliability of the conference call itself as well as the kind of support they offer their customers.  Here are some of the areas where conference call provider services are different.

  • Conference Call Quality – The quality of the conference call provider service is determined by a number of factors.  First the connection to the worldwide telephone network should be as direct as possible.  Where the conference call provider is located helps determine the kind of connection they can get to these networks.  And the telecommunication providers they utilize will also determine the quality of the conference call.  With Zip Conferencing we use only top tier telecommunications providers and use direct digital connections to their networks to ensure the highest quality connections possible.  The second factor is the type of conference call equipment being used by the conference call provider service.  If the equipment is older or of inferior quality it will impact the quality of the conference call.  Zip Conferencing uses the latest conference call equipment to help ensure the highest quality of the conference calls.  
  • Conference Call Reliability – The reliability of the conference call provider service is determined by the steps the provider has taken to provide back ups to its conference call network.  Has the provider gone to the expense necessary to back up all of their systems in the case of an outage or emergency?  Zip Conferencing has battery and generator power back ups on all of its systems to ensure consistent power availability.  We have also installed back up conference call equipment that can be immediately deployed in the case of an outage.  We also use more than one telecommunications provider so that our services will remain available even in the event that the telecommunications provider has an outage.  These steps add up to our ability to have our conference call systems available over 99.9% of the time.
  • Conference Call Support- If you need support from your conference call provider will they be able to deliver?  Zip Conferencing has support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  We even provide support while you are on your conference call by pressing *0 on your telephone while in the call.  Conference call support is not something you may need all the time but when you need it you will want it to be available.

So if you are looking for a conference call provider service is what makes all the difference.

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Conference Call Service Reviews

Monday, September 28th, 2009

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.

www.zipconferencing.com

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