As anyone running a small business knows, almost every service provider claims to offer services that are high-quality and low cost. When it comes to the detail of these claims, however, they can often be vague, offering little by way of real proof.
Not so with Vonage. They are so certain of the cost-efficiency of their solution they are willing to lay it out in a comprehensive comparison table, measuring what they have to offer against some of the UK’s most popular providers.
Eliminate the cost and pain of installation
Set-up costs are often a source of worry for small businesses – especially when it comes to vital services such as the telephone. Installing a phone line with BT can cost over £100 – and even cheaper alternatives such as TalkTalk and Sky charge over £40. With Vonage, not only is there no installation fee, there’s also no lengthy lead time. Rather than waiting up to 14 days and staying home for an engineer to visit, Vonage customers simply wait two or three days for their Vonage box to arrive, plug it straight into their broadband router and phone handset and start making low-cost calls.
Say goodbye to line rental
Unlike traditional telephone service providers such as BT – who charge over £15 per month for line rental, Vonage only charges customers for their call plan, which means a single low monthly fee for unlimited calls. For customers with broadband services delivered through a landline, this means the ability to set up multiple phone lines while only paying a single line rental charge. And for those with fibre optic broadband, it provides the opportunity to avoid paying line rental fees altogether.
Feature-rich at no extra cost
The adage “you get what you pay for” is often bandied about when it comes to purchasing products or services on a budget. One of the refreshing things about Vonage is that customers access a lot of quality features that they don’t pay for. Essential business communication features such as call waiting, caller display, anonymous call waiting, call divert, three-way calling and ring back are all included as part of the Vonage call plan, whereas providers such as TalkTalk, BT and Sky charge between £1.46 and £3.33 per month for each feature. Smalls costs like these can quickly add up – often forcing smaller businesses to choose between making a professional impression and breaking even.
Spread your wings
Unlike major VoIP competitor Skype, Vonage doesn’t charge a per-minute rate for calls to UK landlines – they are included within the unlimited calling plan. Calls to mobiles are more than 30% cheaper than BT or TalkTalk and calls to numbers in Europe, Canada and the US are as low as 10% of the cost of calls made with a traditional telephone service provider. This takes the cost pressure off smaller businesses, allowing them to provide vital support to customers regardless of their location.
All the flexibility you need
Many service providers tie small businesses into contracts with a minimum term of 12 months – something which can present difficulties if their business experiences rapid growth and outgrows their existing package. In contrast, Vonage offers a minimum contract of 30 days – making it easy for businesses to make necessary changes as they grow.
To see how Vonage compares to other telephony providers – click here
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This advertisement feature is provided by Vonage, sponsors of the Guardian Media Network’s Business Connections hub
