subject: Top 5 Questions to Ask a Conferencing Company Before Signing Up [print this page] Top 5 Questions to Ask a Conferencing Company Before Signing Up
1. Do I have to sign a contract? Find out if if you have to sign a long term contract, and if so, get a complete list of what they are giving you extra for signing the contract. If you aren't getting a special rate for how many minutes you're going to use, then there isn't any reason to sign a contract. Some carriers now offer toll free conference calling for 2.5 per minute without contracts or minimums, for conferences with 100 users or less, so unless you're having conferences of more than 100 people, a contract isn't usually worth it.
2. What are you offering for the price? Get a complete list of all the services that the conference call company gives you with your account. Make sure the list includes prices for everything, so that you don't use a service that they said comes with your account, but they didn't mention it was an extra 3 cents per minute. If you have the complete feature list of prices in hand, you will have a better idea of the true price of the conference calling services that you are comparing.
3. Are there any hidden fees? Some companies require that you use so many minutes per month, or a monthly fee, even if your company didn't do any conference calling that month. Ask upfront for a list of all fees, and for a sample invoice. Make sure you check everything on the bill, and that you aren't paying extra fees that you should be paying.
4. How many people can you have on a call and still have good sound? Get a list of their quality guarantees, so you know in advance whether or not they can handle your conference.
5. Do you offer a free conference call so I can check out your service? Most conference calling providers that have good services don't have a problem with you trying out their services. Most of these carriers will give you a free starter account, so you can test their features and services on a live call. Try out a few companies to see which one you like the best, then use them for your conferencing needs.
