Tips to Lower Telecom Costs
The pace of telecom and technology change continues to accelerate as demonstrated by recent announcements by AT&T and Sprint to no longer offer traditional land lines. In hindsight, it is easy to see how the I-Phone, I-Pad, and the Internet have affected almost every industry, including hospitality. The changing technology and fierce competition have rewarded those who manage their telecom and Internet assets. The following are a few recommended steps:
- The first step is having a summary of services being paid for and the usage of each. Your accounting department may have this information. The property’s telephone bill will provide some of the detail.
- A worksheet to assist in the gathering of this information includes: main telephone number, lines billed under the main number, description – Upon request RTM can provide a worksheet or better yet, RTM will complete the worksheet using one month copy of the properties telecom bills.
- Track long distance, toll-free, & local usage such as fax, elevator, PBX, etc.
- Business lines typically have an annual cost of $500.00. Eliminating unused business lines or converting to direct inward dialing numbers are some of the low hanging fruit.
- It is important to know the contract terms and expiration dates for services. (While an extreme case, RTM recently replaced a $8,000.00 a month out of contract T-1 with a $900.00 a month service from a Tier 1 provider.)
Since the guest usage on the hotel’s PBX is negligible, armed with the above information the process of re-engineering the type and quantity of telephone services and the saving can begin. Using an appropriate worksheet provides management a snapshot of actual and projected savings.
For more information on Telecom optimizations, please contact:
Terry Mueller
Founding Partner / Principal
Resource Technology Management, Inc.
251 Maitland Avenue, Suite 215
Altamonte Springs, Florida 32701
Direct line: 407-998-8028
Cellular: 407-257-0632