Shop Smart: 10 Tips to the Best Long Distance Service

Search for long Distance for business on the internet and you'll get at least 1,330,000 choices. And that's just today. So how do you refine your search and find the best long distance provider? By asking the right questions.

Although you may be a little unsure of just what some of these questions mean, ask them anyway. The more information you get, the better long-term decision you'll make.

Before You Buy:

1. Ask what type of experience each company has in the telecom industry. The longer the company's experience, the better and more dependable it should be.

2. Ask if for at least three quotes from different long distance companies. Also ask if they are carriers or resellers, or a combination. Ask how long they’ve been in business--the greater the longevity of the company, the more dependable the service should be. There may also be more service options.

3. Ask what fees they charge. If they do charge, ask how the fees are based. You don’t want to lose any potentials savings by paying hidden fees. Also ask about potential upcoming increases, and if there is a way to secure a certain rate. It never hurts to ask.

4. Ask how the company figures the costs, including surcharges and increments. Charges of each carrier occur in either 6,18, 30 or 60 second increments and include surcharges. All of this can be confusing, which, unfortunately, can result in the customer paying much more than what he or she understood they would pay.

5. Determine who will handle your account--a team, or a project coordinator, or someone else. Ask if this person or team will continue to be involved with your account. It is almost always to your advantage to develop a relationship with the person handling your account.

After You Buy:

6. Find out who to contact and how to report a service interruption in case of an outage.

7. Get billing contact information. Unfortunately, telecom companies have been known to confuse their customer’s bills. Estimate how long it will take you to review and correct your bill just to make sure you’re not paying more than you should.

8. Ask for the name and contact information of the person who will be responsible to interpret your first bill and otherwise inform you of the meanings of charges—especially to ensure that the rate you were promised is the rate at which you were billed.

9. Ask about customer satisfaction surveys, and follow-ups--and request one. If the company doesn't set a specific date, suggest one. If the company is vague about how they gauge the satisfaction of their customers, then they probably don’t have such a system. The best companies do.

10. Ask about procedures at the end of the term. Get specifics. Get a fax or email if possible of the details.

Asking these questions may be uncomfortable, but shopping smart for long distance is to your advantage, because taking the time to ask these questions will increase the potential of securing the best service. Remember, finding a company with superior service will save you much time and trouble later. Also, any dependable, good company will be happy to answer these questions for you.