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The Rip: Getting Control of Those Pesky Charges!
Arrrggg! Another #%& Phone bill! Like most Americans, you’re probably throwing up your hands in surrender and disgust. And rightfully so!
Did you know that if you only use 50 minutes of long distance a month under AT&T’s heavily advertised “One Rate 7¢” it will actually set you back 24.7¢ a minute? Or that MCI’s “Five Cents Any Day” rate will actually cost you 30.9¢ a minute if used during the day? And how about Sprint’s Sense 10 cents per minute rate? Bite your tongue... that can actually cost you 77.8 cents a minute!
So how do you fight these guys? How do you regain control of these outrageous costs and reduce expenses?
This second part of The RipWhite Paper will present some ideas on how to counteract these manipulations and achieve substantial savings even if you don’t use any long distance! For example, did you that you can eliminate certain charges by simply telling your local carrier you don’t want any long distance carrier? Or that even after adding in a $2 service charge if your monthly usage falls below $15, the special Unitel-Global Crossing rate of only 3.9¢ per minute rate is still 51% less than AT&T’s “One Rate 7¢” and a whopping 72% less than MCI’s so called “5¢ Any Day” rate (which is only good at night)?
So let’s get cutting! It’s time to roll back those bills and regain control with some of the following tips:
- Tip #1: If you have multiple lines in your place of business or home and use over 50 minutes per month, consider eliminating long distance service on as many extra lines as possible. This can be accomplished simply by contacting your LOCAL carrier and advising them you don’t want any long distance service on such and such a phone number. This will reduce your monthly “Carrier Line Charge”, the “Universal Access Fee”, any minimum charges, and possibly your local carrier’s “National Access Charge”. If you attempt to make a long distance call on a line that hasn’t any pre-subscribed long distance carrier, you will simply receive a message stating that you can’t use that line.
- Tip #2: For those using less than 50 minutes of long distance per month, consider refusing to sign up with any long distance provider at all! As stated above, simply call your local carrier and tell them you don’t want any long distance provider. This legal maneuver frees you of the “Carrier Line Charge”, monthly minimums, a lowered to non-existent “Universal Service Fee”, and sometimes a reduction in the “National Access Charge”.
If and when you require long distance, use one of the popular 1010 services. But be careful, each 1010 service has its own peculiarities and hidden charges! Our recommendation is 1016-868 (and no, we have no affiliation with this service). They charge 7.9¢ per minute, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The only additional charge is a “Universal Access Charge” for those months in which you use their service. To use, simply dial 1016-868 before the area code and phone number of your recipient.
Tip #3: If you have a traveling family member, children away at school, or out of state customers whom you would like to hear from more often, consider getting a toll free, 800 number. Many long distance carriers offer this option for a slight additional monthly fee.
The Unitel-Global Crossing plan, for example, charges only $2.50 per month for this service plus 3.9¢ per minute for stateside long distance calls.
Basically, when someone dials an 800 number, the call is forwarded to one of your existing phone numbers. Instead of the caller paying the charges, you foot the bill. Now don’t scream! If you have children away at school and they pay $1 or more per minute calling you from the dorm phone, in the final analysis you’ll be miles ahead!
- And customers are known to call you more often (hopefully with orders) if you have a toll free number.
Tip #4: Finally, engage a trustworthy communications consultant to seek out the best rate for your long distance needs. This is generally a no-cost option since the carriers rebate a small percentage of each client’s long distance charges as their fee. And since a consultant can only exist if he builds a large enough clientele base through referrals, they’ll either be honest or cease to exist.
Remember, everyone’s phone patterns differ slightly (and sometimes radically) from their neighbor. Your communications consultant will take your calling patterns into consideration when recommending any plan.
This report has been prepared and sponsored by Senitel Communications, a division of Jack Koenig & Associates, consultants to business and industry since 1976. Now serving the small business and residential market, Senitel can be reached toll free at 877-853-9700.
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