Before you Cut off the Landline...

It can be hard to remember why we keep around landlines that seems so aged when new technology is all around us.  However, can you say about any of your new technology that it lasts all the time through storms or that it doesn't get lost or stolen.  A landline is a dependable form of communication that many forget about.

Depend on the landline and depend on Business Network Long Distance for quality long distance.

Insurance You Can Count On!

In the United States we love our insurance policies. We insure just about everything. We insure our homes, our cars, health, recreational equipment, the things in our homes and cars too. We insure our business, the people who work for our business, the things we use at our business and possibly the customers who use our business. 

Well how do you like that? That sure sounds nice and cozy doesn’t it? Insurance helps us to keep our peace of mind. That if things should not go the way we hope, should some kind of tragedy strike, we will not have to suffer too great of a loss.

We seem to have a plan for almost every situation these days, but what about your communication needs.  You have a cell phone and insurance on your cell phone, but do you have a backup plan?  Isn’t that what insurance is really all about?  Having something in case the first thing falls through or gets broken.  Your cell phone if lost or stolen leaves you with no way to contact people or activate your insurance. 

Enter…Landline.  The landline is your insurance line for communication needs.  Not only that but it also provides extra reliability with contacting 911, giving you another form of insurance.  Your business depends on communication, are you prepared for any situation?

Of the two hundred and seventy million 911 calls made in the United States each year, the response time to the individual location is based on knowing the exact address.  If your home or business does not have a landline telephone in it, the call made for help may take a significantly longer amount of time to arrive.

You see the 911 operators are only able to respond with the type of pinpoint accuracy you really need in an emergency situation when the call is made from a landline telephone. This is possible because when a 911 call goes out from a landline telephone, the dispatcher is given the exact location the call has been made from as soon as the call is placed. This is done automatically as the call has been made from a fixed location.

 Now that is an insurance policy you can count on when you need it!  A plan that has no “may be” to it. Sure a cell phone call signal can be traced by pinging the signal off a series of towers. But that can take time. Time you and your business or customers may not have.  The inaccuracy from a cell phone can be a real problem if the call is made from a cell phone within a public space.  Don’t leave the safety of your home or business left in the hands of your cell phone. You don’t have to settle for less.

This great low cost insurance that you can have to safeguard your home or business is found only in landline telephone and is irreplaceable.  To learn how affordable the great policy can be for you. Contact Business Network Long Distance to save money on your long distance bill!

The Real Cost of Cellphones

The rage of social media --- texting, Facebook, on-line shopping, on-line banking and bill paying has cost employers millions of dollars in paid out wages to employees playing on the job. Profits are lost due to a decrease in productivity. In addition to paying current wages, employers have been forced to hire specialist to track employee quality and quantity of work, as well as, invest in Spyware to make sure that the time employees spend on-line is for business purposes.

            In analyzing how much employee cell phone usage cost an employer. An example of 10 employees who earn $15 an hour that check their cell phones for 3 minutes every other hour on an 8-hour shift. (3 minutes multiplied by 4 times a day= 12 minutes). Those 10 employees multiplied by 12 minutes daily= 120 minutes total then multiplied by 5 days a week= 600 minutes or 10 hours, which equals $150 dollars a week. Yearly the cumulative cost for those 10 employees checking and responding to email and Facebook for one year is a staggering $7,800 dollars in lost wages and 520 hours in lost productivity. Believe it or not the above example of an employee using only 12 minutes a day used for social media is extremely conservative.

            What do you think your employees are doing on their phones?  Don’t let that be a company expense.  Cell phones in the work place are a major distraction for employees, which create not only losses in payroll and productivity, but also create an unsafe work environment as well. Cell phones are hurting both large and small companies. In order to put money back into your company start by saving money on your business landlines by choosing Business Network Long Distance as an alternative long-distance provider. 

The Landline Investment

Your business needs less hassle and more convenience, do just that with a landline.

Contact Business Network Long Distance to save money on your long distance bill today!

Your Business Line Should Be Professional

When employees use their smartphones instead of business landlines for work, it can be cost-effective for some organizations, but there are downsides to cutting the cord, including problems with call quality and issues around organizational control.

The traditional desktop telephone persists in most enterprise settings today, despite the rise of smartphones.  Before you unplug all your business landlines, think about some of the problems you may encounter. 

Do you want important customers, clients and other contacts to have access to your employee’s personal phone numbers? 

Mobile phones are essential for many personal activities, but employees really don’t need mobile access at work.  It is instead better to have landlines for the work environment.  In these scenarios, employers will appreciate the lower costs of wired services and employees will appreciate the improved reliability. 

“Our advice to clients is not to switch from an office-based phone to a cell phone exclusively,” said Fred Manuel, General Partner at Alliance Cost Containment in Ann Arbor, Mich., a company that works with businesses to reduce costs in all areas of operation.

Manuel said that while his focus is helping customers cut costs, using a cell phone can cost more in the end because it can be frustrating to customers who can’t hear you clearly on the phone.

“What you’re saying to your client is that you care more about saving money than delivering good service and you may be sending the message that you really don’t have the money for an office with a land based phone,” Manuel told Business News Daily.

As you know, everything has its advantages and disadvantages.  Whether keeping a separate landline for your mobile phone is going to work for you or not, would depend on your needs and preferences; but taking them into consideration won’t do you any harm.  Keep your landline and all of its advantages and save even more money on your long distance service contact Business Network Long Distance, your trusted business partner.

Cell Phones in the Workplace: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Cellular phones seem to be a part of society, now even entering the workplace.  Many employers are attempting to go strictly cellular at their businesses and seem to think it is a good idea to let their workers bring their own cell phones to work.  Business owners may be thinking that it can possibly reduce costs, ensure a better work environment because the employees are happier and even attract new and more creative workers.  Despite the good this idea affords, the bad and the ugly can be costly for your business.

Some may think it’s abnormal to think that you would let your employees bring their smart phones to make them happier; nevertheless, while you're paying them for productivity and creativity, they are wasting time on their phones!  As an employer, you are paying them to work for your business and contribute to the company’s growth.  If you were visiting a store or a potential business partner, how would you feel if they were texting and watching videos instead of working? 

Another factor to consider is how easy it is to be distracted by your smartphone.  Cell phones provide enjoyment in all forms and can continually entertain us.  They provide captivating material between the texts, social media and games; you can be entertained for hours without even using the phone as a phone.  So are you paying your employees cell phone bills for calls or for the extras? 

While banning cell phones is an unlikely solution, instead keep the cell phones for personal calls and the business line for work.

One last problem to consider in providing cell phones to employees is that it blurs the line between home and work.  Employees answering personal phone calls at work and working from home can get difficult and stressful quickly. 

Keep the cell phones out of the workplace and save money.  Business Network Long Distance is your trusted business partner, helping you keep cost down and productivity high.

The Perks of a Business Phone

Have you ever thought the grass was greener on the other side? It may seem that way when considering removing your business landline and going to all cell phones.  However after making the switch you may face some disappointments.

With a landline you have no contacts to deal with and use a long distance provider that only charges you for the calls you make.  There is a nominal fee for your landline that meets your needs and your budget.  The cell phone switch can be expensive and charge overages when you least expect them.  Don’t waste time watching minutes and tracking your employee’s phone usage with their cell phones. 

The shiny small smart phones may seem appealing and tech savvy.  However, your landline gives you a dependable phone.  The business phone as a landline provides a clear connection every time.  Cell phones lose service when you least expect it, that’s never good when talking to a client or customer and you have to repeat yourself due to no bars.

Cell phones also cause distractions at work for employees.  Many employers who have switched to cell phones for their business line have realized how much time employees waste playing games or contacting friends and family.  The landline dials, that’s it.  It’s the perfect communication tool for businesses with unlimited lines.

Landlines may not be the perfect thing for when you are on the road or on a business trip so keep your cell phone.  Just don’t get rid of your landline because you think it will be more convenient.  It causes more of a hassle in the long run.  The grass may look green, but that green grass takes a lot more work than you can see. 

Keep the cell phone private and keep your business professional with long distance services from Business Network Long Distance.  

Cell Phone vs. Landline

There is a price one pays to enjoy the plethora of benefits of owning a cell phone. A cell phone makes life easier and efficient, but annoyance and vulnerability are a part of the package as well.

The cell phone and the landline are natural allies, their inherent abilities and inabilities work well together, let’s consider them.

Cell Phone: Mobility equals around the clock access for everyone to you, which can mean a ton of calls, at any given time, from those you do not need or want to talk with.

Landline: The home phone should be the work horse for receiving calls, an answering machine or service is a great way to screen calls.

Cell Phone: This mode of communication is not operating on a secured system, conversations can easily be intercepted. You are a sitting duck if you give sensitive financial or very personal information over your cell phone. A simple device like a scanner can intercept the analog waves that carry wireless calls.

Landline: You have security of your conversation because it is harder to intercept a conversation through cables compared to radio waves.

Cell Phone: This technological wonder is prone to loss, theft, misplacement and damage.

Landline: The old but faithful is stationary and robust, it has stood the test of time.

In short, make your cell phone number exclusive, like a country club. You do not want everyone to have access to you. Your home number is like the county park, it allows more access to you but it's screened. In addition, the long distance service on the landline is less expensive.

Contact Business Network Long Distance for a great price and great quality with your long distance services.