...we [can] learn something new but what good will it do us when every CG is selling a telecom solution and people forget us and begin to consider them.

Since I posted that statement a few days ago I heard from two old established customers. Both have strong relationships with outside CGs.

The first customer, a small prep school, was moving and now wanted phones in each new classroom. Right off when they called me they were kind of evasive about the project, they wouldn't give too many details even after I offered to look at the site or even just the plans. Because of that I told them that I couldn't quote anything other than the cost of the additional phones (I recommended 2500 type sets for the classrooms) and the cost of the mods to upgrade their 3 year old Partner system. That wasn’t a lot of money but naturally I couldn’t give them a price to move the system or install the wiring and phones without seeing the project. I was told their sparkie would be doing the wiring and that there are two buildings with underground conduit being run between them. Ok, so I wrote up what I could quote and included that the premises wiring would have to be installed under our supervision and the underground cable would have to be installed by us because of the required protectors and to insure that it is of the proper type. But again I had no idea what was involved.

Second customer is also a move; new building is being built which is about 50% completed. I’m at their existing office a few times a year to do MACs and not one word about the new building even after I drop the hint- how is it going? I was there last week to make changes to their Partner Messaging. The office manager is discussing the changes she would like made with another girl at which time the girl slips and says “this is only until we move into the new building, right?”

So what happens? First customer calls to thank me but they have decided to go with VoIP. It will save them $14,000 because they won’t have to run a cable between the buildings. How do they know what the cable will cost?? The second customer I’m sure will go VoIP also.

None of this really bothers me EXCEPT why didn’t they consider asking us about a VoIP solution. I’ll tell you why- it’s because they think VoIP is something that is to be provided by an IT company.

-Hal

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 WARNING: Some comments made by me are known to the State of California to cause irreversible brain damage and serious mental disorders leading to confinement.