sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Which Brand?

I have to agree with Groundstart on this one. The decision has already been made based on price alone.
Cweinerphd, please remember that you get what you pay for. Do you want the sysytem to be installed and programmed correctly or cheaply?
My dentist has a sign on his wall that I love: "The bitterness of cheap quality remains long after the thrill of a bargain fades."

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Avaya Telephone Repair
Toshiba Telephone Repair

First of all, I am a woman. Ok, maybe I was not clear enough in my original message. The reason I posted is because once I compared what was being offered to me (making sure they were equal in equipment) I wanted to know why I would not just choose the cheapest at that point? I mean, if they all looked the same to me, then it made sense to take the least expensive. I was seeking advice as to what I should be looking for to make me think it was worth paying more money for one vs another. Seems you guys know each other and there are lots of inside jokes (I guess at my expense) but I was completely open to all suggestions and offers when I posted. But seems others have decided for me that the "case [is] closed".




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CWB

I should add that I have spent probably 40 hours researching telephone systems to understand what is involved, have spoken to at least 6 different vendors, have sought out advice from many others (businesses and obviously all of you) and am meeting with vendors to check out their product and am checking their references rather than being pressured into a sale. For somebody completely unfamiliar with this field, who owns a small business (less than 6 people), I have a feeling I am doing much more than most to investigate this before buying. If I was only influenced by price, I would have purchased the used NEC for $700. So, anybody seriously wanting to advise me is appreciated. If all is equal in equipment, is there a recommended brand or type of service I should be looking for (given that references also check out)?

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CWB

First, $2400 is NOT the cheapest!
I deal with a small systems (that often get looked down on here because it's not a "real" phone systems - but really I think it's that they can't make money on MACS ) BUT for your application I maintain that they offer better performance, more flexibility, better support and better warranty. No it does not ofer some of the more advanced controls or features, but lets face it. for the size and use you are descibing will you ever need those?

Look at my Bizfon 680 -
6 lines 8 extensions
14 port VM with 2 hours
Fax routing
aa day/night
info mail boxes
and I can build a system with 6 24 button
phones for about $2200.

your doing the right thing.
as far as the inside joke...well mitch is the inside joke around here, if you read any of the threads in the phone booth, you'll know what I mean.

Mitch you posted:

Sounds like the same attitude in another post, where you said "Exactly" "Get the customer first" you looking to close your doors.
BTW...here's that other thread.
https://www.sundance-communications.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/001105-2.html

So nice to be luved.......

Mitch...you are loved
however no one should take you too serious.

Given that we are considering the NEC Aspire S at this point, can anybody direct us as to the reputation of this brand? Again, we are checking out references of the vendors and making sure that they are apt programmers with good service.

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CWB

CWein,
In general, a member of this board is a highly trained professional with years of experience in doing high quality installations. There is a little bit of bitterness over a recent trend in telephony. It is now possible for anyone to find certain systems very cheaply through the internet.
What often happens is that someone without qualifications will bid on jobs to sell and install the system without being certified in the system or adequately understanding all of the ins and outs of quality wiring or programming. When the system fails to function as expected, due to the negligence of the installer, the installer often tries to blame the system, rather than admitting that they messed up. The customer, you in this case, ends up thinking that the system is garbage and you tell your friends this when the problem was not the system, it was the cheap installation.
I hope that you understand that there are many, many postings here looking for advice on a new phone system.
The bottom line is there are probably 10-15 different systems out there that will more than adequately fill all of your needs.
The difference that you will see will be mostly dependent on who does the installation and servicing. Get references, check references. Ask people, not what system they use, but who services it and are they happy with their level of service.
In my book, a high level of professional competence is worth paying a little more for.
Just my 2 cents.


[This message has been edited by paul144 (edited August 25, 2005).]

[This message has been edited by paul144 (edited August 25, 2005).]