Call Accounting Resellers Suffer From Enormous Challenges

The majority of call accounting dealers are experiencing avoidable headaches caused by call accounting service delivery issues. The process of delivering call accounting services is recognized as difficult and time intensive but with some relatively easy changes to normal operating procedures it can become very easy and extremely profitable. However, to make the changes necessary, the reader must have an open mind to accept there is a more efficient method. With your mind open, read further.

Generally, Call Accounting is a low cost item with high ongoing service costs. This is so because of the environment in which it operates. Good results from traditional stand alone software are dependent on:

a. the PBX working reliably

Is the PC and its operating system stable?

Is mains power reliable?

Is the clients Local Area network stable?

e. Call tariff tables, maintaining them to closely mimic the telephone service providers costs.

The customer needs call accounting reports at the end of the month, if for one day of the month just one of the items listed is inoperable or inaccurate then the reports will be incorrect. Incorrect reports lead to investigations to find the root cause, these are expensive and the customer does not want to pay. The reseller compromises on the cost of the investigation to avoid having an unhappy customer. For the reseller, an unprofitable encounter.

The solution is to have more control over the environment, to limit the number of things that can go wrong, and to reduce the impact of those things you cannot control.

To press the point, I ask the reseller; What percentage of your installed base is working effectively right now, today?, then the following question, "when will you find out which installations are faulty?" The reseller's answer is ; "when the customer tells me." - This can't be described as adequate service.

Now consider the issue of updating your call cost tables. Lets surmise you have a customer base of 600 clients, a technician can update four per day, so will take 150 working days to update them all. Clearly this not a practical solution to the problem.

All these problems lead to insurmountable challenges, there has to be a better way to do this.

The answer is a fully managed service, Software as a Service, a sophisticated web application that tells you when a site is not collecting data and allows you to update tariff tables from your desk. You know when there is a problem at a customers premises before the customer has any idea, 80% of the time a phone call asking the customer to check some basics like "Is it plugged in" will fix the problem and avoid difficulties at Report Time.

There is no doubt, resellers are enthusiastic when it comes to improving service levels. An Internet based call accounting service makes this possible and because of the very low cost associated with running the service, the reseller can expect very high profit margins as a bonus.

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