Does your company have at least 20 cellular devices? If so, there is a good chance you are paying too much for your services. There are many reasons why a company should consider a third- party, impartial audit of their corporate cellphone plan. I have seen studies that indicate as much as 80% of all billing errors are in favor of the provider, not the consumer. This is staggering!
Do you have internal staff specifically trained to audit the cellular account on a monthly basis? If not, statistics indicate that you are most likely overpaying. Since 2006, Verify! has been working with clients throughout the United States to reduce overall telecom expense while maximizing the effectiveness of every dollar spent. We average 22% savings on all cellular audits.
According to Plunkett Research, LTD., cellular spending in the United States alone was $187.8 billion in 2014, 75.8% of which was for smartphones. With numbers like this, it is not surprising that companies are paying more than they need to. To accurately identify areas for savings, you must first understand each line item. Are you paying for services you are not using? Do you have the appropriate insurance coverage on the devices? Are the plans supporting your trends and usage patterns or are they generating charges that could be avoided?
One thing is for certain: If you have any promotional services, plans or pricing, you will want to consider carefully any changes you make to your plans as it could unexpectedly increase the cost in other areas of the bill. This is where the expertise of a cellular auditor can be of great value. What then you ask, should you look for in a cellular auditor? We suggest that you look for a company that not only performs an initial audit but can also provide on- going monthly support and management of the expense. Too many times I have seen clients adjust rates and plans which reduced the cost but only in the short term. You may also want to consider a firm with multiple staff members trained to work on cellular accounts to avoid the scarcity of time and availability of auditors.
We find that most consumers prefer one cellular provider over another which is why we work with the existing cellular provider, within the confines of the existing contract. Be wary of an auditor who recommends that you change providers.
We recently completed an audit for a non- profit with 126 devices (basic phones, smartphones and tablets). We worked with the existing cellular provider and were able to reduce their monthly spend by approximately $500.00/month and are currently working to resolve a billing error which will reduce the cost by an additional $200.00/month. That is nearly $700.00/month or $8,400.00/year they are able to put back into programmatic activity! This success story was in spite of the adamant insistence of the sales rep from the wireless company stating the most the bill could be reduced was $100.00/month.
Telecom bills are by design, difficult to understand and decipher. If figuring out your bill has got you pulling out your hair, perhaps it is time to consider a no- cost review of the account. Verify! has the expertise and experience to squeeze the most out of the bill and get it back to your bottom line!
Please contact us at 800-400-7180 for assistance with your cellular account.
