Advice on Small Business Phone System ?

Edwards Finance > Phones

Q. I am building a new chiropractic office. The building will be 4224 sq. ft., of which I will occupy 2112 sq. ft.. I need a minimum of three phone lines. Three lines that trunk over, the last of which will be used with an analog fax and SBC dsl. I will be looking for a couple of other doctors to be independent contractors, that will need there own phone lines (numbers) to advertize so our businesses can be truely seperate. In addition, if everything works out I may take over the other 2112 sq. ft. with another business, so I would like the possibility of having 8 incoming lines and 16 to 24 extensions. Initially, I would like to start with 3 phone lines and 10 extensions to equip all treatment rooms, so I can page the front desk and ask for a chart and such. I would also like to use a regular digital anwering machine. At this point I do not see the need for voice mail. You don't want to call your doctor and hear a bunch of options. You want to call and quickly talk to someone and set up an appointment.

A. Hardware cost is only a portion of what you need to budget for any small telephone system. There will be installation costs for the system that must be included also. The best suggestion I can make at this point is to talk to other business owners/operators in your area, preferably other Drs. and find a reputable dealer. In your discussions with that dealer, you can talk about your budget, plans and other desires for possible expansion. They can then guide you in the selection of appropriate hardware, new or used. As you are uncertain as to the final size of your needed system, I would suggest a "throw-away" as a starter. Something that would meet your immediate needs of 3 lines that wouldn't be a big loss when you threw it away and ordered a larger system with expansion capability when the business expanded. Why buy something you don't need (30 to 40 port capability) when you only need 8? Think about this a little - would you buy an MRI when you need to see X-Rays? The no-longer-available Nortel 6x16 sounds like it will suit your current needs and are very affordable on E-Bay right now (used), but ... I do not believe this system is expandable beyond 6 lines and 16 extensions. Also, purchasing used equipment w/o warranty is a risky propostion. You could end up with a smoking hunk of plastic and no recourse. I recommend to clients on a budget a new KSU (system) and used or re-furbished phones. That's a relatively safe way to save $$$. I have rarely seen Nortel phones go bad, regardless of age. You CAN run your fax machine and answering machine on any phone system by installing them between the CO lines and the system. Only problem (without dedicated fax #) is knowing when an incoming fax arrives (fax switch might help). Also, the Nortel CICS has a built in ATA port that can be programmed to ring an answering machine or fax if you so desire. Have you considered the AT&T 4-line "KSU-less" phones? Model numbers are 944, 954 & 964 (about $89 ~ $129 @ Office Depot). I recently installed 4 of these in a new chiropractic office (in conjunction with fax/dsl/ans. mach.) and the client is very pleased. These can do almost everything a phone system can do (hold, transfer, MOH, conference) and are expandable up to 12 unique extensions. Trying to save money on phone systems by "doing-it-yourself" can lead to more expense and headaches down the road (I certainly wouldn't try to adjust myself!). Call 3 ~ 4 "phone guys" in your area (ask for references!) and have them compete for your business. You will save money in the long run and can concentrate on your profession. If you are going to use an answering machine, just wire it in front of the phone system. This will allow you to turn on/off the answering system at night. For the fax, get a fax detect box. I suggest ComShare but there are many others. This will allow you to share your line with your fax machine. GL finding a system. Panasonic's are about the easiest systems I have seen to set up for your application. I sell telephone systems to small businesses and the old phone systems were so reliable that the users assume that they will last forever. Some "bosses" still say they hate VM and don't want any form of AutoAttendant even though, when properly configured, it can provide better service than a human who answers, "XYZ company, please hold", when all you want to do is get back to the person sitting at their desk waiting for your call. Makes for a tough sales situation. Also, I started to sell LD service and am amazed at the number of people who just accept $10.00 monthly fees from AT&T LD so that 20 or 30 minutes of LD winds up costing 90 cents a minute. Some businesses even keep paying the minimum monthly fee long after they stopped using AT&T. Most people have no clue as to what they are actually paying for their phone services.

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