Where did you come up with $2500 for a new system? This is a SMALL office, 5 desks, 4 lines (soon to be 3 I think) and they don't USE, nor are they interested in all of these features. That aren't accessible to them anyway because there are no local dealers they are willing to deal with. We would have to call a dealer from over an hour away, so we would add travel time to their bill on top of their standard minimum fees.
There are a LOT of options out there that would EASILY support the needs of this (and many other businesses in this area) for a fraction of your mentioned cost. Businesses such as these don't even use 10% of the capabilities of most of these phone systems. But they were told by the "experts" that's what they needed so they invested.
I see it all the time in the IT industry, people being completely oversold for what they need because it is good for the bottom line of the dealer/vendor. I match my clients to what fits their needs, now and into the far enough future without going overboard. By the time most of them could even THINK about utilizing some of the more advanced features that they would need a higher end configuration for, they should be considering new hardware anyway.
I know someone will take all that to mean I just keep reselling to my customers. Actually it's quite the opposite, I rarely make a replacement sale to my customer, and I don't get a lot of service calls from them. That is not why I am in business, I am here to make THEIR business run smoother, and if that means setting them up so they don't need me as much that is what I do. I detest those that make a sale, and then pad that sale for their own bottom line.
There is a place for phone systems such as this one, and a large call for them. The clients I deal with don't need these large/overpriced solutions that they spent a small fortune on. I would bet, that had they been sold a set of AT&T 4-line phones (I know, you are all aghast at the thought) but I would BET that the client would have NEVER known the difference between the AT&T setup (at about $100/phone or $500 total cost) versus the phone system they have now that I am sure cost them in the $10K (or even more) range. Yes, they were a larger outfit a few years ago, but not to justify that. But they contacted a "specialist" who was certified to sell a certain brand, so they weren't shown all the available choices, but relied on this "specialist" to not steer them wrong.
Most business owners don't know the first thing about tech (and I consider telecom as part of the tech) so they rely on those more experienced to guide them and just have to have faith they aren't being led astray.
Not doing any favors for my customers? Because I don't tell them to just keep handing over stockpiles of money? You ASSUME what I am billing out for. Please don't place judgment on what I am or am not offering my clients in the way of favors. Because I refuse to climb into any one vendors pockets and peddle their wares, I am doing my clients a FAR greater service. I could be pocketing money left and right if I would just sign up with some affiliate packages. Probably enough that I could just hire one of these "experts" for them, but I REFUSE to allow the dollar dictate my recommendations to my customers. The landscape changes so rapidly, if you settle into a single vendor (or maybe a handful of them) you begin limiting the options you can offer your clients because of other contractual obligations.
I understand that's how it works in "corporate America" and that I am fighting against the tide. But my reputation with my clients is far more important to me than making a few extra bucks. They know and trust that I have done research on their behalf to offer the best options at that given time to fit their current budget. Don't start preaching to me about how I operate my business or support my clients.
And as far as if they had hired an Inter-Tel dealer it would have been an entirely different outcome... all I can see that would be different is my client would be out an ADDITIONAL $500+ (I am assuming the fees here, but travel time, move the system, reinstall, etc... I'm figuring $500 is a WAY more than safe bet) than they spent with me (and that is compensating out what I billed for this project if it hadn't involved the phones). And they would have ended up with what? Oh! A working phone system, which they have by the way. They just don't have complete access to configure it to best fit their business because Inter-Tel doesn't WANT them to unless they hire a "specialist".
I apologize, but you have infuriated me with your assumptions of what I do and don't offer my clients. I won't tolerate my integrity being brought into question, I came here looking for advice from those that work with this stuff more and more. All I've found is a group of elitists who don't like to share their knowledge. Might not want to make this such a public forum. Maybe put something across the top the pages notifying everyone that if they haven't already drunk from the telecom punch bowl and sworn their allegiance to the brotherhood they should look elsewhere.
