With so many companies offering the lowest call rates, and the best service who do you believe and are there any additional costs hidden in the small print? Do they all give per second billing by email, full cost analysis, discounted BT line rental and personal account managers? On mobiles do they offer free connection, and line rentals from 4?

There has never been a better time to review the cost of your telephone charges and the service you are getting. Does it really match your companys needs? The telephone has been with us for so long we just take it for granted, along with all the services available. Mobile phones too are an essential tool in our need to communicate.

We never give a thought to the length or cost of a call, its just another bill that arrives at the end of the month.

Yet how many of us look at the cost of this communication? So it is important to know you are on the best tariff and your provider keeps it that way as well as giving you first class service.

Can you think of a friend or colleague who does not have a mobile phone?. There are now more mobile devices in the UK than there are users. You can now make video calls on your mobile; watch TV & play games. Mobile phones are fashion statements too. You can flip, slide, swivel,& twist. plus with so many options how do you know which company, tariff, or phone is the right one to go for? And where is the business benefit from so much choice?

Can your current provider offer you VoIP? (Voice over internet protocol) a type of software and hardware allowing you to use the internet to transmit your calls and save a fortune in line rentals by reducing the amount of lines you need. Can they provide a full VoIP telephone system or a simple converter for your ordinary analogue telephone?

When was the last time you checked if you are really getting value for money with rates generally falling ?

Perhaps the question to ask is what does my business actually need from all its phones, both fixed and mobile?

If you need low rates, consolidated services and reliability, then these are probably the same reasons you need to speak to your telecoms provider.

Steve Hill

Stephen Hill runs The How To Stop Stammering Centre In England. He offers stuttering therapy courses to help people who stutter to achieve fluency. Stuttering is also known in some countries as stammering.