It’s perfectly normal, and advisable, for businesses to shop around for new telecom providers when contracts are up for renewal. Publicised pricing structures and free quotes hold suppliers to account, making sure their prices are competitive.
However, does bouncing around like a yo-yo between providers give you any long-term benefit? We don’t think so. We believe that good rapport and a strong working relationship are the best tools in your arsenal, and should never be ignored.
In this post, we will explore how long-term partnerships benefit both suppliers and clients, especially when it comes to contract renewal.
The best suppliers reward loyal customers
Discounts and time-limited offers are a great tool to attract new customers. However, seeing these offers only extended to new customers as an existing, long-term client can understandably sour your relationship. We’ve been on the wrong end of discounts and offers a few times, which is why all our deals for new customers are available to existing customers as well.
It’s about more than providing the best customer service – it just makes good business sense. Long-term partnerships are more fruitful and productive for both suppliers and clients. We’re committed to providing the best service and customer care as well as giving you the best deal possible.
Save yourself time and effort
Let’s face it, yo-yoing between telecoms providers is stressful and time consuming. Deploying new servers can be a nightmare, especially if, like a phone system, the service you’re replacing lies at the heart of your business. Indeed, problems caused by migrating to a new service could end up costing you more in lost productivity than a new contract saves you.
Where possible, it’s almost always best to stay with your current provider. This doesn’t mean sticking with aging, obsolete or expensive technology, however. When it comes time to sign a new contract, why not explore the options your existing supplier have? A good relationship with a supplier can’t be quantified, but it’s certainly valuable. Suppliers like us here at Chrome are always eager to review your services at the end of your contract, and even before, to make sure you’re always getting the best deal on the best tools for your business.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
If your services have been up and down like a yo-yo, then it’s probably time to find a new supplier. Likewise, if they haven’t, is changing the right thing to do?
Finding a reliable supplier can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. When it comes to technical services, this is especially difficult; it’s often not possible to know up-front how reliable and dependable any given supplier is. If you’ve not experienced much, or any, downtime throughout a contract, this is hugely valuable.
You can learn a lot about your supplier by how they handle unexpected issues however, so it can be important to make a distinction between a reliable service and a reliable supplier. Even the best service can encounter issues from time to time, but the most reliable suppliers will always have issues resolved promptly and without any fuss. If you’ve found a supplier you can rely on, stick with them.
Build a partnership
Successful long term supplier relationships are a key element of business growth.
Trusted and valued long-term customers have the opportunity to build rapport with suppliers, helping a relationship evolve to a partnership. This level of understanding and mutual co-operation doesn’t happen overnight, but comes with some potentially enormous benefits to both supplier and client, including:
– Ease of communication between teams. This makes resolving issues easier and processes run smoother, saving you time and making communications more productive.
– Preferential pricing at renewal. It’s usually easier to negotiate with a supplier you know and trust. Whether that means removing features you don’t need or some additional billing flexibility, a supplier will always be more open to negotiating with a trusted client.
Bouncing between suppliers every year may give you marginal short-term gains, but severely limits future opportunities for cost and time savings.
Now, we’re not saying that you should stick with a service or supplier that’s not been working for you. If it’s not right, it’s not right
But if your service has been reliable, and you trust your supplier, you should think really carefully about the upheaval and uncertainty that switching can bring. In any case, you may be surprised how much your current supplier values you as a client!
After all, business services are inherently more complex than consumer equivalents. It may well pay to shop around for a new personal mobile every year to find the best headline price, but when your business relies on a service day in, day out, your choice of supplier relies on more than cost.
At Chrome Telecom, we focus on building partnerships. We aren’t done once you’ve signed up – our job is to make sure you’re happy to renew with us again and again.
Give us a call on 03333 212 707, or contact us via our website to start a partnership today.
