Residential telecom customers have different needs and expectations when compared to business customers. A successful telco must balance these two requirements to create a profitable, enduring business.

Business customers need high voice quality to conduct their work, while residential customers place greater emphasis on low cost. A capable provider will understand these differing needs and offer the right blend of the two, along with other options, to both attract new customers and gain further business with existing ones.

The Right Bundles for Business and Residential Customers

Choosing a wholesale service provider who focuses almost exclusively on lowest cost (say, by heavily using least-cost long distance routing (LCR)) is usually a big mistake. Voice quality is often compromised in this scenario and business customers in particular will start looking elsewhere.

Instead, it’s important to find a provider who strives to offer both reasonable cost and voice quality. This type of provider will have a network of partners to work with to create route quality at an inexpensive price as well as offering a complete package of digital must-haves.

An ideal provider brings together the right bundles of video, data, and voice service with the right amount of minutes to cover the requirements of the smaller telco’s business and residential customers.

An independent aligned with the right wholesale service partner should be able to win the whole package, as its business and residential prospects understand they will receive value, quality, and reliability. This allows an independent telco to compete with larger carriers for customers and minutes that were previously out of reach.

So, with this in mind, you should be looking for a provider that:

• Can help you serve the needs of all of your customers, both business and residential.
• Is not overly focused on lowest cost through LCR to the detriment of voice quality.
• Offers voice, video, and data service bundles.
• Provides a range of minutes per month to meet your needs as you grow.

Provider = Partner

An independent telco should work with a wholesale provider who is willing to investigate new opportunities and is receptive to your ideas. The independent comes out ahead when working with a provider who views their relationship as a partnership, one with long-term value.

If this is not the relationship you have with your current wholesale provider, maybe it’s time that you looked for a better business partner—a company who believes in real partnership, to benefit you and your customers.