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Understanding Your Phone Bill
February 7, 2008
If you’re like most small business owners you’re always trying to cuts costs. Well, lately my phone bill has exceeded the amount I signed a contract for—being that my phone bill is so overwhelming I simply looked at the amount due and wrote a check rather than sifting through the zillion of pages. The funny thing is, even while I was writing the check I still kept thinking damn that’s a lot more than the last two months.
This month I finally scrutinized my statement and realized I was paying too much and that I was overpaying for a service I did not order. I did a little comparing to my past bills and think I finally understand it. Here are a few tips to help you get through the dozens of pages:
The typical telephone bill is divided into a few sections. The first section I noticed contains a summary of the various charges detailed in the rest of the bill, including:
- Monthly recurring charges (your main plan)
- Discounts (for signing long term contracts)
- Charges for custom calling features (3-way calling, call forwarding, etc.)
- Past-due amounts
- Total amount due
The next section lists taxes or surcharges from your local carrier, long-distance carriers, and the Federal Communication Commission.
Finally, the last section provides a detailed summary of all calls made during the last billing cycle. This information includes the date, time, and length of each call. The number called and the cost of each call. Typically the bill categorizes calls by type, for example, direct dial, calling card, or toll free and by calling areas.
It's important that you read your phone bill each month to ensure that you're paying the correct rates, receiving the appropriate discounts, and being billed only for what you've actually ordered. Understanding your bill can also help you search for the best phone service deals.
Posted by Shanu Singh Guliani on February 7, 2008 | Comments (0)
