Industry Specific Solutions

While call accounting, in general, serves a basic function for most organizations, each industry has its own specific wants and needs. For example, the hospitality industry uses call accounting in a much different way than a sales organization would. Hotels and resorts need a call accounting system that automatically posts calls to their property management system, tracks and bills for guest phone usage, and generates extra revenue through the resale of phone calls. However, different from the hospitality industry, a sales organization is more likely to use a call accounting system to track employee phone performance, allocate departmental expenses, and bill clients for consultation and services done over the phone. Each industry is looking for something a little bit different and that is why TEL is constantly working on ways to better solve industry-specific problems.

In hopes to better serve its clients, TEL has developed online tools for both dealers and end-users. One of these tools can be found on the menu bar of the company’s home page. Listed across the top is a menu called Industry Solutions. By scrolling over this menu, end-users and dealers alike can learn how TEL products solve industry-specific needs. The following eight industries are covered in detail: businesses & corporations, call centers, government, health care, hotels & resorts, law firms, universities & schools, and sales organizations.

Along with the web pages that describe the industry needs in detail, dealers can also order custom brochures that target their specific clients’ needs. For example, if a dealer is giving a bid to a major law firm and wants to pitch call accounting then the dealer can login to TEL’s website and place an order, free of charge, for a custom brochure targeted at that specific customer. The brochure will include the dealer’s name, logo, and contact information.

Importing Organization Lists into the WIN-SENSE 32

Technicians can now quickly import spreadsheets with billing class, department, extension, account, and phone number information into the Setup Organization module of the WIN-SENSE 32.

Version 2 of TEL’s WIN-SENSE 32 call accounting product gives telecom technicians the ability to import extension and department information directly from a spreadsheet.

Technicians will no longer need to enter extension information one-by-one, but can now use an automated program that will match fields from a spreadsheet or table imported from popular programs such as Microsoft Excel.

The easiest way to setup an organization is to create billing classes in the Setup Organization module and then import department, extension, and account lists from spreadsheets saved on the computer.
When creating a spreadsheet, be sure to save each spreadsheet as an individual file, such as “Accounts.csv” or “Extensions.csv”. Tables must be saved as “.csv” files before they can be imported into the WIN-SENSE 32 program.

TEL Quick Reference cards and templates found in the dealer resources section of www.tel-electronics.com can help technicians know which fields to use in their tables.

To import a spreadsheet, open the Setup Organization module and select File > Import > Department. Locate the file you want to import and click Open. The fields should automatically match, but if they don’t make sure the middle column and the right column match up. Click Begin Import to start importing.

New Resources for TEL Dealers

Registered dealers now have many valuable sales and marketing materials available to them on TEL’s new website, www.tel-electronics.com. The new dealer login page gives dealers access to product brochures, internal documents, order forms, and online presentations. New announcements and product updates will be announced through the dealer home page, along with discounts and promotions.

Upcoming product forums will also be available to help resolve common technical support issues. Dealers will be able to post comments and makes suggestions for product improvement and development. Along with the many support resources available to dealers, TEL has built marketing and sales tools designed for the end-user. Quick Reference Cards, Calculators, and Custom Brochures will give dealers the ability to connect even more with their clients.

Through the dealer home page, dealers can now request customized brochures that target their specific clients’ industry and needs. Customized brochures include the dealer’s logo, name, and contact information.

For example, say a telecom contractor in Oregon is working on a bid for the Wasatch Hospital and wants to put together a call accounting brochure that highlights the specific reasons why that hospital would need a call accounting system. On the dealer home page, this particular contractor can fill out a simple form, explaining who their customer is and what they want their brochure to look like. If requested before 3:00 pm, the contractor will receive an email that same day with a customized brochure designed specifically for the Wasatch Hospital.

TEL is committed to providing world-class service and support. Register your company today and gain access to the many resources and services mentioned in this article.

Looking at Telecom Management from the Customer's View Point

Understanding who your customer is, how they think, and what they need will help your organization sell more products and services.

Sales organizations, call centers, law firms, government agencies, universities, hospitals, and hotels all have different needs and wants. If an organization can understand what these needs and wants are then they can create marketing materials that will highlight those things that are most important to their customers.

Below are a few questions you can ask to help better understand your customer:

• Who are your customers? Can you segment them?
• What products do your customers buy?
• Why do your customers buy what they buy?
• What are the product benefits that make them want to buy your product?
• When do your customers buy? Are they ready when you’re ready?
• How do your customers buy?
• Can you make the purchasing process easier?
• Where do your customers buy your products?

For more information visit TEL’s industry solution webpage or email info@tel-electronics.com.

Call Accounting and the Hospitality Industry

Call accounting, the ability to track and analyze phone calls, was originally invented in the 1970s as a way for businesses to manage phone usage within their organizations. By the early 80s it had been adapted to the hospitality industry, allowing hotels and resorts to more easily track guest phone usage, recover telephone costs, and generate extra revenue through the resale of phone calls.

Call accounting systems, such as the INN-FORM XL from TEL electronics, inc., can track where a phone call was made, who made the call, what number was dialed, how long the call lasted, and, using FCC tariff information, can determine the cost of the call and automatically add pre-defined surcharges to it.

During the 1980s and 90s call accounting systems were in high demand due to the fact that hotels could often generate thousands of dollars each month by marking up long distance calls. However, with decreasing calling costs and the invention of cell phones and VoIP, hotels have seen decreasing revenues from their call accounting systems and some managers think that call accounting is no longer necessary for their properties.

In today’s world, major business and hospitality organizations strongly suggest that their properties use call accounting systems, and many require that their systems are up-to-date and accurate. They do this for four main reasons: (1) to recover the cost of long-distance calls, (2) to properly allocate, account for, and charge customers for phone usage, (3) to generate revenue through the resale of phone calls, and (4) to track phone calls made to and from their property for marketing, planning, and other purposes, and especially for handling and tracking emergency calls.

In the hospitality industry, it is often appropriate to have detailed information about high-cost phone calls, wake-up calls, and in case of emergencies, where 911 calls were initiated. Without a call accounting system, hotel managers do not have the information needed to quickly resolve guest concerns and may be confronted with headaches and disgruntled customers. However, by using a call accounting system, managers can have the added security and peace of mind that they have the information needed to help their guests and to understand, manage, improve, and control telephone activities.

When buying a call accounting system, hotel managers have three system choices: software, hardware, or web-based products. Web-based products tend to get quite expensive due to the monthly subscription fees which are based on the number of extensions and users. Software products are more flexible than hardware-based systems due to the added capabilities of the PC, but often require large amounts of memory to store and retrieve call data efficiently. Hardware or stand-alone systems appear to be the most popular form of call accounting systems in the hospitality industry due to the fact that the systems are quite small and can be stored in a closet or drawer. Stand-alone systems, like software and web-based products, will automatically post call records directly to the Property Management System for future retrieval.

There are many companies that offer call accounting products, but only a few with a long history of providing quality products and customer support specifically for the hospitality industry. TEL electronics, inc., founded in the 1970s, is one of the nation’s leading call accounting providers for hotels, resorts, and businesses. TEL has provided systems for nearly 50,000 organizations and offers two stand-alone systems, the INN-FORM XL and the INN-FORM Plus, as well as two software-based systems called the INN-FORM PC and the WIN-SENSE 32.

To learn more about TEL, its products and services, visit www.tel-electronics.com.