Posted 6/22/10 By Dan Baldwin, TA Executive Director, 951-251-5155 email
Nuvio Communications recently joined Telecom Association as a vendor member. Nuvio distributes SIP trunk service and hosted VoIP, the latter of which is offered through a unique, "IP-PBX like" pricing program and aims to dominate the market for business customers that spend under $500 a month for monthly phone service that many telecom agents, channel partners and equipment VARs have ceded to Cbeyond.
Nuvio's offering is a tonic to many agents that like to swap leads with small interconnects and IT consultants who typically have small customers that have phone bills under $300. For the past several years Cbeyond has spread like an unstoppable force through this market segment but now providers like Nuvox have the "Cbeyond alternative".
Cbeyond's solution for this market has been to say, "Your phone bill, Internet bill, cell phone bill and 'managed services' are all over $500. We'll charge you just $495 and give you 'better service'". It's a decent enough pitch if you really want or need all the extras Cbeyond throws in and you don't have time to read the details of the iron-clad Cbeyond contract.
While Cbeyond has the right to run their program any way they like, it's my personal opinion that ...
systems integrators and equipment VARs that recommend Cbeyond to their business customers because "it's easy" or they don't know of a better provider, are doing their customers a gross disservice. Many carriers abound that are much more customer friendly.
Nuvio to the Rescue!
With Nuvio, a smaller business customer does not have to jack their phone bill up to $495 and get a 1.5 meg Internet T-1 connection if they're happy with their inexpensive cable Internet connection. For just $160 a month, Nuvio provides a 5-phone, 3-line business phone system with a toll free number and unlimited local and long distance. For $500 a month a customer can get a 25-phone, 10-line system that can be spread over several separate locations.
The reason phone and data equipment providers have always been leery of phone companies is they always want to sell the customer more than the customer needs or want to buy. Nuvio has the ability to sell the customer exactly what they need and only what they need. With great customer service.
Commitment to Caring Customer Service
I've had more than one equipment VAR tell me, "Hey, I recommend Cbeyond because their solution works!" When ask them about the per minute pricing, harsh customer contract or Cbeyond customer service complaints they seem to mostly to shrug their shoulders and suggest, "Aren't they all the same?"
Actually they're not. When selecting a VoIP phone company to consider I strongly recommend that business end-user decision makers ask their sales consultant this question, "Can I speak to the owner?"
The majority of the VoIP phone companies still have the founding entrepreneur on the premises. While countless layers of under-paid, non-empowered gate-keepers staff the customer service phone lines at bigger phone companies, it's not that unusual for many VoIP companies, Nuvio included, to have the owner involved in hiring highly-empowered customer support reps as well as getting personally involved in customer problem solving.
What Does the VoIP company Owner Have to Say to Agents & Customers?
Small business owners all have something in common, they ARE the company. Agents own their business. The agent's customers own their business. Doesn't it make sense to hear what what the owner of the VoIP company has to say to the other business owners involved in the transaction?
Glad you asked! Click the two videos below to hear Nuvio CEO (and co-owner) speak directly to telecom agents and then customers introduced to Nuvio through agents.
Nuvio CEO Jason Talley's Message for Telecom Partners
Nuvio CEO Jason Talley's Message for Business Customers
Bottom Line?
The under $500 a month phone bill customer is a tough customer to make happy. Carriers and agents don't make a lot of money off them and they often complain louder than a customer that bills $5,000 a month. Until now there have not been any real good options for this crowd. In the past agents simply tossed them to Cbeyond because there was really nothing else to do with them.
Now telecom agent and channel partners have a good home for the $500 a month and below customer: Nuvio.
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