Free Shipping
on orders over $500

Lifetime Support
from the experts

Money Back Guarantee
Not happy? Send it back!

Advantages of VOIP

If you are starting a new business, or even looking at how to run an existing business more efficiently, then consider VOIP.

Advantages of VOIP 1: Portability

I am in the process of moving and so the entire phone line hassle is rapidly becoming apparent. I’m avoiding it by converting to VOIP first.

So before we move we will have our main phone directed to our VOIP account, our phones all programmed and tested, and working here. It is something that I can do leading up to panic day.

Then on panic day we unplug the phones, move to the new site and plug them in.

I don’t have to deal with the telcos and that is a huge bonus. I don’t have to worry about having a period where both phones aren’t working.

Advantages of VOIP 2: Cost

It now appears that there are two distinct forms of VOIP – normal and hosted PBX. The normal type of VOIP is cheap. If you only have one line it is really cheap. If you are making overseas calls, it is cheap. This is what I had in mind when I first started checking out VOIP.

But even PBX is relatively cheap – relative to land-lines that is. Compared with normal VOIP it is massively overpriced. It doesn’t have the capped pricing structure and it is 4 times the price. But if you compare it with a land-line, they are on par.

Which brings me to…

Advantages of VOIP 3: PABX Functionality

This is where VOIP really came into its own for me. I want to be able to have calls to our main number ring on multiple phones including one in my home office and two mobiles. All up that was 6 phones. I wanted to be able to transfer the call from any of these to any other. So I didn’t want it to matter if I was in the office, on the road, or at home. Also, since there’s two of us in the business I wanted the same to apply to both of us.

VOIP PBX gave me this.

SO that’s enough for me. But at the same time I am also gaining:
– Automatic callback
– Call forwarding (same as a landline)
– Called ID block
– Hot desking
– Voicemail (same as a mobile, but now shared)
– Call Queuing (“your call is number 3 in the queue…”)
– Call recording
– IVR (Interactive Voice Response) (“press 1 for sales…”)

So that now brings my small business into the big league, and for no more than I was already paying.

Advantages of VOIP 4: Scalability

If I want to expand I can easily add another VOIP phone to my system.

I already experienced the trouble of having 3 lines coming into my home office. With VOIP, as long as you have internet access, you can have as many phone lines as you like.

Advantages of VOIP 5: No borders

I can easily add a VA (Virtual Assistant) working anywhere in the world without any hassles. I can easily transfer calls to or from the VA. So now they can be a receptionist as well as all other tasks.

I also already have a 1300 number so I have a national presence in Australia. There is no Sydney-Melbourne (or Perth-Rest of Australia) rivalry because we just are.

VOIP Providers

A quick google of VOIP will quickly show a list of VOIP providers.

My short list included:
– Engin (www.engin.com.au)
– Alltel (www.alltel.com.au)
– Faktortel (www.faktortel.com.au)

Voip Infographic

And thanks to Alltel, we have this infographic on Hosted PBX:
Advantages of VOIP

Tagged

What is covered with our shipping insurance?

Our normal terms and conditions (like most businesses) is that you take possession the moment an order ships. If the order is lost or damaged in transit then, in theory, it’s your problem. In reality we will have a conversation and try to work out a good way to resolve the issue where we are both happy (or not too upset).

Shipping insurance is there to remove the drama. If an order is lost or damaged in transit, we will simply send out a replacement, and we will then deal with the courier directly to resolve the original problem.

Our shipping insurance also means that if an order is delayed beyond what is normal and reasonable then we will send you another shipment (stock levels permitting). Then you should receive one of them sooner, and when the second one arrives you simply Return To Sender.

How much is shipping insurance?

Shipping insurance is 5% of the cost of the goods.

Is it worth it? Practically we have had far less than 5% of shipments have problems. It is, however, what Australia Post and other couriers charge. Ultimately insurance is about peace of mind and less hassle when something does go wrong.

Shipping insurance as an option

Shipping insurance is offered as an option on all our web sites. You can select it at the checkout.

For large orders our staff may also ask if you would like shipping insurance.

If you would like shipping insurance on an order you are placing with us, just ask.

Mandatory shipping insurance

Unfortunately we have had a couple of large orders not make it and then the customer refused to pay. A friend suggested that the easy way to avoid the dispute is to insure any shipments where we have a significant risk.

If you would like an immediate line of credit (30 days to pay) and have the goods ship immediately (no credit check delays) and are purchasing over $500 then we will add shipping insurance to your order.

The shipping insurance can be waived if the order is between $500 and $2,000 and you provide us with a formal confirmation that you accept responsibility of the goods once they ship.

Alternatively you can prepay by direct deposit or credit card.

What is not covered?

If there is a clear proof of delivery to the shipping address provided then we class that as delivered. Unfortunately there are cases where it is lost somewhere between the loading dock or receptionist and ending up in your hands. But we also know that a photo of the bag against a generic grey background is not proof of delivery, it is just proof of existence! It needs to be a reasonable proof of delivery.

It also doesn’t cover the expectation of overnight delivery. For example, if we were to ship to Melbourne (we are in Sydney) then we would expect it to be delivered within about 3 days. Most of the time it is overnight, but there are enough floods and other issues that regularly cause minor delays. Sending a second order the next day tends to not fix the problem. If it is super urgent, talk to us about how we can minimise the risk.

For damage claims we ask that you contact us immediately and we will probably ask for photos or some proof. The shipping insurance doesn’t cover claims weeks later. We do have warranty covering our items, but it excludes physical damage (e.g. being dropped). If the goods are damaged in transit then please let us know ASAP so we can cover it under the shipping insurance.