It's one of those recurring tasks which every business dreads - choosing the right mobile phone deal for its workforce.
When it comes to getting the best deal; the right mobile and fixed line phone tariff the future can look daunting.
With so many different offers available, whoever is doing the buying could end up feeling rather lost. Hidden charges, extended contracts, complicated cash-back deals and even tariffs named after animals all add to the confusion; it's hard to know what the best deal is.
So, in an effort to make things more simple and transparent, B2B Internet site tariffsupermarket.com has been launched to give business users easy online access to the best deals at any moment during contract lifetimes, and offering the best value whether you're a light, medium or high user of voice, text or data on fixed and mobile networks in the UK.
"Business users are increasingly using the internet to research new suppliers and indeed buy products and services," says Russ Wheeler, Founder of tariffsupermarket.com.
"In uncertain economic times, looking for ways to reduce business costs quickly is even more important. tariffsupermarket.com takes the time element out of the equation by offering a platform where you compare the UK business mobile phone and landline markets in less than 30 seconds, guaranteed!"
Wheeler says his mission is a simple one: to supply business customers with the cheapest telecoms solutions in the UK without the need to compromise on service.
"Having 15 years board level experience in telecoms, I have witnessed massive change on pricing. tariffsupermarket.com is further change to a market place saturated with dealers and networks all selling the same product, with the decision making generally boiling down to price in the first instance. I believe you won't find cheaper telecom offerings anywhere in the UK," says Wheeler.
Different to other comparison sites, suppliers have been invited to offer their solutions and services via tariffsupermarket.com. Selection has been based on key criteria namely customer care experience, trading history and ability to meet and exceed customer's expectations on both service and pricing. Wheeler believes the site has teamed up with suppliers who tick all of these boxes.
Preferred suppliers for mobile solutions include SCS Network Services and on the fixed network side Greystone Telecom and AdEPT Telecom.
Paul Leonard, Managing Director of SCS says: "Dealing with tariffsupermarket.com for mobiles you can be assured that behind the scenes you are dealing with SCS, one of the UK's leading suppliers of mobile communications. Our involvement means that although this is a new and unique concept that our track record of supplying quality products and services from the best networks will continue."
Ian Fishwick, managing director of AdEPT Telecom, says: "There is absolutely no doubt in our minds that the sheer quantity of tariffs available in the market must be absolutely mind-boggling for businesses. There is a very clear role for a web-site that is dedicated to cutting through the confusion and clutter to find the very best tariffs that are available. On behalf of everyone here at AdEPT Telecom I wanted to say how pleased we are to have been selected to work with taiffSupermarket.com."
By developing an online model with freephone support and customer care Tariffsupermarket.com is able to keep its overheads low and pass on savings to its clients. The company is also proud of its low carbon footprint as it does not have sales staff on the road.
The site provides a fully searchable tariff and services database - updated in real time. tariffsupermarket.com also contains a great deal of editorial content featuring tips and advice on how to get the best new deal from a supplier and how to gain the edge in negotiations with existing suppliers when its comes to the end of your contract.
The site also offers advice on the wide array of devices available in the market to help you match your business needs with the kinds of features on offer.
Wheeler says its time for change in the market for telecoms services, questioning the drive by network operators themselves to create more direct relationships with their customers rather than through dealers. "Does this really create more pricing transparency? The networks don't necessarily advertise their business branded products so it's difficult to know," he says. "Tariffsupermarket.com provides complete pricing transparency of the major UK networks and requires 30 seconds to find the best deal. Endless meetings with new suppliers will invariably result in you being maneuvered into a network that generally suits the salesman and not you and contact with your existing network will give you a choice of one deal, how do you know it's the best?" Wheeler says.
"Typically, customers get hammered every day by direct sales calls about renewing or changing their service providers and this can be both frustrating and time-consuming for managers. We have created a significantly improved environment for customers giving them greater choice, price transparency and an information portal dedicated to bringing customers quality editorial about this rapidly changing and competitive market," Wheeler says.
And he's putting his money where his mouth is too. According to Wheeler, if a customer is connected to a standard tariff, which 99.9% of companies are, and they can't save money by using tariffsupermarket.com, he will give them a year's free line rental when they join Tariffsupermarket.com!
"We know we are cheaper than anyone else so customers can be virtually guaranteed of save money but if they can't, I'll let them have a service for nothing."
For the moment, tariffsupermarket.com is a business-to-business only service aimed at providing value to small to medium sized companies, however, but Wheeler and his team have built a consumer tariff comparison site based on the same functionality as its business service. The consumer site will be launched in Q4 of 2008.
Click here to save on your telecommunications with www.tariffsupermarket.com
