Delegate someone to review all local bills regularly to
identify possible abuses and/or fraud

Chances are your employees are charging up your telecom bills more than you think. With the steady stream of convenient features at home, consumers (i.e. your employees) could be racking up all kinds of unnecessary charges to your company's bills - without even realizing it!

Thoroughly review your bills each month for possible features that are being "abused" and billed on a "per use" basis. Typical examples of these may include directory assistance, directory assistance call completion, collect calling and "dial-arounds".

You can and should have blocks placed on many of these features through your local company.

Eliminate directory assistance calls made
by employees through your
local phone service provider

Local phone companies now charge as much as $1.25 for directory assistance. 1000 employees making just one directory assistance call per month can add up $15,000 extra per year! Although directory assistance cannot be blocked by the carriers, you can institute strict policies for its use.

The most simple solution is to provide convenient access to white pages or using numerous online search sites such as www.smartpages.com.

DO block "Directory Assistance Call Completion"
wherever possible

Directory Assistance Call Completion is a feature that allows a caller to press "1" to automatically have the number dialed after it is located by the operator. The temptation is great for employees to take this easy route to connect the call rather than hang up and dial the number again.

This feature CAN, and should, be blocked on all lines where available. Couple this feature with directory assistance and you've just droppped $1.50 just to connect one call from one employee!

Block these costly "pay-per-use" features from employee use

Other popular features that employees may be accustomed to using at home are:

These features are often included in residential plans, but frequent use at the office could cost your company a bundle over time. Call blocks on these features are usually free by your local carrier. Place blocks on as many lines as possible to eliminate this abuse.

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