When I hear about transactions between small to midsize businesses and big telco ’s, I think of the classic adage which is the customer is always right and contemplate if it holds any true value in modern commercialism. Before mass production of goods and products, there was a common trend amongst almost all businesses which required service staff to exhort high priority to customer satisfaction, however this is a trend which has slowly unravelled.

In my experience, I have dealt with too many unsatisfied big telco customers who want to turn their product or service into a solution which is tailored to their agenda. As many business owners are well aware, signing a contract with a big corporation is air tight, and often leaves businesses in a bit of a rut.

One key aspect which can be responsible for this is the sheeple principle, which is synonymous with ‘one size fits all’, and means to say that because it worked for one business, it will work for mine. This is wrong, and even worse is that it has become a habit for big telco’s and even departments alike to expand on this mentality.

In modern commercialism, consumers want more from their product. Business innovate what they’re doing to make it easier, more accessible and to deliver on what was previously undeliverable. I can go onto some big telco’s website and see what small business plan they have to offer. What you get is your monthly charge, call rates and how much you have to pay per line. But does this really work, and is it going to ‘do the job’ in 2017.

Here are three common mistakes I have seen in my experience:

• Does the big telco take into consideration the business model and agenda? This is something which can be as simple as recognising a specific target market. For one business, the target market could be people who are in their early 20s, requiring features such as instant messaging.
• By using the same technology businesses will remain the same? The traditional phone systems, which are still sold by many big telco’s in a new box (old technology), deliver call-only technology which is truly out-of-touch with the real world. The last thing I want as a consumer when I shop is to have to call up, time and time again I never get through, as a result, I often ask myself why can’t I just instant message?
• Just because someone else uses the same technology does not mean it will work for me. Each business has the capacity to be unique, some businesses are known for their customer service excellence, while for others it comes down to brand. Differentiation can be defined by the way consumers contact businesses, but very rarely do we notice this today.

The point of this article is to give me the chance to tell people about what I have noticed with small businesses and big telco’s, and it is undoubtedly a David and Goliath situation. Just because a big telco is selling a product or service that works perfectly for another business, does not mean it is going to be the solution for other small to midsize businesses and their consumers.

Before signing an airtight contract with a big telco, send me a message about your business, what you are trying to achieve and together tailor a solution which brings to your business high levels of customer satisfaction.