All about Telecom Auditing

When you think of an auditor, you probably picture some combination of a lawyer and an IRS agent, which is not a pretty picture. You may think of that annoying guy who came to audit at work last spring, when all the while you’re wondering why on earth anyone would want to pay someone to be so pesky and condescending. Well, we have good news for you; telecom auditors are not like that guy.

For one thing, telecom auditing isn’t necessary. It also isn’t something that you necessarily need to have every year. You can decide what time of year your telecom auditor comes (which is important if your business is cyclical and you’re really busy for a few months of the year), and how frequently. As a result, a smart telecom auditor will be much more customer friendly and try to add value because the auditor will want you to want him/her to come back.

While a telecom auditor can provide many different services, the main two are consulting advice and bill auditing. These two basic options are just general categories, so if there’s something else you can think of to have your telecom auditor check for, let him/her know.

It’s easy to see why you’d be skeptical of asking an outsider to come into the company that you know so well and offer advice. However, telecom auditors aren’t going to help you with your inventory or receivables, they’re only going to help you with your telecommunications. Being so specialized means they’ll be more knowledgeable about something you probably haven’t had time to check into much, because you were so focused on your arguably more important things (like inventory and receivables). In fact, some firms are so convinced they’ll be able to help you out that they won’t charge you anything unless they find a way to save you money.

It’s a good plan to let your telecom auditor look at your bills specifically. Be honest here – have you ever read and understood the whole thing? Telecommunications companies make it confusing purposefully, and telecom auditors are trained to sort it all out. They’ll be able to tell you where your company may be able to cut back and save a few bucks. They may also be able to show you if you’re accidentally being overcharged for something, or if you’re paying for something you don’t use. Be sure to show them a copy of the contracts you’ve signed with telecom companies, because they’ll also be trained to read the legal jargon and tell you exactly what it means to you and your budget. Of course this is a good idea to do yourself, but keep in mind that someone with this specific type of experience will know more about areas that are commonly problematic.

Occasionally you’ll need to ask your auditor about FCC compliance issues, but it’s not a common thing. If you’re worried, bring it up with him/her, but don’t be surprised if they tell you that it’s nothing your company needs to worry about.

If you’ve still decided that one auditor a year is already too many, we don’t blame you. However, in our humble opinion, almost every company (and even some families) could benefit from a good telecom audit. Usually the one-time cost of the auditor will be paid for in all those monthly telecom fees you’ll save.