How To Choose a Teleconference Service Provider - Frequently Asked Questions

We have covered the most common questions asked by new teleconferencing users. The answers are applicable to most service providers.

Which kind of teleconference service do I need?

Almost all conference calls are on-demand / reservation-less.  This means that you can hold your teleconference at any time of day or night without needing to tell your service provider. This reduces your workload and enables the moderator to set up meetings at short notice or out of hours (in a crisis's situation for example).

More information on types of service.

How does it work?

Your teleconference service provider will give you:

• A telephone number(s)
• A PIN code for the attendees
• A PIN code for the person chairing the meeting, the moderator

Why do I need two security codes?

A moderator security code is used to prevent people from using your conferencing account unless you are there.

How do I join a conference call?

Dial the appropriate telephone number and enter the moderator code if you are hosting the call or a participant security code if not.

The most common way to join a teleconference is to dial a 1800/toll free number.  This means that your participants will not need to pay for any part of the conference and nothing will appear on their telephone bill unless the participant is calling from a mobile phone.

Most companies will also provide international toll free numbers. If you are currently using one of the better service providers this is normally very expensive. although this service is often quite expensive. Many of our customers use international toll free numbers frequently so we have worked hard to provide better rates than are normally offered. By looking at our price comparison you will see how HotAir compares.

You will also be given a regular dial in telephone number such as a Sydney or Melbourne number.

The moderator can dial out from the conference to bring in additional participants.

How am I charged?

On demand conferencing has no setup charge nor ongoing monthly subscription of any kind.  You will only be charged for usage.

Usage is normally per line per minute. For instance if you had five participants joined on a conference on the (HotAir) toll free number and the meeting lasted 45 minutes, the cost would be: 5 x $0.25 x 45 = $56.25

Providers normally round up the line connect times to the nearest minute. HotAir DOES NOT. We charge per second.  This reduces the average users bill by approximately 3%.

What should I expect to pay?

The conferencing industry’s normal practice is to offer the list price.  With the exception of the phone companies you may be able to get a lower rate if you are prepared to negotiate.
Whatever price you sign up for is the one you will stay with until you endure the pain of renegotiation.

Unlike the rest of the conferencing industry, we show our rates on this web site.  These are massively lower than the industry norm.  What’s more, when prices fall further, we will reduce our rates to all customers because everyone can see them.  This means you get a great service at a great price without having to shop around every 12 months.

Should I expect to sign a term contract?

Some providers, in exchange for a lower rate, may ask you to sign a contract locking you in for 1-3 years.
Don’t sign it.  Most companies have the same services, shop around. 

When am I charged?

You will be sent a monthly invoice for your conference usage.

What differences are there between service providers?

There are two main types of providers:

1. Companies that deliver a reliable service with consistently good sound quality. These companies have high overheads because their equipment and network is expensive. This means the service has to be charged at a premium.
2. Companies that deliver a service that is cheap but will not always have acceptable sound quality or may not always work.

For most organisations, having something that works is more important than the absolute price so the largest providers continue to do well. Some organisations will experiment (normally for a short time) with the cheaper providers.

HotAir was created to bridge the divide by providing a dependable at a sensible price.

How can HotAir provide be cheap whilst delivering the same service as the large global service providers? We run a tight ship, we don't have layers of managers, everyone talks to customers every day. We have automated everything we can, so that our staff are focussed on customers. We also use our volume discounts to pass on lower prices instead of growing our margins.

We try to be the kind of company that we would like to do business with, by offering a consistent, reliable, good value service and being easy and reasonable to talk to.

 

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