There once was a time when a single phone line was all you needed to communicate with the world. But telephonically speaking, homeowners today are looking for additional business lines, teen phones, Internet access and more.
Dave Onak, director of corporate communications for Ameritech, says there has been a steady growth in the need for multiple lines and that a variety of service packages await customers who need them.
“We’ve seen the need arise from those working at home, either full or part time, from families with teens and from the growing PC market,” Onak said. “There’s also a tremendous growth in the number of senior citizens who have bought computers and now communicate with their children using e-mail.”
Before plunging into ordering multiple lines, Onak says to first discuss your needs with your service company. You can order long-distance service from hundreds of providers, but for the actual phone line itself, customers living in Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana will be working exclusively with Ameritech.
“Probably the best advice before ordering new lines and services is to call one of our associates who will ask questions about your uses and recommend solutions to best fit your needs,” Onak said. “We can answer questions about call packs, billing options or even the additional wiring you’ll need in your house.”
Onak says that currently a second phone line installed in Illinois costs about $20 a month for typical usage. You can request the same services your regular phone line offers, including voice mail, call waiting, caller ID and other accessories. At least six times a year, Ameritech offers special promotions on its “call management services,” so customers can try them out.
Installation of new wiring inside the house is the homeowner’s responsibility, Onak says. Older homes may present some problems since they may not be equipped to handle modern service needs.
“We charge a flat rate of $99.99 for each additional line, which includes having a technician figure out the best way to run the line through your house and then install a phone jack,” Onak said. “If more than one line is needed or there are special wiring problems, (additional) charges are based on time and materials.”
Peter Dueck, an Ameritech customer service representative, says the installation fee includes a $51 trip charge plus a $48.99 fee for installation of the jack.
“One of the best tips we tell people is if there is any way in the future they might want a teen phone line or any other connection, to have the technician do it while he’s there,” Dueck said. “Otherwise, you’re paying the $51 trip charge again, on top of the installation fee.”
There is also a one-time connection charge of $30.50 for each additional line. Onak says that for billing purposes, consumers may have the additional charges added to their current account or create a new and separate one for business use.
“A separate bill would cost $55 instead of $30.50 because we are essentially creating a new account,” Dueck said. “But for business and tax purposes, we would probably recommend it.”
Combined billing may be cost effective for those with local unlimited call packs, since a combination of all lines lowers the cost of each call.
One of the mistakes made by multiple-line users involves selecting the wrong phone for its intended use. Onak suggests that a two-line phone is often your best bet.
“Like the additional service you’re requesting, think about the phone and the ways you’ll use it,” Onak said. “Do you want to talk to someone, while using your PC to access the Internet at the same time? Will you always be in an office or will you need to walk from room to room as you work? It’s a waste (of money) to pay for the lines and then not have the phone you’ll need to make it all work.”
Cordless two-line phones range from $50 to $200 and can include any number of management services, unlike an answering machine that doesn’t work if you’re already using the phone. Dueck says you’ll need a two-line jack installed to make the phone work, and there is no extra charge for requesting it.
If you’re setting up a new home or store-front office, a communications consultant might be an option worth investigating. Operations manager John Klein of Chicago Consolidated Communications in Elk Grove Village said consulting services will contact your local service provider and go from there.
“We deal with businesses primarily, beginning with small store-front operations up to very large companies,” Klein said. “A salesperson is assigned to a client to research what he does and figure out the best system design for his work, whether at home or the office, and determine how to best network various sites.”
Klein said a “letter of agency” is sent to his company, authorizing it to order phone lines and install the necessary system and equipment. Some consultants charge a separate fee for their services and contract out for the equipment they’ve designed; those, like Chicago Consolidated, who are authorized Lucent Technology dealers supply their own equipment and include consulting fees and system design in their costs.
Some system designs may save you money compared to the cost of installing multiple lines. For business use, Klein said a connection option known as a “Merlin Legend” can provide two voice lines and one data line. The basic rate would be $40 a month, as compared to two to three separate phone lines that could cost at least $60.
Once new lines are installed, home and business users are encouraged to customize their system with call management and also long-distance services that are competitive.
Dueck explained there are three possible tiers of phone charges: local calls under 10 miles, local zone calls within a 30-mile radius and long distance.
“Theoretically, you could have a separate service for each of these three options,” he said. “Often, people sign up for a long-distance service and find that it picks up their local zone calls as well, and sometimes discover the local rates are not as good.”
MCI spokeswoman Elena French says that with more than 500 long-distance calling services available, it pays to shop around.
“Our best advice is to call a number of places and find out what the service company offers for the kind of work you do,” French said. “As a rule, never go with the basic package anyone offers. Because of the competition these days, no one, in reality, should have to pay the basic rate.”
Users with multiple call service companies can request a single billing from Ameritech, Dueck says. Ameritech will pay the other calling companies, summarize all the charges and create one bill. There may be a fee for this service.
For additional options and tips from Ameritech, check out its Web site at www.ameritech.com or talk to a company associate trained in setting up home offices at 800-967-5543.
