Just Because He’s A Technology Expert, Doesn’t Make Him A Billing Expert
The other day I was talking to a prospect about telecom and technology and how far we’ve come along in just a few years.
His eyes lit up when we chatting about how the infrastructure of carriers was changing dramatically. We went on about network topology design, and telecom architecture management. When the talk shifted towards billing, suddenly the conversation hit what seemed to be brick wall. His look changed, he even groaned a bit.
“If my boss just understood how much I hate reviewing those stupid bills, I think my life would be a lot easier” he mumbled. “Every month, I am supposed to take hours out of my week to review the billing and verify that they’re right, that credits were posted and that everything is in order, candidly – I just make sure that the bills aren’t too far out of line, I just sign off on them. They really don’t care as long as they’re not too crazy.”
And so it goes, when I talk with many different companies the conversation is fairly similar. Executives believe that their organizations are auditing their bills and that they’re being taken care of properly, when in fact over 80% of the time we’re able to find ways to reduce cost. Why? I believe it boils down to a few simple reasons:
1. Just because it’s somebody’s responsibility, doesn’t mean it’s taken care of – how would an oversight manager actually know if they were being taken care of properly unless they audit the auditor – I’ve never met any one who wants to do that frequently plus it horrible for morale. It’s not being done because it is a chore most people don’t want to tackle.
2. It is a hassle and time-consuming. On average, we see highly-skilled and capable IT professionals that make very large salaries responsible for non-technology related items such as billing verification and waste control as it relates to telecom. They don’t like to do it and they’re not very good at it either, so it goes untouched.
3. They don’t know what to look for. Ever have the experience of looking at a problem for a considerable time period and not figure out a solution? Then somebody takes a look at the same problem and figures it out in a second? That’s because it’s their expertise, where they are educated and they know where to look to figure it out and perhaps it’s their passion.
Here’s the bottom line, just because you believe something is being taken care of doesn’t mean it is. Don’t pretend it is being taken care of.
Okay, I’ll share something very personal with you to make my point. I’m over forty and my wife had been hounding me to get a physical. I delayed going to the doctor even though I know I needed to have it done. After a bit of time, I finally relented. Even though I eat right, exercise regularly and follow a healthly lifestyle, I needed to have that checkup. I got the clean bill of health and now I know that everything is A-O-K. Yes, I’m better off for it and you will be glad when your telecom expenses are given the thumbs up too – I promise.
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Benny Carreon is the President and CEO of GrayBear Resources Group. GBR is a next-generation telecommunications consulting firm. We aren't a telephone company's vendor disguising itself as a consultant. We don't sell carrier products that would conflict with out mission - our goal is to work for our clients by reducing costs, streamlining services, eliminating waste and fraud while providing the least disruption to your business.
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