// FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the questions we regularly encounter in the field of wireless services. We invite you to take a look.
WE ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS :
Why does my business need BLC's services ?
BCL provides very rare resources in the market with all the necessary expertise to manage your wireless services, 52 weeks a year. This allows you to assign your staff to tasks that benefit your business. BCL is recognized for its extensive knowledge of the wireless market, its expertise and efficiency.
How can BCL help my business save money ?
BCL provides you with certainty regarding your plans and recommends necessary adjustments to provide your users with a plan that truly meets their needs while reducing costs. Second, BCL closely reviews your monthly bill, identifies any anomalies, requests the necessary credits, and tracks them through to issuance.
How do you measure real savings ?
The average cost per unit in service is the key to measuring savings. For example, a major client in the financial sector was paying over $76.97/unit. Thanks to the negotiation of a new agreement and excellent management, BCL was able to achieve this. Six months later, the average cost stood at $59.87/unit, a saving of 24%.
Does a call for tenders always result in satisfactory savings ?
Mostly yes. As soon as a client submits a call to tenders, the current supplier and potential suppliers sharpen their pencils to win the customer, to offer better rates. Our experience tells us that, without a shadow of a doubt, savings will be achieved.
Is it profitable to migrate services to a new wireless provider ?
Not in all cases. Today, the effort of migrating to a new provider is greatly reduced. By using an e-SIM, there’s virtually no handling required, depending on the type of voice and data devices in service. SIM cards for voice-only services remain, as this technology is not yet available. Profitability is proven through a comprehensive analysis of service offerings over the next 36 months, via cost simulations that include all costs, as well as migration efforts. The customer can then make a fully informed decision and understand whether it’s profitable.
What is the average cost per unit of service to aim for ?
Despite some available studies in the wireless world, the average cost per unit of service varies greatly from one sector to another. You should not rely on published figures like $50 or even $40, as these studies generally include all business and consumer users. Each client has its own set of differences. For example, for a client offering services primarily in a single province, requiring very little travel, an average of $40 may be high. On the other hand, for a client who travels frequently and deals with suppliers or clients all over the world, an average cost of $87 may be excellent.
Why is customer service declining among service providers ?
With the addition of a portal allowing customers to directly make multiple transactions, the existing staff is so reduced that some don’t even accept emails due to a lack of resources to respond. Or others only accept e-mail. Some customers are then forced to call by phone and wait in line to speak to an employee. Furthermore, with very high staff turnover, they often find themselves dealing with someone who doesn’t have all the necessary knowledge to help the customer. BCL must repeatedly challenge the higher-level responses received to get the right answer. Do you have this precious time? Not to mention that some providers require, by contract, 24 to 72 hours to respond and/or complete the request. Some providers offer a dedicated service, however, only for large, targeted clients.
Why is it so important to carefully review my monthly invoice ?
By contract, the customer only has 90 days, and increasingly only 60 days, to dispute charges. If an error appears on your invoice, it will recur month after month without being corrected. BCL quickly identifies and makes corrections for our customers that would have proven very costly if left unchecked.
Why monitor data usage on an ongoing basis is important ?
Twenty years ago, 4 megabytes per month was more than sufficient for data transmission usage; today, in some companies, 100 gigabytes is becoming problematic. When shared, the customer feels they have complete control which is not the case. In companies, the priority isn’t managing the bill or users; you get the bill and you pay it. WRONG! Today, we need to track this usage, which increases from one semester to the next. The company must clearly understand this, identify heavy users, and validate. Service providers offer a multitude of plans that provide customers with a sufficient data bank for their users.
Care must be taken since some service providers categorically refuse to adjust within a billing cycle and will only do so for the next one. In the meantime, the meter is counting, and the customer ends up with very high overage fees. Monitoring therefore becomes essential to clearly identify the months when more data is needed, or less, to reduce costs.
BCL conducts this monitoring continuously to ensure savings and/or avoid loss of speed that could cause panic among users.
How can I save money when traveling outside the country ?
Depending on the governance rules, the company can block the roaming feature and open it only for the duration of an authorized business trip, and re-block it upon return. Executives or frequent business travelers could always have the roaming feature open. A quarterly analysis should be conducted to identify frequent and authorized travelers to the United States; they can benefit from a North American plan that will provide immediate savings. For international travel, every traveler should check whether the country visited is covered; otherwise, significant fees will be charged. If covered and you will be in that country for more than 10 days, an e-SIM card from the country visited costs only a fraction of the fees charged by your provider. Roaming should be an integral part of your governance rules.
Are clear governance rules a barrier or support ?
Neither. It’s your internal policy regarding the use of company-paid wireless services. What the company allows or prohibits. Governance rules are an integral part of your sound management.
Does the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) plan really save money ?
It all depends on each company’s management; there are many points to consider. For example, the monthly fee is generally reduced by only $10; after 36 months, the monthly savings will be only $360. However, this BYOD approach doesn’t require a 36-month contract; the customer can choose a month-to-month plan. This allows them to cancel this service at any time without penalty. Perfect for summer students or temporary employees, where no contract is required, they can provide a device in stock, or a discounted device, such as a recycled device, and opt for the BYOD plan. Other customers prefer to use their capital budget and purchase all the devices, paying only the BYOD fee, eliminating any penalty. Customers often then purchase recycled devices at a lower cost. The savings are therefore significant. Each case must be carefully analyzed.
Is obtaining high credit when renewing or signing a new contract still valid ?
It’s important to understand that this credit comes with a strong string attached, generally for 36 months. If the service is canceled after 6 months, this credit will be recovered by the provider as a penalty, so the amount divided by 36 multiplied by 30. If the service remains in service and is utilized for 36 months, then it is valid. Otherwise, it will be for only 6 months. You should expect to reimburse a portion upon cancellation.
How can I avoid paying hefty penalties at the end of our contract ?
The best way to avoid penalties is to never add a subsidized plan after the 12th month of your contract. To add a new subscriber, do so in BYOD mode only, using a device in stock, or by purchasing a recycled device, thus benefiting from the BYOD plan at $10 less, and not requesting a contract, but rather a month-to-month contract. No penalty will be added.