Auditing the phones

By enlisting the services of a URS auditor, you can have your phone bill figured out - and maybe even get the telephone company to pay you for a change. That's right, there's gold in those telephone statements, and auditors can help you find it!

According to Braintrust, a newsletter for small-business owners published by the national accounting firm Laventhol & Horwath, mistakes are found on more than 50 percent of the phone bills that are audited. And it isn't small change either: one New York college found over $400,000 worth of mistakes on their phone bills. The best part about it - refunds are sent directly to you.

URS Telephone auditors work strictly on a contingent fee basis, which means they get paid only if they can obtain a refund for you. That provides them with added incentive to really tear apart your phone statements looking for errors buried in the mass of charges. They will audit statements as far back as six years, looking for errors such as: charges for equipment that is no longer in use, incorrect billing rates, unnecessary services, and excess wire charges... to name just a new examples.

Here are a few clues for ferreting out costly expenses:

•  Know your statements. Understand every charge, and watch for changes from month to month. See something new? Ask the provider to explain it.

•  Take inventory. Once or twice a year, count every line, every service, and every phone. Update the numbers as you grow or downsize; make sure your bills reflect those changes.

•  Shut off unused lines. Then check future statements to make sure you're no longer paying for them.
 
•  Close out ex-employees' accountants. Make sure you're not paying for dormant voice-mail boxes, cell phones, or pagers that, even when unused, continue racking up monthly service fees. Cancel old calling cards.

•  Scrutinize cellular costs. Shelling out a bundle every month for roaming or off-peak charges? Consider a flat-rate plan; it's usually cheaper and more convenient.

•  Watch for redundancy. Perhaps you're getting similar services from two providers. Or maybe you're paying one provider twice for the same service. Cancel duplicate offerings; seek refunds for overpayment -- and check your bills to make sure you get them.

•  Cut pay services. Block calls to 900 numbers; discourage employees from calling collect; encourage them to find numbers online rather than dialing directory assistance. Use prepaid phone cards rather than calling cards, which may charge premium rates.

•  Be on guard. If you see something strange -- odd calling patterns, exorbitant charges -- check with your provider: a telecom bandit may be hacking into your systems.

•  Have an audit performed. Most telecom audits are preformed on a contingency fee basis. Having an expert review your bills can reduce your expense and maybe even get you money back