Is Free Really Free?
Posted by Kathleen S on Wed, Sep 23, 2009 @ 01:00 PM
You may be tempted to try free conference call services for your nonprofit, but be sure you really know what you are getting into before you make an important call on a free service. As with anything, there are pros and cons to free audio conferencing services.
Is it Really Free?
Clearly, the main advantage to free audio conferencing is that it is free and therefore does not take away from valuable resources. One must consider, however, whether this is actually the case in the end. The poor quality of free services can cost you donors and eventually end up hurting your budget. Some services promise free service that turns out to last five minutes. Then the provider charges an exorbitant rate per minute or locks you into a contract.
Understanding the Basics
Free conference calls are funded by advertisers. The conference provider is being paid to get your eyes on someone’s advertising campaign. Because advertising revenues have fallen so sharply, margins for these companies are razor thin. There is no budget for customer service or support. These are automated services that cannot do anything for you if something goes wrong.
Customer Service
When you pay for audio conferencing, you are paying for a few things. Foremost is the dashboard interface. Developers have been paid to make it intuitive and easy for you to use. Next is the service. Live operators are available 24 hours 7 days a week to help with any problems that may occur. Donations are hard enough to come by without trying to reschedule a meeting because of a problem with conferencing software.
Sound Quality
Free conferencing providers cannot afford to maintain their own private IP networks. This means your call is going over a public IP network, sharing bandwidth with other downloads and uploads. Your voice signal is easily disrupted in a public VoIP environment. A paid service can offer a dedicated and stable line for dependable and clear quality at every meeting. This eliminates the possibility that file transfers will disrupt your phone call. In the end, paying for an affordable audio conferencing solution makes a lot more sense than using a free service.
