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Bt Feature Line


Donna

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Wee question - sorry if this is repeating any previous......

I'm moving premises, have a small business with a bt inspiration - it is old but it works and doesn't cost me anything!

BT are either wanting

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You wouldn't need 4 phones on each desk if you were having a PBX installed, or even if you just had 4 feature lines. The thinking behind the feature lines is that they work like a PBX, so each line is like an extension. If you are having a PBX on feature lines then you would have to dial 99 for an outside line.

Assuming you have a maintainer for the PBX then they would be the best people to speak to on this really.

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hi all,

a client of mine had feature lines installed (long story - his partner ordered it all :rolleyes: devoce imminent me thinks), BT supplied handsets to each desk which cooped with 2 lines he (she) had ordered.

i as said works much the same as a private PABX, but you are stuck with BTs charges for any additionals you want like another extension or LCR (Least Cost Routing) competitor.

regs

alan

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!!

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Hello Donna

Firstly you are probably talking to the highly dubious sales guys of the BT Local Business Franchise ?

BT offer free installation deals on Featurelines, Normal business phone lines and ISDN digital lines subject to signup of a BT Business Plan contract which will be between 1-5 years.

The reason they push featureline is normally you are tied into a 5-year deal and featurelines cannot be transferred to any other provider like normal business phone lines.

Push the point to get what you want is my advice or else change provider (transfer the lines to another company).

The 9 for a line could be a nuisance as dependant on if you use standard telephones as well as featurephones with your Inspiration, users may need to dial 9 twice - However the BT Inspiration has a routing table so if you do get stuck with featureline the telephone system can do this 9 prefix automatically on the required calls.

Yes Call divert will still work ok, you can have this service on featureline or normal business phone lines and BT have a new service called Business Phone Line plus Divert which may save a little bit per quarter - if do use featureline it is not necessary to prefix the 9 before the Divert code *21* (unless of course you are using basic telephones with your Bt Inspiration phone system and then you will still need to dial the 9 for a line).

Featureline is really a basic PBX system for a very small business but has many restriction, my advice is get normal business phone lines with the call divert facility - continue to use the BT Inspiration system as obviously its your so is free and use the telephone you want to rather than BT salesman's suggestion.

Regards

Simon

hi Simon,

could i have you permission to 'cut and past' that to my client? amazingly it backs up what i told him, so i'm real chuffed.

or bettter, to his wife then i could get some 'blackmail' out of it ;) or at least get her to pipe down her protestations she was not wrong :yes:

regs

alan

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!!

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We have just moved premises and when I ordered the phone lines I was automatically sold featureline !!

It was not until we moved in that I realised that it was a mini system !!

As mentioned we now have to dial 99 to get an outside line which is a pain !!

I have been in touch with BT to ask them to change it over to a std line but they say I agreed to a 3yr contract and can not change the lines over to std !!

I rang again this week to make a complaint but I am still waiting for them to call me back

I feel that we were sold a system that was not suitable for our requirements !!

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Guest anguscanplay

evening monteey

beware there is a small chance it can stop your alarm communicator working

some speechdiallers and didital comms cant pause after the new 9 you would have to press to accsses line

and think i have had redcare issues with this to due to phantom exchange

seem to remember them been sold by bt sales then been cancelled by bt provisions

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I have cleaned this thread up a little - PM sent Simon, explanation given.

Could we all please remember this is a public forum and certain comments or statements can be taken as liable.

Many thanks for your understanding.

Reply received Simon - thanks for the understanding :)

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Hello Donna

Firstly you are probably talking to the highly dubious sales guys of the BT Local Business Franchise ?

BT offer free installation deals on Featurelines, Normal business phone lines and ISDN digital lines subject to signup of a BT Business Plan contract which will be between 1-5 years.

The reason they push featureline is normally you are tied into a 5-year deal and featurelines cannot be transferred to any other provider like normal business phone lines.

Push the point to get what you want is my advice or else change provider (transfer the lines to another company).

The 9 for a line could be a nuisance as dependant on if you use standard telephones as well as featurephones with your Inspiration, users may need to dial 9 twice - However the BT Inspiration has a routing table so if you do get stuck with featureline the telephone system can do this 9 prefix automatically on the required calls.

Yes Call divert will still work ok, you can have this service on featureline or normal business phone lines and BT have a new service called Business Phone Line plus Divert which may save a little bit per quarter - if do use featureline it is not necessary to prefix the 9 before the Divert code *21* (unless of course you are using basic telephones with your Bt Inspiration phone system and then you will still need to dial the 9 for a line).

Featureline is really a basic PBX system for a very small business but has many restriction, my advice is get normal business phone lines with the call divert facility - continue to use the BT Inspiration system as obviously its your so is free and use the telephone you want to rather than BT salesman's suggestion.

Regards

Simon

Thanks to everyone for their help, will probably end up swallowing the bitter pill and paying the install fee. On another note, I have a small recruitment agency and if anyone is ever looking for alarm/cctv work in Glasgow or Ayrshire I have been approached by 2 different ones recently..........

Thanks again

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Thanks to everyone for their help, will probably end up swallowing the bitter pill and paying the install fee. On another note, I have a small recruitment agency and if anyone is ever looking for alarm/cctv work in Glasgow or Ayrshire I have been approached by 2 different ones recently..........

Thanks again

hi Donna,

before you do swallow that pill, please consider this first -:

if you moving as i hope because your expanding, your type of business suggests you will require more and more operators/agents with access to their own phones. if you get big enough then even more voice lines. so just be careful 2 years on you don't hit the expansion ceiling of the current system you committed to for 5 years, and end up being restricted by it's limitations in your case.

only you can judge this the best and it's mission critical to get it right, so i'd recommend you haggle for an agreement that if at some future point you need more expansion above this systems ability, then BT will come across with a decent deal and not ignore you having you already captive. use your skills and say your thinking of dumping them and sueing for bad advice what ever, bluster and threaten your now very in favour of a private company, the agent won't want the hassle or the possible loss imo, and i'd get any deal in writing to.

best wishes and luck for your future 'empire' building.

as your in Scotland, if you make it big as i hope, remember my very astute advice, and i like 20 year old single malt too :whistle:

regs

alan

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!!

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hi Donna,

before you do swallow that pill, please consider this first -:

if you moving as i hope because your expanding, your type of business suggests you will require more and more operators/agents with access to their own phones. if you get big enough then even more voice lines. so just be careful 2 years on you don't hit the expansion ceiling of the current system you committed to for 5 years, and end up being restricted by it's limitations in your case.

only you can judge this the best and it's mission critical to get it right, so i'd recommend you haggle for an agreement that if at some future point you need more expansion above this systems ability, then BT will come across with a decent deal and not ignore you having you already captive. use your skills and say your thinking of dumping them and sueing for bad advice what ever, bluster and threaten your now very in favour of a private company, the agent won't want the hassle or the possible loss imo, and i'd get any deal in writing to.

best wishes and luck for your future 'empire' building.

as your in Scotland, if you make it big as i hope, remember my very astute advice, and i like 20 year old single malt too :whistle:

regs

alan

Thanks Alan, Unfortunately BT have everyone up here captive - there are no other line providers - only lcr's......... and i always remember good advice!!

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