Traci
Ross
Big business-phone savings
SUSAN WERNER
COSTCO MEMBER Traci Ross had begun to
think she’d never find the right phone system
for the business, Deckside Pool Service, she
and her husband run in Orange, California.
She says all she wanted was a package that
would offer her a few handsets and the ability
to put people on hold and transfer calls.
“When we discovered the AccessLine
solution, we couldn’t believe our good fortune,” says Ross, who used to share a single
phone line in her two- to four-person office.
“As a small business, all the phone systems we
looked at were either too small or too big for
our needs, and the costs were prohibitive.”
The AccessLine Business Phone Service
allows Costco members to choose the services
and features they need for their small business
or home office.
It includes both a state-of-the-art busi-
ness phone system and the
business phone service, a combination that delivers savings of up to 50 percent to Costco members. What’s more, with
AccessLine, unlike most business phone systems, members aren’t required to pay for the
system up-front; AccessLine offers 12 monthly
installment payments at 0 percent interest. At
the end of the 12 monthly payments, members will own the phone system.
“The phone service and phone system are
bundled together, and the savings on our
phone bill paid for the cost of the phones,”
says Ross.
Digital service converts a person’s voice
into a digital signal that is sent over the
Internet. The technology is 100 percent compatible with traditional phone services.
Additionally, digital service is easy to set
up and use. Simply plug the phone system
into your router, then plug the desk phones
into your phone system.
The system comes with fully featured business desk-phone sets, loaded with features not
typically available to businesses with fewer
than 10 employees—call waiting and call forwarding, conference calls, music on hold,
speed dial and call redirect. Members can even
keep their old phone numbers. The service
comes with two complimentary lines of digital
phone service that will support up to eight
phones; additional lines to accommodate up
to 24 phone stations are an optional feature.
And AccessLine tests the broadband
strength to make sure the digital service adequately supports a business’ phone needs.
“Small businesses are typically charged
higher rates by traditional phone companies
and pay additional for extra features,” says Jon
Zweig, senior director of Costco’s member
services. “Many traditional phone companies
charge an average of $50 for each business
phone line, plus the cost of equipment. With
AccessLine’s digital phone service, four business lines plus a business phone system can
cost a member less than half that amount.”
Ross adds, “The solution has been perfect
for us.… [It’s] a real win-win scenario for any
small business struggling with telecommunication service costs and equipment.” C
Connecting
For more information on AccessLine, visit
costco.com and enter “Smart Phone” in the
search box, or call 1-877-917-3419.
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Costco Connection
Cartoon
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Draw us an original cartoon based on a Costco shopping experience, a situation using Costco’s products
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Winners will be selected by The Costco Connection staff, who will judge
all entries on the basis of originality, creativity and the ability to reflect
Costco in a way that the judges can identify and understand Costco
from a quick visual inspection of the entry. Decisions of the judges are
final. One $500 Costco Cash Card will be awarded as first prize, one
$250 Costco Cash Card will be awarded as second prize, and one
$100 Costco Cash Card will be awarded as third prize.
Sponsored by Crayola and Sanford (“Sponsors”). THIS IS A SKILL CONTEST,
open to Costco members and their immediate family members only.
No purchase necessary. PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE ODDS OF
WINNING. Void where prohibited.
Submit an entry by regular mail to The Costco Connection Cartoon
Contest, P.O. Box 34088, Seattle, WA 98124-1088, or by e-mail to
giveaway@costco.com with “Cartoon Contest” in subject line. Only
previously unpublished entries will be valid. Entries must be received by
11: 59 P.M. on September 30, 2008, and winners will be chosen on or
around October 17, 2008. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible
entries received as well as the decisions of the judges. Employees of
Costco Wholesale and the Sponsors and their affiliates and families are
not eligible to win. Except where prohibited by la w, acceptance of a prize
constitutes permission to use winner’s name and entry for purposes of
advertising and promotion without further compensation or consent.
Participants waive all claims against Costco Wholesale, the sponsor,
their employees and agents for injuries, damage or losses related to the
Contest and/or prizes.
