atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems XBlue Networks Telephones & Systems cant find 45p

ive researched many phone systems and have decided that this one fits my budget and most of my needs.I never said Im limiting myself to this system, I have been searching and exploring many different options and this one fits my needs the best so far.

if you know you need a whitening and have no cavities, do you really want to go through exam after exam talking to dentist after dentist about 10 different whitening procedures that all do very similar things? chances are you know how white you want them and you would want the whitening done effectively enough, and cheaply... so youd probably try the widely available Crest whitestrips vs an dental office whitening at first (well...you should). should pharmacy items not meet your needs then you can visit your dentist. In this situation it seems like a store bought item very well could meet most of my needs, but im curious about a dealer-only item.. hence the inquiry in xblue dealers in the area. i do not want to hear sales pitches for 10 different phone closed systems since im pretty sure theyd be out of my price range and id have no way of knowing if im being ripped off...if they arent expensive then the manufacturers have done a poor job in explaining the general costs of their systems (or they are keeping it a secret so dealers can markup)

ive talked to a few sales reps and installers, and they all have tried to push me onto $5000 systems which are total overkill for my needs, or are just overpriced for what they deliver... many dentists are easy targets for overselling.

Please forgive me for researching my needs and products that fit those needs... I know most installers would prefer a completely clueless customer who can easily be oversold, and im not one of those customers. im sure i fall into the much less desirable category of the over-informed customer that knows 90% of what he wants, is tech savvy, yet has a budget.

I know there are reputable installers, but other than research online for my own needs to compare to their suggestions, how can I be sure they are truly looking after my needs and not their margins. Its alarming how many times ive talked to car dealers, dental equipment dealers, etc.. and have known more about the products and competitive products than they do. There are honest salespeople and there are sleazy ones (just like honest dentists and sleazy dentists).. its not something that id like to find out the hard/expensive way.

Phone systems are relatively new to me, but after searching and learning general info about items I feel that I can make a pretty informed decision.

Thank you for the help on this forum so far, even though some posts have been demeaning since im an end user and not an installer. I'm going to call the xblue installer tomorrow, and with the public info i have on the x16 i can see if he's being honest regarding pricing...something i couldnt have done without some online research.

have a good day

Pretty much, if you called me on the phone and gave me your wants and desires, I'd recommend a different system. I don't make a market in XBlue, but I can certainly compare the differences in the sytsems. By the numbers, you're pretty much looking at a less than $2K hardware only solution (you stating that the infrastructure is already in place). So now it comes down to phone choices, Call Fwd to cell, and Unified messaging.

I have several installations of Panasonic systems where they use both the cell option and unified messaging to their advantage, but as Henry Ford said, you can have any color you want, as long as it's black.

While colors are trendy (We delivered Burgundy and Gray units to OSU fans back in the 80's) they also become problematic to deliver when the manufacturer discontinues the colors. The aforementioned XBlue has already dropped 3 or 4 colors...when the color falls out of favor, you now have to mix and match phones or paint them.

Another option that we've had good success with is the NEC DSX system. In terms of installation, it's easy, it has Promotion on hold capabilities without the external box, it can have unified messaging, and the entire system can be administered via the Internet. Because of the price of the phones, it actually can come in less than the Panasonic..about 20% less, so again, it will be sub $2k.

So, I, and others here, are trying to say, don't lock yourself into the concept of a particular system based on price when you have specific goals in a phone system, and don't let the $5K price tag blind you to all scoundrels in the business :-)

Carl, not a fan of the Big 10^h^h11^h^h12

the same could be said for your profession could it not ?

you really need implants .....

we trust you to know your trade , trust us to know ours ...

Thanks for the thoughtful response Carl, you make valid points regarding the colors and features. In my case, my provider can do call forwarding. If my budget was $2000 Id be more inclined to look at other professional offers, but im looking for hardware under $1000 for 4-6 phones so that leaves me with analog (oaired with a Skutch MOH adapter likely) or an entry level installer system like the X16. The TMC Epic 4500/4300 phones also seem to fit the bill.


now if only the big ten could drop indiana and minnesota from football.

yep, i already mentioned that unfortunately there are sleazy dentists that like to oversell.. and Id imagine you wouldnt appreciate being in the chair of one of them just like i wouldnt like being oversold on phone systems

that's why I research and ask for recommendations for a dentist then once I find one I trust he knows his craft and I go with his recommendations .

which is what you should be doing finding a installer and company who knows whats available and trusting them to recommend , install and support a product that will meet your needs

That rules out the 45P with 6 phones and voice mail. That's under dealer cost.

Scrap the NEC DSX, you're under dealer cost there too.

Pointing out the TM Epic doesn't make sense either since 6 of those are also slightly over $1000

You're going to be looking for a long time since most companies don't sell systems under cost. Your requirements are roughly the same as me posting on a dental board that I want a gold crown and root canal for $250. I seriously suspect I wouldn't be responded to in a kindly fashion.

I think the X16 comes closest to your requirements and fills the bill for hardware costs which are easily looked up on the web. You'll NEED to hire an installer. It is sensitive to proper installation and if done incorrectly will drive you crazy. If you purchase the X16 from a local vendor you'll definitely spend more but you have somebody that's knowledgeable on the product, is there to answer questions and has inventory to cover warranty, etc. As with your field you get what you pay for. It's pretty much a pay now or pay later affair when it comes to telephone systems (or most anything else for that matter). Do you save a touch up front buying cheap stuff and replace it in a couple of years or pay a bit more for a system that does exactly what you want and use it for the next fifteen?

I think you'll find virtually every single member on this board belong to the latter group and realize they aren't doing customers a favor when they scrimp.