Telephone System for home use

[3DNet]

I have a client who wants a telephone system installed in his house. We have shown him several types of systems, but he is uninterested in the 'business looking' phones.

We have also looked and Bang & Olufsen, but these phones don't have many features.

Has anyone used or know of a system that might fit our need?

 

[macphoneguy]

Has the Client Expressed any thoughts about what kind of Features they are looking for, ?

 

[3DNet]

Of course, they want the features and functionality of a key system (we showed them the Panasonic KX-T). Multi-lines, door intercom, station-station intercom (voice call), levitating KSU, etc etc.

The client only balked at how the phones looked. Apparently he thinks his wife will kill/divorce him if we install the boxy business style phones.

 

[fonedude]

Partner works good in these cases. The phones have a "euro" look and the ports are interchangeable, Parnter phone or analog set. The phones are relatively user friendly as well. They can be easily programmed by the user at the station.

 

[IPGuru]

the Avaya IP Office Small Office willtake ordinary analog pots & is ideal in a home enviroment but does not offer key-system functionality.
Why would they want Key-system operation at home anyway?
I would have thought "just pick it up & dial as normal" - no need to dail 9 etc. would keep him safe from his wife

 

[orypecos]

If the look of the phones is the main problem, then just find a regular Kmart or Bang & Olufsen phone and connect it to analog port on a phone system that has the features that they want. In fact, send the wife out to pick out the phones.

 

[luv2ski]

get a nice bcm with 2005 ip sets dont go copper get a t1

ONLY 17 WEEKS TILL SKI SEASON STARTS

 

[bobmroz]

You have a dilemna, but not one that you can't overcome.

The features you want (like most people or businesses) are fairly standard for most, if not all phone systems today. Find images of the phone sets for the systems you are considering on the web using Google Images. Let your wife pick a couple that meet her approval. Then pick a system based on price and the strength of the local vendor.

Two other notes:

1. Certain single line telephones may look more appropriate in the home, but the trade-off will be a lack of one touch access to your most frequently required features.

2. The Partner system, while popular and universally available does not seem to be the most reliable out there. The modules seem to go bad far more often than with other systems. This is just my opinion, but it is based on a lot of experience overnighting replacement modules around the country.

Bob

Applied Voice and Data (Used Phones For Less),

http://www.usedphonesforless.com

 

[orypecos]

In the hospitality industry they analog phones with speed dial buttons for the the different features needed. This could be done the same way with a Bang an Olufuson analog phone connected to a small office phone system.

 

[upstateny]

The Partner is a tremendously reliable system - only reason you see so many bad modules is the sheer number of them installed - the percentage rate of failure is tiny and among the best of any systemon the market

 

[aussie88]

I think either Partner, or Merlin Magix w/ TDL's takes the cake. I would say the Definity with the 6400 sets is good (I have a prologix in my house) but that is a tidbit overboard. Partner is probably the best because The phones arent bad looking, and you can plug a plain old phone into any jack in the system if you want too, and it will work. The panasonic is a great system. And personally, I think the 7700, and the 308 series phones are great looking phones. Has she seeen those yet??

 

[djmwjk]

I would reccommend Merlin Classic phone systems, they have a little older look, but the standard 5 button phones would look great in any home and are smaller with only 8 buttons. They do have a classic look too, and the Merlin Classic telephone systems are really reliable. I sell them for a living and install them in many homes.

 

[hbiss]

djmwjk, I can't see why anybody would install a Merlin classic system today. 5 years ago maybe, if the customer had one and wanted it moved, but today, never.

That stuff has been around since 1984, it was the first electronic key system. Anything you get now has been refurbished on top of refurbished on top of refurbished. Unless you get it directly from Avaya (read $$$) refurb only means that cosmetics have been taken care of (which is often a paint job!) with a quick operational check that can't show up intermittant problems.

It can't be used with T/R devices like an answering machine, of course no voice mail option and add to that the necessity that all 4 pairs need to be used and you realize that these things are a dinosaur that should only live in a land fill. Indeed, I have found that the control units are becoming scarce or unavaiable from my suppliers.

It's just not good business to let your customers believe that this is anything good especially since there is so much new and better equipment available in the same price range.

-Hal

 

[djmwjk]

I still sell the Merlin Classic gear and I'm doing about $1500/week in business just from the classic gear, since its old that means people need parts to repair their systems with.

What systems are you talking about when you say that there are systems in the same price range?

John

 

[jerryreeve]

Nortel 3X8 or a small panasonic are both good possibilities. I prefered to be putting in a system for the customer that dosen't need a lot of repair. We were selling the comdial and at&t line but they ended up costing us so much in warrantee work in the first year or two that the margin was totaly eaten up.

JerryReeve
Communications Systems Int'l
com-sys.com

 

[BagsNYC]

Norstar, any flavor, will accomplish anything you need. A work horse..

 

[hbiss]

John, if you know (as we all do) that Merlin is old and requires a lot of repair how can you justify doing new installs with it? I HOPE you don't do it because it will make you money on future service calls.

-Hal

 

[nightwolf91]

check out the RCA small office business phone at Office Depot...no KSU req'd no extra wiring for i/c stations
2 lines uses two pair--4 lines uses 4 pair
installed them for a customer who had picked them up himself, just needed wiring and jacks. I had never seen them b4 but they seemed to fit his needs...spkrphone, speeddial, headset jack, call display, etc.

http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=904447&afsrc=1

 

[aussie88]

Well,
I do have to agree, I am a LARGE fan of the Classic Merlins. The Early control units did have power supply issues. Although I think that a Merlin Plus D2 would fit a home perfectly, I know I loved mine (until someone put the winter coats on top of the control unit and blew it out). Plus the 820D2 control unit is small and light. If she likes the look of the Classic Merlin phones, but you simply dont want to install one of the old, voicemail-less (and god bless if you decide to install voysys), look into a Merlin Legend with some ATL cards. Very versitle system, and easily programmed through WINspm. But with phone systems, especially forr the home, newer is not always better. I loved my merlin plus, and when I put the definity in, we actually lost a few features.

 

[djmwjk]

Hal,

I sell them because people are crazy for them, and they do not require lots of repairs, they are probably some of the best build telephone systems ever out there.

Another huge plus is many small business owners don't want to spend the big $$ on new state of the art systems with tons of features they don't need when a simple older system will do the job.

I sell full systems starting at only $220 and they sell like crazy, my business has expanded so rapidly I'm now having a hard time keeping up with all the business thats coming my way.

I also have lots of people to have current systems and purchase extra phones, or upgrade the KSU's.

I have had minimal problems with any of the systems I sell (I do most of my business selling systems to people...not installing them)...another plus is the user can install a merlin classic system on their own with no tools or really no knowledge...since its so streight forward.

John