Relying on Your Contract

Before you can begin checking anything on your invoice, you need to know what your correct charges should be. Find a copy of your contract for service. Along with the contract, you should also grab a copy of any amendments your company has signed, any rate notifications that may have landed on your desk, or any correspondence from your carrier that refers to any monthly recurring fees, installation charges, or per-minute costs.

 Remember  If you don’t have all this information handy, you can always contact your carrier and request copies of these files; however, oddly enough, sometimes the special breaks you negotiate don’t always make it into your file at the carrier. Funny how that works.

 Tip  Keep a file of all paperwork and forms you receive from your carrier, especially those that contain any reference to fees or charges. It is better to keep ten pieces of worthless paperwork than lose one that could save you a lot of money every month. If you lose a document that reduces your cost, your carrier may not have it on file either and you will have to start over at square one.