After shortlisting VoIP vendors 40+ times for enterprise clients, I created a standardised template. It eliminates bias, ensures fair comparison, and takes 2 hours to complete for 3 vendors.
The Template
Section 1: Cost (25 points)
| Criteria | Max Points | How to Score |
|---|---|---|
| Per-user all-in price | 10 | Lowest = 10, each 10% more = -2 |
| Contract flexibility | 5 | Month-to-month = 5, annual = 3, multi-year = 1 |
| Hidden fees test | 5 | No extras = 5, 1-2 extras = 3, 3+ extras = 0 |
| Price lock guarantee | 5 | 36-month lock = 5, 12-month = 3, none = 0 |
Section 2: Quality (25 points)
| Criteria | Max Points | How to Score |
|---|---|---|
| Call quality (20 test calls) | 10 | Avg MOS 4.0+ = 10, 3.5-4.0 = 5, below 3.5 = 0 |
| Mobile app reliability | 10 | 95%+ notifications = 10, 90-95% = 5, below 90% = 0 |
| Measured uptime (12 months) | 5 | 99.99%+ = 5, 99.9% = 3, below 99.9% = 0 |
Section 3: Support (20 points)
| Criteria | Max Points | How to Score |
|---|---|---|
| Response time (3 test calls) | 10 | Under 5 min = 10, 5-15 min = 5, over 15 = 0 |
| Answer quality | 5 | Technical answer = 5, scripted = 3, wrong = 0 |
| Dedicated account manager | 5 | Yes = 5, No = 0 |
Section 4: Features (15 points)
| Criteria | Max Points | How to Score |
|---|---|---|
| CRM integration (native) | 5 | Your CRM natively supported = 5, via Zapier = 2, none = 0 |
| Recording included | 5 | Included = 5, add-on = 2, not available = 0 |
| Admin portal usability | 5 | Office manager test: 4/4 tasks = 5, 3/4 = 3, below = 0 |
Section 5: Risk (15 points)
| Criteria | Max Points | How to Score |
|---|---|---|
| UK data residency | 5 | Confirmed UK = 5, EU = 3, US/unknown = 0 |
| Exit ease (port-out process) | 5 | Clear, < 7 days = 5, vague = 2, hostile = 0 |
| Company stability | 5 | Profitable, growing = 5, funded = 3, unknown = 0 |
Scoring
| Score | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 80-100 | Strong candidate — proceed to contract |
| 60-79 | Acceptable — negotiate improvements in weak areas |
| 40-59 | Weak — significant gaps, consider alternatives |
| Below 40 | Reject — too many risks |
How DialPhone Scores (Self-Assessment)
| Section | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 23/25 | £24 all-in, month-to-month, 36-month price lock |
| Quality | 23/25 | MOS 4.3, 97% mobile app, 99.991% uptime |
| Support | 18/20 | 3-min response, technical answers, dedicated AM |
| Features | 14/15 | Native SF/HubSpot/Zoho, recording included |
| Risk | 14/15 | UK data, 5-day port-out, profitable |
| Total | 92/100 |
We publish this self-assessment because we want you to score us against competitors using the same template. If someone scores higher, choose them.
DialPhone — 30-day free trial. Score us yourself.
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