Q.

Do I need to make a long-term commitment? Can I 'try before I buy'?

A.

You need not make a commitment for any time period but can go on a 'pay as you go basis'. For clients making a longer term commitment      special price and service discounts are provided.

Q.

Do I pay for system access on a ‘per call’ or ‘per minute’ basis?

A.

Tour-Mate Mobile bills incoming calls to the system in 6 second increments.  You need not worry about 'dropped' calls with subsequent re-dialling, or users who redial to access each message (rather than keep their line open).  You will get billed only for actual usage.  We believe that this is the fairest and most cost effective way to provide you with mobile service.

Q.

Should I provide the mobile experience with a local or a toll free access number?

A.

If most of your users will be from your local area, then the provision of a local access number is the most cost effective way to go.  Your per minute fees are lower (than toll free access) and your visitors incur no long distance fees to access the system. Tour-Mate Mobile can provide local access numbers for most area codes within the USA and Canada. 

If your users come primarily from outside your local area, then providing access to your users via a toll-free number, while marginally more expensive to you, will save them from paying long distance charges to access your messages.

Q.

If I script my messages and Tour-Mate Mobile records them, how will I ensure that I like the narrator's voice and that technical terms are pronounced  correctly?

A.

You select the narrator you prefer from voice samples that we provide to you.  Also, if we record your scripts (or if we create the scripts in the first place), nothing gets loaded onto the system until you have approved the final recordings.

Q.

Our usage requirement is seasonal.  How to we ensure that we keep the same access number year over year so that we do not have to produce new  promotional and collateral materials each year?

A.

Tour-Mate Mobile has a dormancy option.  Tell us what months you do not want the system 'active', and for a nominal monthly fee, we will put the system into an inactive state.  As soon as you want the system re-activated, you notify us and we re-activate it (within 48 hours).  The system access number will stay the same.

Q.

Can I track system usage daily?

A.

Yes. You can not only track usage daily, but hourly, weekly, monthly, etc.  You can create parameters within the system which will permit you to compare system usage between two or more periods of time.

Q.

Can I charge for access?

A.

Yes. We can set up a system access number that changes periodically which you can provide to users for a fee if you wish to charge for system access. This access code card could be sold at gift shops or customer service booths.

Q.

Our location has poor cellular reception for one or more carriers.  Can we still offer the mobile service?

A.

The answer is yes. If you do not wish to make the investment to boost signals from carriers whose signals are weak, then only those users with mobile phones connecting to carriers whose signals are of sufficient strength will be able to access the messages.  If you wish to have a signal audit conducted of your premises, or you wish to discuss signal augmentation, your Tour-Mate Project Director can usually suggest one or more firms that will undertake such a project.

Q.

How long does it take to activate a system access number?

A.

The answer depends on the type of number you request.  Toll free numbers can be activated in 2-3 business days. Local access numbers take 5  business days.

Q.

Can I request a specific local interchange number so that the access number is similar to other numbers that we provide to the public?

A.

We will try to honour this type of request but we can not guarantee that we will be successful in acquiring a three digit local interchange number that is the same as those numbers you currently use. If you are in an area where we can provide a local access number, all that we can guarantee is that your access number will be a local number.

Q.

Who owns my recorded content?

A.

You do.  Our policy is that if we create content for you, it is done on a 'fee for service’ basis.  Please note however that should you subsequently wish to deliver all or a portion of this content via some other delivery platform (e.g. pod cast), there may be additional licensing fees required for the professional talent or for music used in the production of your messages.

Q.

You do not encourage the use of music with the messages.  How come?

A.

Mobile telephony operating in real time does not always reproduce music with particularly good fidelity.  The algorithms used are designed to optimize speech.  If you would like to incorporate music into your messages, speak to your Tour-Mate Project Director and arrange to have us test  samples of the music you would like to use.  You can listen to the music via a mobile phone and then decide if you would like to incorporate the music into your messages.

Q.

What will my Project Director do for me?

A.

Every client of Tour-Mate Mobile is assigned a Project Director.  The Project Director is your primary contact within Tour-Mate.  He or she will provide you with information about the products, service and options that are available to you and will work with you to ensure that your tour and subsequent system maintenance meet, or exceed, your expectations.  We feel it is important that if you have questions or concerns, that there is always someone who knows about your specific project and is there to assist you.

Q.

What types of collateral materials should I prepare to use in conjunction with Tour-Mate Mobile?

A.

It is important to advertise the availability of your mobile messages to your prospective users. To that end we recommend signs or banners, be prominently placed identifying the availability of mobile messages as well as the system access number.  We also recommend that you consider 'book mark' size handouts outlining system availability as well as the system access number. If you use printed programs, or have electronic message boards, you should consider advertising the availability of your mobile system via these platforms.

You will also likely need to provide the 1-5 digits, individual message access numbers either via signs located in proximity to what the message is describing, or via a printed handout, or both. Your Project Director can provide you with sample artwork to assist you in determining how best to communicate the availability of your mobile messages.