So, the threatened cold weather finally arrived, as we look at the thermometer reading -6 and look out the window at the frost and snow.
For many it has meant school closures with either mum or dad having to change plans and work from home. For some it has meant cancelled meetings or even cancelled journeys to the office. And for some businesses a combination of the impact on staff and in some cases a degradation in the performance of their services has seriously affected their ability to deliver a BAU (Business As Usual) customer experience.
But in simple terms how can you put systems and solutions in place to minimise the affect that bad weather can have on your business, your customers and the effectiveness of your employees? Well here are a small handful of some very simple and high-level hints and tips as to how telecommunications might be able to help.
The weather has taken down our broadband line.
It is not only bad weather that can affect an internet or broadband line, so why not put a second line in as back up?
The weather has taken down our telephone lines / or no one can get into the offices to answer the telephones.
With today’s VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) calling technology calls can be redirected to another office, emergency mobile telephones, another landline number, by an immediate and simple internet process on a PC, Laptop or even via a smartphone app. You never need to miss a call.
One of our directors hasn’t made it into the office today and his/her desk phone just won’t stop ringing!
Well there are many helpful answers for this one. Perhaps the handset could be redirected to an available helpful colleague. Perhaps calls could go to voicemail and that voicemail could be attached to an email as an attachment and sent to the director’s email inbox. Perhaps the handsets could be twinned with the director’s smartphone so when the desk phone rings the smartphone rings at the same time. Or, the director’s desk phone could be temporarily diverted to the director’s home phone … and many many more.
How can I work from home but make it look to the outside world that I am at my company offices?
Easy, all Evoke Telecom’s systems have the ability for you to plug a business handset into a socket at your home and connect all the way back to your office or company ‘cloud’ telephone system. So extension 216 can be at their desk, be you at home or in the office.
What if we don’t have a spare handset for me to work at home, can I use my mobile phone as an extension of my company telephone system?
Well yes you can. All Evoke Telecom phones systems have the ability to add a specialist mobile application that turns your mobile telephone into a remote extension of the company telephone system over wifi or 4G. Be it Ericsson-LG UCS or Avaya Equinox, your smartphone can also be your company system extension.
But I prefer face to face meetings, to share presentations and documents that are in my PC!
Well that too is not a problem. Known as Unified Collaboration phone systems now have additional features that can allow users to video conference one another, share presentations, share documents, white board and much more.
Well, we said a small handful – and we hope that has provided some food for thought. With planning and some good clever telecoms advice (we know a super company that can help of course) you can prepare yourself for that next snow flurry, cold spell, unseasonal downpour or just simply set your business up to work more efficiently.
If you would like some knowledgeable support and guidance from a super friendly group of specialists in this field you know exactly what you need to do. Feel free to contact our helpful team at [email protected] or smile whilst you dial 01509 278278 – or if you want to save a penny or two you can call our freephone number on 0800 840 3688.
