Telephones
Despite the move towards cordless technology, cabling is still a key element in an office upgrade or relocation. Remember that telephone lines are used not only for phone calls, but fax and perhaps Internet access also.
- If you are relocating, remember to order your phone lines at least eight weeks in advance.
- If you want to take your existing numbers with you, contact your carrier to check that your local exchange will allow this.
The notion that a phone sits on a desk and it is used by only one person is outmoded. More mobility, and the need to move around the office, or from office to office mean that phone systems need to keep up with the users. In addition, the trend towards direct dialling means that the telephonist, who once kept pace with the movements of staff, is now no longer the first point of contact for many calls. What has happened is that the telephone number and the handset have become separated. A phone number is now associated with a person, not phone, and a handset is merely a device for picking up calls to any person. The running cost of your telephone system is a critical issue, and should be examined very carefully. If you would like to know more please click here.
Modern telephone systems are highly versatile but with that versatility has come complexity. As a result, many of the features included by the manufacturers are rarely used by the staff. This IQ checklist shows you some of the basic features that you should look for when selecting a phone system.
If you add systems such as DDi, voice-mail and cordless options they bring significant cultural changes to the organisation. For example, DDi means that phones will ring on the desks direct from the public. If the person is not there, the phone will need to be answered as if an outside line, and not just “hello”. Voicemail messages must be updated perhaps on a daily basis if they are to give a caller any idea whether leaving a message will be of benefit. Similarly, staff must be encouraged to retrieve voice-mail messages, otherwise messages will go unheard. Cordless brings its own protocols, such as not disturbing others by making or receiving calls where it will cause nuisance, and remembering to take the handset with you, so that you can be contacted, and that it does not just ring, unanswered, on your desk.
