Here Are the Three Things Your Phone System Must Have to Support Your Remote Workers in 2021

There isn’t much about everyday work life that wasn’t affected by COVID-19. Law firms are now faced with the real prospect of up to 50% of their workforce permanently working from home.

While many jobs can be done from home by a mature and self-disciplined individual, there are some critical considerations about the telecommunications systems used to support remote workers. To put it simply, a laptop and a mobile phone is not a recipe for success.

Here are the top three things you need in a phone system to keep your remote workers engaged, productive and frustration-free.

The first thing is Functionality. If the phone system you’re using with remote workers cannot handle multiple calls, transfer a call, place a call on hold with music, set up a conference call or have voicemail, then you are way behind the eightball.

“If I tell Greg we need a new handset at a certain address for a home worker, it arrives the next day. Great service! My experience with Phones Now has been 100%” says Di O’Malley, Owner of Young Minds Psychology.

The second thing is Caller ID. You must ensure that only your main office number is displayed to the outside world to protect your remote worker’s privacy. If your remote worker uses their mobile phone, what happens when the client calls back on that number, and the phone is unattended (or that person has left your firm)? It is easy for team members and clients to become frustrated by trying unsuccessfully to connect with a person who is working on a mobile phone. If you extend your office phone system to your workers home office, you will never miss an important call. Team members also feel more connected to the firm when they have one of the firm’s telephone handsets in their home office.

“Phones Now made working from home a seamless transition from the office.  The phones they provided were simple and easy to set up.  I just plugged the phone into my modem, and it worked.  With their phone, I was able to call clients from home using my private practice phone number. This allowed me to continue to see clients via telehealth during a period of self-isolation.  I will continue to use their phones to work from home when necessary, as we transition to more online and telehealth counselling sessions.” Jesse, Professional Services Firm.

The third thing is Simplicity. It has to be easy to set up a home worker’s telecommunications. It must be ‘plug-and-play’. Anything requiring a technician to visit each of your homeworkers adds unnecessary delay and costs. Along with ease, there must be reliability. You cannot allow your firm to be at the mercy of a ‘buggy’ system. Unfortunately, ‘buggy’ is a word that is often associated with basic cloud phone systems. That is why it is imperative to work with an experienced IP Telephony Expert. In doing so, you’ll enjoy a seamless and hassle-free experience.

“I thought the whole process was very easy to understand. I received my phone when they said they would deliver it. I phoned them, and they talked me through everything. It literally took just 2 minutes.” Holly, Team member in a Professional Services Firm.

A final note. One final thing to bear in mind is that voice and data have different rules to each other. Only an appropriately trained IP Telephony Expert can guarantee you the crisp, clear, frustration-free result that you want.

To speak with seasoned Telephony expert, call 1300 58 4000 and ask for Greg Eicke.