4 Ways Your Phone System can Transform Your Remote Workforce

This year has brought on changes: changes in how we work, where we work and maybe even how many people are now working with us. Your organization has likely shifted to your team members working from home or maybe from a different state than before.

With how complex leading and working in these conditions already is your phone system should not be a roadblock to the pivots you’re having to make as an organization.
Your team members should be able to connect from anywhere without the complexities of a traditional phone system.

Here are four things you should consider changing with your phone system:

1.       Drop the VPN: if you’re on a traditional VOIP system your users are likely having to battle with a secure connection to get your user connected back to the office. Although in theory this is more secure, you are now having to purchase equipment or exposing your internal network to an open connection in your team member’s home in which you have no control.

In addition, this is a painful process for your team member. Getting phones on a virtual private network (VPN) is clunky and not flexible. In the way we have to work now,  your team member may be working from their home or maybe they want to work from the mountains the following week - give your users the ability to connect quickly without the tangle of a VPN.

2.       Use a flexible cloud service for your phone lines: if you haven’t changed to a flexible voice service you’re paying too much and getting less. Pay-for-use services (such as Twilio) allow you to have an unlimited amount of voice calls and paying for only what you use. If you’re on a traditional voice setup (such as a PRI) you are limited to the number of phone lines you can use for incoming/outgoing (called channels).

What many leaders don’t realize, is that remote users can often eat up multiple phone lines with a single call depending on your configuration. For instance, if your phone system now receives an inbound call and has to make an outgoing call to track down or forward - you are now using two phone lines for a single call.

3.       Go Soft: in addition to your VPN, your team members may have a desk phone they’re lugging back home with them. The problem is, you don’t know if they prefer using a physical phone or even have the space on the door or ironing board they’re now using for a desk. Innovative phone systems have mobile apps or desktop apps allowing your team members to make and receive calls. These apps give your team members more flexibility and mobility.

4.       Allow Text to Your Office Lines: business has changed with eaching passing generation. There was a time when a letter or a phone call were the methods of communication, but now your team members and customers demand more. A customer can send you an email, folllowed by a text, a slack or whatever method is more convenient in the moment.

Your phone system should be capable of integrating with all of these methods of communication. This starts with being able to allow customers to text your office line and allowing you to respond.

These changes to your phone system can help to set you apart to your team and your customers.

PS: shameless plug, Datapath can help you implement all of these things. Reach out to us for details here.