Having remote workers in your business is now normal. The issues is how to support remote workers on your phone system. You may have an engineer in a different state, or a virtual assistant in another country. With a modern Unified Communications system your workers can function the same wherever they are. This guide will provide a few key tips to having the best experience with remote workers on your phone system.
Have High Speed Internet
In 2023 having high speed internet seems like a no brainer. However there are still some areas of the United States that do not have high speed internet, and if you are hiring a remote virtual assistant in another country, this can also be a valid concern. Have your users run speedtest.net speed and latency tests to make sure their internet service can handle Voice over IP
Desk Phone or Softphone?
Will your remote worker have a desk phone or will they user a computer or cell phone based softphone? There is no correct answer to this question, the decision depends on multiple factors. The advantage with a desk phone is call handling is just like your remote worker is in the office, with a softphone there is no remote worker hardware to support. If a standard desk phone is chosen, make sure there is an internet jack nearby, otherwise you will need to select a phone with WiFi support. The advantage to a softphone is, there is no remote hardware to support or send to your employee.
Use a Quality Headset
If you remote worker is using a desk phone or a softphone, have them use a high quality headset. With the desk phone most headsets are of good quality, however with softphones its another story. Cell Phones and computers both allow for bluetooth headset connectivity. There is a wide range of bluetooth headset quality. A cheap bluetooth headset will sound terrible and the calls will suffer. Use good quality bluetooth headsets.
Implement Call Parking
Call parking is the best way to transfer calls when a remote working is involved (is the best way even in a standard office). Think of park as “Shared Hold”, , where you can press the “Park 1” or “Park 2” button on your phone an caller goes on hold. All the other phones (remote and local) all show a red light indicating a caller is being held in the slot. This allows you to call the remote worker and tell them to pick up the person on “Park 1”. This takes all the urgency out of the transfer.
Call Recording for Accountability
Record your remote worker calls. By recording the calls, there is an increased in their sense off accountability. If the remote worker is doing their job, they will not be concerned with calls being recorded. Taking this simple step is an easy way to assure your remote workers are saying the proper things to your clients.
Having a distributed work force with remote workers is easier than ever. The goal is to properly Support Remote Workers on Your Phone System. With a modern Voice over IP Phone System provider and the information provided in this article, you can enable your remote worker to succeed in your business. If you want more guidance or have any other questions feel free to reach out to us.
