Peaking at 5.1 million in January 2021, there are still millions of staff across the UK that find themselves on the Government’s Furlough scheme. Currently being phased out, the system is set to come to an end in September 2021, at which point millions of workers will have to pick up where they left off.
Office spaces are likely to look very different to those that were abandoned some 18 months ago at the height of the pandemic, with more and more staff opting to work flexibly between the office and their homes. You’ll need an equally flexible communications system to make sure staff communication doesn’t suffer, and customers continue to receive the great service they expect from you.
The best way to give your staff the flexibility and functionality they need to work seamlessly from home, or the office, is with a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system.
Fully internet based, VoIP is easy to use, affordable to scale and offers a range of useful tools that make communication easier and more effective, no matter where you’re based.
Communicating With Offsite Workers
When people are in the office, they’re face to face, they can talk and communicate as soon as they need to. A question we’re often asked is if you can ever really achieve that from home? The answer is of course it will be different, but in essence, yes you can! Our VoIP phone systems allow any user to be on a group call within seconds, to easily host video calls, share documents, or anything they need to continue dialogue with their colleagues. It’s different, but it’s productive and effective.
The costs for you
Whenever making investments in new technology, or changes to where and when your staff work, there are always a number of factors you’ll need to weigh up; How much will it cost? What are the benefits? How long will the technology itself last? When it comes to cost and benefit, introducing a VoIP phone system has always been to a certain extent, a no brainier.
The main costs associated with scaling the system are only in the handsets themselves. When you consider call costs can often be more than halved, that can more than pay for the cost of the handset within a modest period of time. You essentially end up with more functionality and flexibility at a lower cost than a traditional system. When we say no-brainer, we really mean it!
A seamless service for your customers….
If people are going to be working from home, the last thing you want is for your customers to know that they’re at the kitchen table, in the living room or somewhere else at home, or for there to be any disruption in the service you provide them. One of the biggest benefits of VoIP is its inter-connectivity – every phone number is connected to the rest – you can easily transfer, add people into a group conversation, or place them on hold.
You also take your number home with you. When those two factors are combined (the ability to have the office number at home and the functionality to easily connect between individual phones), your customers should receive the same level of service they always have and be none the wiser as to where your employees are (unless of course the dog has something to say about it!).
If you’re currently considering flexible working for your staff and want to know how best to make it happen, then get in touch with our experienced team on 01237 420010 and they’ll answer your questions happily.
