For many businesses big and small alike, the coronavirus lockdown imposed by the government has forced new ways of working and looking at the day-to-day work environment. Some have made the most of a bad situation; some pubs have done takeaway food or beer in an effort to keep their locals fed and watered, independent retailers have started offering delivery for the first time and some takeaways have offered online ordering and app support for the first time ever.

It’s been no different for offices, schools, surgeries and countless other workplaces too. Lockdown restrictions may have gently loosened, but any office employees are likely to be working from home for the foreseeable future. Workplaces with a VoIP phone system already in place have seen a crucial element of flexibility during uncertain times. For many, it’s been a vital tool in helping businesses keep operating.

There are significant benefits for businesses to making the switch over to VoIP during these uncertain times.

Flexibility in working

While many of us are now working remotely, you’ll want it to be as easy as possible to stay in contact with your staff — and for them to be contacted by suppliers and customers too. Traditional phone systems can be limiting, with call forwarding restricted to one phone; VoIP phones can be taken from the office, plugged in to an internet connection anywhere in the world with minimal fuss and they’ll start working immediately.

So when someone calls into the business, all of the VoIP phones connected at home will ring, just as they would in the office. Transferring calls between phones also functions just as it would normally.

Flexibility in staffing numbers

In such uncertain times, it may well be that your business sees changes in staffing numbers. Tough decisions may have to be made, but alternatively if you’re growing, investing in phone equipment doesn’t come at a huge cost. All a new staff member needs to hit the ground running is a new phone number and a handset, so they can be added to the team at a low cost. At the other end of the scale, if you have to let some staff go, you can keep the handset and number for the future, again at minimal cost.

Lower those all-important costs

With the economy facing tough times due to the virus, the vast majority of businesses have suffered a loss in trade. One way to weather the storm is to lower running costs. You might assume that setting up a new phone system would be expensive, but savings of up to 80% on call charges and line rental means that any initial set up cost is quickly offset by savings made in both the short and long term. VoIP is a way of reducing costs with no real downside!

If you’d like to learn more about how VoIP could keep you and your colleagues connected during an extended period of working remotely, please give your experienced team a call on 01237 420010.