With half term next week, many people will be packing up the camping gear or jetting off abroad. If you are a business owner, or have responsibilities that involve having to be available on the phone, what options are there to manage your calls whilst you are away?
Divert calls to your Mobile phone – It won’t be much of a holiday if you’re lying on the beach talking business all day, but technology now allows your calls to follow you wherever you are. You need to consider what the network coverage, reception signal and diversion costs are going to be. If you are holidaying with family you can also expect some moans…
Divert all calls to Voicemail – If you leave a voicemail message explaining that you won’t be available then at least they have an expectation of when you will be able to respond. This could work for you if your caller’s needs are not critical and can wait. Most voicemails have the option to ‘dial in’ remotely so you can pick up your messages and deal with them.
Get someone you know to ‘man the phones’ – This solution can work for you if you have competent employees, business associates or friends that can represent you and your business. Brief them on common call types, what to say and who to contact if there is an issue.
Divert your calls to a telephone answering service – If you already use an answering service it’s a simple case of letting them know how to handle your calls whilst you are away. If you don’t have one you might want to call us.
By Steve West
Marketing & Business Development Manager
