The One Emergency Phone Feature You Need During a Storm

automates phone systesms for emergencies

Image Credit: Intherabbithole.com

All of a sudden, the weather in the winter seems to turn foul. We go from moderate mornings and light jackets to freezing temperatures and scraping frost off our cars.  So, what do you do when you need to get an emergency message out to your employees?

In the age of cell phones, you only need one feature during an emergency:  Automated assistance for phone lines can help immediately communicate a mass message to your employees, clients and staff.  You can record the messages and update them yourself as conditions worsen or circumstances change.

What should you look for in a system?

Immediate publication
You don’t want to have to wait for your message to go live.  Be sure you system message goes live as soon as you hit save – then double check it from an outside source like your cell phone.

A virtual menu to guide you
Unless you like searching through manuals, having an auto-attendant telling you to press 2 is nice … and easy, especially when you need to get a message out in a hurry.

System back-ups
If the power goes out, the phone lines typically stay intact.  Make sure your answering service, phone carrier or service provider have back-up systems so your business doesn’t seem closed for good due to their phone issues.

Individual message options
If your company has various employee roles, the option to allow them to individually change their messages is paramount.  Storm damage can vary from person to person so allowing the sales team to specifically alter their messages keeps client expectations in check.

A human at a help desk
If you have issues programming your phone, a live human is the best solution to walk you through it. As specialists in phones, they can make sure you’re able to post your message or develop a work-around with you.

Work-around options
If you aren’t keen on having a phone-in number, don’t forget you can always have one extension dedicated to snow emergencies.  For example, dedicate line 303 to weather emergencies.

Of course, we all sincerely hope that we never have the need to use an emergency helpline.  However, giving your employees time-off to deal with weather emergency issues is paramount to their loyalty to you.

Do the easy thing for your business and rely on an automated phone system to mass message your employees with the weather updates they need.  You can hire Halloo for additional support and advice on phone communications.