Most business phones run over the internet now. That's mostly a good thing, but it means an internet outage takes the phones down with it. Here's what I'd set up before the next one.
When the internet goes down
- With a cloud phone system, your phone number doesn't go down. The phones on your desks do, because they can't reach it. Calls can still ring somewhere else.
- Put the phone system's app on the cell phone of whoever answers the main line. When the office is offline, calls still ring there over cellular.
- Set up a forwarding rule that sends the main number to a cell phone, one you can turn on from the app or the website in a minute. Find it now, not during the outage.
- Card terminals, alarm systems and door access often run on the same connection. Find out which of yours do.
- Keep your internet provider's support number and your account number somewhere that isn't on the office network.
If a few hours offline would really hurt, a cellular backup connection takes over on its own when the main line drops. That's what our Business Cellular Internet service does.
Calls saying your service is about to be cut off
The FTC warns about callers who pretend to be the gas, electric or water company and threaten to shut off service unless you pay right away, usually by wire transfer, a payment app, cryptocurrency or a gift card. The same trick works just as well with phone service, and copper line retirement being in the news makes the story easy to tell.
If your phone company plans to stop a service, FCC rules require it to tell you in writing first. If someone calls demanding payment today, hang up and call the number on your bill. The FTC's advice is worth two minutes.
One phone system tip: voicemail to email
The phone systems we set up can email each voicemail as an audio file. If voicemails sit in a mailbox nobody checks, send them to a shared inbox instead, so a customer's message doesn't wait until Monday.
If you want help with any of this, get in touch.
Scott
Twisted VoIP