Modern communications technologies like VoIP have given Orange County small businesses like yours the ability to compete alongside much larger companies in the digital age. The best way to make the most of these technologies is to set up a “best practices” policy and get your team on board with it—but that’s just the first piece of the puzzle. Your next objective is to create some safeguards around your VoIP/telecom system to ensure it meets the demands of your business consistently and seamlessly. Your team needs to be familiar with these safeguards, as well, so in the event that you can’t be at the helm (due to emergency, vacation, or whatever), the system won’t break down at the first sign of trouble.
Train Your Team Members on Basic Troubleshooting
In addition to teaching your team how to optimize the use of your VoIP systems, it’s helpful to teach them what steps to take if they encounter performance issues. For example, do your teammates know how to run basic diagnostics on their devices or their internet connection? Do they know how to reboot routers and phone systems when necessary? (You might be surprised how many people simply don’t think to reboot a device.) Do they know who to call if they can’t figure out what’s what? The more your team knows about basic troubleshooting of your system, the sooner they can get back to productivity when things go wrong.
Appoint a Second (and Third) in Command
Unless you want to open the door to a complete shutdown at some point, you can’t be the only person in your company who knows how your telecom systems work. Who is steering the ship when you’re not around? Is there a third person in line if both of you are out? Make sure you have at least two other people who understand how your VoIP and telecom systems are set up and what steps to take if there are signs of trouble. Make sure they know how to contact your IT support team if something happens they don’t know how to resolve.
Consider Managed IT, if You Haven’t Already
Finally, if you haven’t done so already, take a look at getting on a managed IT plan for your company. A third-party managed IT service provides you with your own 24-7 tech help desk that you or your team can call if you encounter any problems. Managed IT also provides 24-7 monitoring of your systems, which can stop many issues before they start.
NetServ can provide effective, reliable managed IT for your Orange County business, as well as help you optimize your VoIP/telecom systems and making sure you have all the tools you need to run most efficiently. To learn more, call 1-877-NetServ.