The storm season has begun in the Northwest, with some high winds and heavy rain lately. Many homes and business in the Seattle and King and Snohomish county areas suffered loss of power and communications during the recent storms. Any time your business is experiencing any type of communications problems, including intermittent blackouts or dropped calls, you should ask yourself these five questions:
- When did the problem start? Did something happen around this time that could cause this problem.
- Have you made any changes to your network or infrastructure that may be affecting your communication system?
- Is the problem on all lines or one line?
- Is the problem on one phone or all phones?
- Is the problem constant or intermittent? If intermittent can you recreate it?
When did the problem start? Did something happen around the same time that could have caused the problem. Look back at the recent weather and see if it coincides with the beginning of your communication system issues. Even if the storms in the region didn’t hit your business directly, it may have caused problems somewhere else that cascaded to your phones.
Have you made any changes to your network or infrastructure that may be affecting your communication system? The timing of the problems and recent storms could be simply a coincidence. Recent changes made by you or your provider could be causing issues because of incorrect installation or incompatible parts. Check into the last time any changes were made to hardware or software.
Is the problem on all lines or one line? Is everyone in your office experiencing the same issue or is it confined to one line? Issues with a single line are usually easier to diagnose and correct, but be sure the problem is actually limited to that single line and not just more pronounced than on other lines.
Is the problem on one phone or all phones? Problems with the actual phones may be different than problems with the line. If possible, try moving the problem phone to a different location to see if the problem moves with the phone. Try to track down and isolate as best you can the starting point of the problem.
Is the problem constant or intermittent? If intermittent can you recreate it? Of course it is much easier to pin down a consistent problem. By following the first three steps you can probably find the issue quickly. An intermittent problem can be much more frustrating. Try experimenting with your phones to see if you are able to reproduce the problem. Write down a list of each thing you try and the results you get so you don’t end up working in circles. Keeping a log of intermittent problems will help find patterns as well.
If the problem is not readily fixed by someone within your organization, keep all the information you have discovered handy to help in the diagnosis by whoever you call in to work on your system. SoundTel can help diagnose, repair and replace a wide range of phone systems, from simple, older landlines to the most advance cloud-based communications network.
For over 25 years, we have assisted companies like yours in their every communications need. We are a local, family-owned business invested in our community. Contact SoundTel or call 425.481.5493 or 800.797.3663 to learn about diagnosing, repairing and replacing your current communications system. Arrange for your free 15 minute CheckIn communications system analysis and SoundTel can help make sure your business is protected.
If you run a healthcare business or senior care facility, putting someone on extended hold or missing a call could be a matter of life or death. Answering all calls in a timely matter is more than good customer service in the healthcare industry. Yet many offices struggle with out-of-date systems that are unable to handle growing clientele numbers efficiently and effectively. Simply parking customers on hold for several minutes is not acceptable.
As the article highlights, there is a wide range of technologies to upgrade or replace aging systems. VoIP offers faster, clearer and more reliable service than many traditional phone lines. IP-based communications allow businesses to answer phones through their laptops, check their email for voicemail left in their office, and run high-bandwidth medical applications that are becoming more popular.
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