The coldest months don’t just bring frosty temperatures; they also bring bugs, colds and flu viruses too. All of which leads to unpredictable staff shortages. Whilst you’re tucked up in bed, nursing yourself back to health, who will be answering your calls?
Fortunately, there is a way to make sure your customers won’t get sick of having their calls go unanswered.
If your absence is only short term, you can get important calls directed to other suitable colleagues who are well enough to be in the office answering phones. However, there are plenty of alternative options on how to get your phone calls answered. You can have callers redirected by an auto receptionist, send a call to multiple people in a department with sequential calling and grouping, or you can always send a call to your voicemail.
If your absence becomes prolonged and a 48-hour bug becomes a two-week illness, you can forward calls to colleagues and record a greeting to inform key contacts of your status. If vital calls need to be taken, you can always ensure that they reach you on your mobile device.
It’s difficult to prepare for any individual succumbing to a winter bug, but if a member of staff does come down with illness, an administrator will be able to assign appropriate call handling settings on their behalf, making sure that there is no breakdown in communication.
We can’t be completely immune to the cold and flu season, but your communication system certainly can be. Isn’t it time yours had a check-up?
Originally published Jan 05, 2016, updated Aug 12, 2020
