You can’t run a business without a dependable phone system. Hurricane season is upon us once again, and there are bound to be times when your business systems fail due to extreme winds taking out the power as well as the telephone and communication systems.

With VoIP phone systems, your whole telephonic infrastructure is decentralized and housed in the cloud or remote servers. You’re provided with special phones that rely on the internet to make calls. These phones are also portable and some have battery backup systems that last for up to a full day. This way, you’ll always be online and able to receive calls as you wait for the worst of the storms to die out. Also, any internet connection or WiFi will give you access to use your phone system.

VoIP phone systems also provide you with a special functionality that lets you receive voicemail messages via email, and some even make it possible for you to have conference calls with more than 50 people. This way, you never miss out on important client messages or company updates, regardless of the weather outside. In addition, these systems can be activated using a dedicated app on a mobile or tablet, making controlling them a breeze.

You also have options with VoIP if you know you won’t be in the office for the next few days. Let’s say for example, you have Hosted VoIP and SIP Phones. You can simply unplug your desk phone, put it in your bag, and take it home. When you get home, you simply plug it into your cable modem. It works and rings just like you are in your office with all of the same features.

VoIP Checklist with the Grayson Data Services VoIP Platform:

• Take advantage of the mobile app and have your main number forward to the app extension. This is free and will allow you to monitor and interact with your customers without any interruption. This will work great if you are evacuating and will have consistent internet/cell service.
• If you don’t want to use the app or you may not have the best cell service after the hurricane, you can forward your main number to a personal cell phone. This will allow you to still answer calls coming into your business.
• Make sure the voicemail is going to an email that someone can monitor.
• Set the auto attendant message to let people know you are closed. You can set this for a certain date/time and this will allow the closed message to play automatically without having to update it during the storm.
• As stated above, you can bring your desk phone with you and it will work anywhere there is internet. And don’t forget the power cord!
• Even if your location is out of power and internet, your phone system will still run as normal since it’s hosted in the cloud.

Above all, be safe! Please call 504-595-1579 or email ContactUs@GraysonDS.com and we’ll be happy to set you up with any of the features listed above.