| Mobile Personnel Problem | | | | the call because they have no means of transferring. |
| The company has mobile personnel that need to | | | | Another poor solution is furnishing employees mobile |
| maintain telephone contact with customers and other | | | | phones by the company. Although the company |
| outside callers. Customers and callers can have | | | | controls the telephone number and the employees |
| difficulty contacting those that are away from their | | | | retain their privacy, their current activities can still be |
| desk. When someone moves around a lot, it may be | | | | disrupted by calls best handled by others and they will |
| some time before they retrieve their messages and | | | | still be stuck with the call. Providing mobile phones for |
| return calls. Frequently, drive and travel time could be | | | | employees can also be expensive. |
| used to follow-up or make business calls. Receptionists | | | | Mobile PBX Delivered by a Hosted VoIP Provider is |
| and assistants have to handle more calls, take care of | | | | the Solution |
| callers with problems or issues and locate the mobile | | | | The Mobile PBX feature, delivered by select Hosted |
| employee. | | | | VoIP providers, integrates the employee's mobile |
| Mobile personnel can be away from their desk but | | | | phone with their desk phone. When activated, both |
| within the office, on appointments around town or | | | | phones will ring when the office desk telephone |
| traveling. Examples of mobile personnel include: | | | | number is called. The phone that answers the call gets |
| * Outside salespeople | | | | the call. If the call is received on the mobile phone, the |
| * Mobile plant managers | | | | call can be transferred back to the desk phone, |
| * Doctors | | | | another extension on the Hosted VoIP service or any |
| * Realtors | | | | telephone number in the world. The call can go to |
| * Business owners/managers | | | | either phone's voicemail depending on the wishes of |
| * Warehouse managers | | | | the user, if neither phone answers the call. |
| * Customer service personnel who need to leave | | | | Some Mobile PBX services will allow the mobile phone |
| desk or travel in the field | | | | to place calls through the Hosted VoIP service. This |
| * Field technicians | | | | hides the mobile phone's caller ID protecting the privacy |
| * Healthcare workers who visit homes including nurses | | | | of the employee and preventing private mobile |
| and physical therapists | | | | numbers that the company does not control from |
| * Construction site managers | | | | becoming known. Also, the Hosted VoIP service can |
| * Inspectors and estimators | | | | be used for international calls instead of paying |
| How the Problem Should NOT Be Solved | | | | expensive mobile phone international call charges. |
| Giving out personal mobile phone numbers is usually | | | | Other advantages and features of most Mobile PBX |
| not a good solution. If personal mobile numbers are | | | | services include: |
| given out, they can become the customers' and callers' | | | | * All calls including those that end up on mobile phones |
| primary means of contacting the company. The | | | | can go through the switchboard. |
| company is now exposed to the employee leaving | | | | * Only company owned and controlled numbers are |
| employment and possibly going to work for a | | | | given out or sent out on Caller ID. |
| competitor. Now customers are calling ex-employees | | | | * Calls can be easily transferred to and from mobile |
| and sometimes competitors. If the employee does not | | | | phones. Employees never need to get stuck with calls |
| leave employment but continues to receive calls on | | | | best handled by others. |
| their mobile phone, the company may not get a good | | | | * Calls will still process to mobile phones even during |
| record of service calls. | | | | power outages and other sources of failure at the |
| Employees lose their privacy and can be contacted at | | | | main office because Mobile PBX is delivered by a |
| any time when customers and callers have | | | | Hosted VoIP service. |
| employee's personal mobile numbers. Employee's | | | | * Private or personal mobile numbers remain private |
| current activity can also be disrupted as they get the | | | | and personal. |
| calls. Many times, these calls are best handled by other | | | | * Employee can control when they receive calls on |
| co-workers. However, the mobile worker is stuck with | | | | their mobile phone. |