Do you ever feel like “I couldn’t get any work done today because of the phone call”?

The telephone is one of the essential communication tools for business.

Even if you know that the reason why your work is not progressing is answering the phone, don’t you give up as long as you can’t get rid of the phone itself?

It’s such a waste to sacrifice your own work to answer the phone.

In this article, we will introduce how to review the telephone response environment and improve work efficiency.

Reasons why business efficiency declines due to telephone support

First of all, let’s find out why the work efficiency is declining because of the phone response.

Interruption of normal business

It is good manners to pick up the phone calls to the company as soon as possible.

For this reason, many workplaces are instructed to pick up the phone when it rings, regardless of what they are doing.

However, in most departments other than call centers, where telephones are the main focus, they often answer calls while doing other work.

The more time you spend answering the phone, the less time you have to do your own work .

Decrease in efficiency due to work interruptions

When interrupting work, if you follow the procedure such as proceeding to a good point and temporarily saving … and so on, it will be smooth when restarting.

However, many people reflexively stop working and pick up the phone because they feel that they must pick up the phone as soon as it rings.

If you suddenly interrupt your work, after the call ends, you may wonder, “How far did you go?” It may take time to return.

Also, once you interrupt your work, you will not be able to concentrate immediately.

The higher the number of cases handled, the greater the impact of a forced business interruption over the phone.

It’s not uncommon for a work plan to be completely derailed by an unexpected interruption .

Large burden on first responders

In some workplaces, there is a fixed person who should answer the phone, such as “new employee’s job” or “clerk’s job” for the primary response to the main phone and the fixed line phone of the department.

In such cases, the work load tends to be concentrated on the first responders, and it tends to be a situation where “my work is not progressing at all because I am answering the phone” .

The feeling of unfairness in being the only one answering the phone can lead to a decrease in work motivation.

Behavior is restricted due to phone numbers and answering machines

One of the reasons why telework is not progressing is the lack of fixed-line telephone support.

For clerical jobs, there should be few restrictions on where to work as long as you have a network environment.

Despite this, the situation that “the company has a telework system, but I can’t telework because I have a phone number” has taken away the possibility of diverse work styles.

In addition, in offices with a small number of employees, sales opportunities may be missed due to circumstances such as “I can’t make sales appointments because someone has to answer the phone at the office.”

Learning basic manners takes effort

Telephone correspondence is also considered to be the face of the company, and advanced skills are required.

If you are a new member of society, you will need to start by learning honorifics and learning business manners.

However, it is also true that some people hit a wall here.

Since the level of response required for answering the phone is high, there are times when I lose confidence that I can’t do my job before I get involved in my original work .

Dealing with sales calls and complaints is stressful

The representative phone number is posted on the website, etc., so it is easier to receive sales calls and complaint calls.

It’s difficult to know when to turn down a sales call, and it’s not uncommon to end up wasting your time.

In many cases, the customer becomes emotional at the first stage of the complaint call, and sometimes they have to receive a scolding.

If you continue to respond to these calls, you will be mentally exhausted and may lead to a leave of absence or retirement.

Why companies can’t get rid of landlines

With the spread of mobile phones, the chances of using a landline phone for private purposes have decreased significantly.

Recently, the number of households that do not have fixed-line telephone contracts is increasing, especially among young people.

However, even if the lending of mobile phones for company use progresses in companies, it will not be easy to abolish landline phones.

In the case of a company, there is a reason why it is not possible to easily terminate fixed-line telephone support for business reasons.

to maintain the goodwill of the company;

Among companies with landline numbers and those without, many people think that the former is more trustworthy.

Many people have a sense of distrust when they only have a mobile phone to contact, wondering if it is a real company or if something happens, they will run away .

Having a landline contract is a guarantee of reliability.

Some customers have no means of contact other than the phone

Recently, multiple channels such as website inquiry forms, emails, and chats are available for contacting companies.

However, it is necessary to secure a contact point for customers who do not have an Internet connection environment or cannot use it because they do not know how to use it.

Recently, in order to reduce costs, stores have been downsizing and business hours have been shortened.

In many cases, telephone contact points take the place of face-to-face contact points.

If you do not know the contact point in charge, you need a place to accept

The contents of the representative phone are very diverse.

That’s all, there are many cases where it is not possible to determine where the person in charge is or do not know the contact information of the person in charge.

In such a case, if you call the representative phone, you can transfer to the appropriate department or have the person in charge call you back.

Rather than calling the wrong department and having to pass it around, it will be easier to reach your goals through the main phone line.

Improvement points for operational efficiency

In order to keep landlines in the future, it is necessary to remove the factors that impede business operations.

Let’s check the points that need to be improved.

reduce the number of calls

Every time your landline rings, it distracts everyone in the office.

The more calls, the more business interruptions.

If the number of incoming calls is large, first consider “reducing the number”.

Eliminate the need for primary support and intermediation

No matter how busy you are, you must be responsible for answering the phone calls and business inquiries from your own customers.

However, the primary response and intermediation of telephone calls addressed to others is work that has nothing to do with my work.

In order to secure time for the original work, consider creating a system that does not require primary support or intermediation.

Make it possible to respond outside the office

The biggest disadvantage of fixed-line phones is that they cannot be answered unless they are in the office .

Because of this, you may have to give up going out and stay home.

But if you stay in the office to answer the phone and don’t call, you’re just losing sales.

If you can answer the phone on the go or telework, you won’t have to be tied to a place, and your range of activities will expand.

Shut out nuisance calls

You don’t want to spend time and energy dealing with nuisance calls that don’t benefit your company.

However, even if you want to finish it as soon as possible, dealing with things such as gacha cuts will only lower the image of the company.

As a company, you have to respond properly as long as you answer, so it would be a good idea to think of a way to avoid receiving nuisance calls themselves .

Convenient services for improving telephone operations

It is difficult to stop using landline phones right away, but if phone support is hindering your work efficiency, consider using a service to eliminate the disadvantages of landline phones.

call forwarding service

A call forwarding service is a service that forwards incoming calls to a specific phone number to a specified number.

With this service you will be able to:

• Transfer a landline phone to a telework employee’s mobile
• While the office is away, transfer to a mobile phone and respond on the go
• Transfer to another number if you do not answer for a certain amount of time

If you use a call forwarding service, you will be able to work more efficiently by eliminating restrictions such as not being able to telework or not being able to go out due to fixed phone support.

Forwarding services are offered by landline carriers.

If you are considering using it, first contact your line contractor.

telephone answering service

A telephone answering service outsources the telephone answering service of a company.

The operator at the office of the agency service provider will handle it, so there is no need to prepare a seat or a computer at your company.

Our operators are professionals who handle telephone calls, so business etiquette and communication skills are guaranteed.

Telephone answering service

• Zero primary response by employees
• Shut out sales calls and nuisance calls
• Accept reservations/orders
• answer inquiries

It is possible.

The work and hours that can be handled differ depending on the service you use, so let’s find a service that suits your company’s conditions.

Efficiency with AI support! What is “Canario”?

AI is being put to practical use in various fields of business.

Telephone response services that make use of AI’s strengths in “voice recognition” and “language processing” have become a hot topic.

With NEC Networks & System Integration’s AI automatic call support service “Canario”, you can fully automate the response of fixed phones as follows.

• Speech recognition of the contact person’s name to transfer the call
• Text messages when you are away
• If the person in charge is unknown, make a simultaneous call for each organization
• Available 24 hours. Available outside business hours and on holidays

If you leave the phone answering to AI, you will be able to create an environment where you can concentrate on your original work.

Article Summary

• Work interruptions and stress due to dealing with landlines hinder work efficiency
• As a company, it is necessary to continue the fixed-line infrastructure
• Reducing phone calls is an effective way to improve operational efficiency
• Improve your receiving environment with call forwarding and proxy services

If we can get rid of the fixed concept that “you can’t answer the phone unless you’re in the office,” you should be able to improve your business all at once.

To improve your business efficiency, why don’t you start by reviewing the phone first?