Phones and the Business Environment

Perhaps the most common piece of office equipment is the phone.  Since phones are so commonplace and everyone uses one in the office, regardless of position, it’s important to know which types of phones with what features to purchase for an office environment. 

 Caller ID feature
Having a desktop phone with a caller ID feature is a valuable add-on.  If you’re in the middle of an important project or tied up in work, you may not want to be bothered by a particular call.  If you know can see the number that’s calling, you can decide not to pick up the call.  On the other hand, if it’s an important client, you can pick up the phone even when you’re busy. 

 Another reason to have the caller ID feature is that it helps you to properly answer the phone.  If you see that the number is from your boss, you’ll make sure to answer with the utmost professionalism at all times.  If it’s your spouse calling, you’ll be able to answer the phone a bit differently. 

Call sign feature
If you run a business from your house, consider purchasing a phone with the call sign feature.  This smart feature differentiates between personal calls and business calls by having two separate phone numbers with two separate ring tones.  Now, when you hear the “business ring tone” you’ll know to use your business greeting when answering the phone.  This extra call sign feature does cost, but its monthly fee might just be worth it. 

Cordless telephones
Some businesses love using cordless telephones, while others do not.  If you need privacy during your call, cordless phones are great.  You simply take the receiver wherever you want in the office (as long as there is transmission).  But the down side is that a business might not want their employees taking the phone call wherever they see fit.  What if it’s a personal phone call and the employee stays on the phone in the employee lounge for a long time?  It wouldn’t be considered professional or a good use of office time.  If you do decide to purchase cordless phones, it’s a good idea if you purchase those with “locators.”  Otherwise, you might not remember where you put the phone down last.