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A company's phone switchboard is very critical. This is where customers make the first contact with the company. The switchboard can make or kill your business. It is a virtual face of the organization. Clients can tell what kind of a firm you run just by judging the kind of reception received when making initial contact with your company. Thus, you should put in place qualified and experienced personnel. The people manning switchboards are supposed to have a pleasant voice and be friendly.

Large enterprises require a phone switchboard to help with the handling of incoming voice traffic. The same should have capacity to deal with outgoing calls. The staff manning this area should be efficient and quick thinkers. A switchboard that runs efficiently ensures that important calls are not dropped and no details are missed. There are a huge number of products and switchboard solutions available in the market. It is up to an organization to find one that best suits its needs. Product research and knowledge is therefore called for.

The first impression matters a lot to every potential client. A few decades back, receptionists had to operate massive looking switchboards manually. It was quite a task then. A modern phone switchboard is smaller in size and has a sleek appearance. The design enhances the beauty of an office and makes the operation of telephone services a smooth affair. A switchboard has a number of features that enable operators function efficiently. Some of the features you need to check for include barring of calls, logging, paging, routing and speed dial among others.

A phone switchboard comes with user manuals. These are sets of instructions to guide users on safe and efficient operation of the equipment. Manufacturers often send their technical staff to go on location and conduct training to users. They sit together with switchboard operators and take them through the switchboard feature found in their products. Most of these products have similar characteristics save for a few modifications. Telephone operators who have been trained on the use of standard equipment do not take long to understand the dynamics of a new product.

There are situations where you may need to take your phone switchboard operator for further training. This applies not only to telephone operators. In order for organizations to respond to the needs of the customers and changing market trends, employees must be empowered. This is where professional courses come in handy. You had better spend some extra money and reap the benefits thereafter rather than wait until something happens. It may be too late as clients will have gone to your competitors.

A modern phone switchboard incorporates the latest technological features. It can also be integrated with other business systems to attain a synchronized flow of work. Virtual switchboards have gained prominence due to their ability to manage and control telephone traffic through computer interfaces. A computerized switchboard improves efficiency and significantly reduces the time it takes to route a call or perform other functions. It may cost a little bit more but it is worth the cost.


Ringo Bell is the author of this article on phone switchboard.