26 June 2024
Are Pandemic-Era Telephony Choices Still Appropriate in a Post-Pandemic Office
The COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to make rapid adjustments to their operations, and one of the most significant changes was the adoption of new communication technologies. Telephony systems, particularly those integrated with tools like Microsoft Teams, became essential for maintaining productivity in a remote work environment. However, now that many employees have returned to the office, for a large part of the week, if not all week, it’s worth questioning whether these pandemic-era telephony choices are still appropriate.
The Shift to Digital Communication
During the pandemic, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and similar platforms were lifelines for businesses. They enabled seamless collaboration, kept teams connected, and ensured that work could continue despite physical distance. Headsets and video calls became the new norm, replacing in-person meetings and office banter.
The Office is Back, But Are We Truly Connected?
With the return to the office, it’s clear that many employees have carried over their reliance on digital communication tools. A walk through many modern offices reveals a peculiar sight: employees sitting at their desks, headsets on, engaged in virtual meetings or calls, even when their colleagues are just a few feet away.
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which raises several questions about the impact on workplace dynamics and overall well-being, namely:
- Loss of Spontaneous Interaction
- Impact on Learning and Development
- Mental Health Concerns
- The Phones Stopped Ringing
- A Reliance on Email
Our guide also talks about the impact of continued use of pandemic-era telephony choices is customer service and how the personal touch can be diluted when communication is strictly digital.
Reassessing Telephony Choices
Given these considerations, we are recommending that businesses reassess their telephony choices in the post-pandemic office environment with a view to:
- Encouraging In-Person Communication
- Balancing Digital and Face-to-Face Communication
- Fostering a Collaborative Environment
- Focusing on Mental Health
New Square One Telephony Solutions
Earlier this year we partnered with Ericsson-LG to enhance the range of business telephony solutions available from Square One.
These solutions are available with both mobile and remote working solutions, to compliment the office working, advanced hunt groups to direct inbound calls to the right teams and unlimited levels of auto-attendant to guide callers to specific departments.
Call logging, reporting and in-depth call analytics mean that once again, businesses can measure their performance and identify opportunities to improve. And yes LG-Ericsson has a Microsoft Teams integration for where that is still needed.
We’d love to discuss your current business telephony requirements and iron out any pain points you are experiencing, to help you discover the right solution to your post-pandemic office needs.
