Brendan’s Blog

I have worked from my home office for around four years. As a result I spend many hours on the telephone. This post captures a few tips that I have learned from experience. Some are obvious, some may not be.

1. Don’t use VOIP. Home Internet connections are never 100% reliable. I use a standard copper phone line from Verizon for my home office use. Why? Because it works when my cable internet and/or power is out. The sound quality is also superior to anything else I have tried. It may cost more, but quality/reliable phone service is a requirement for telecommuting.
2. Use a high-quality phone. Don’t skimp on the handset you use. I’ve found the best wired handsets typically cost $50-$75. This would typically include two-line support, full-duplex speakerphone, caller id display, and a few speed dial buttons. I use an older version of this one from AT&T.
3. Get a high-quality headset. Long conference calls are a regular occurence for me, and the headset is much easier on the ears and neck than holding a regular phone. I use this one from Plantronics. It is wireless, but the transmission is digital. Wireless features allow me to make trips to the kitchen or to simply stretch my legs when on a call. The sound quality is high, and I never hear static. If I go to far away from the base station (e.g. when getting mail from the mailbox) the sound simply goes out until I am back in range.
4. Don’t use a speakerphone if you are talking. I have yet to hear a speakerphone that doesn’t also pick up your papers shuffling, keyboard typing, mouse clicking, dogs barking, and UPS ringing your doorbell. Speakerphones are great for listening, but don’t subject your peers to a two-way conversation over speakerphone.
5. Use Mute when you can. Whether on speakerphone, headset, or standard handset, be familiar with how to enable the mute function. If you get an unexpected knock on the door, call on the cellphone, or simply need to sneeze, don’t let the others on your call hear it.
6. No Answer / Busy Transfer. I use a Verizon service called “No answer / busy transfer.” This feature forwards inbound calls to my cell phone when my regular line is busy or I don’t answer after a few rings. This feature is not widely used, but you can likely ask for it if you call customer service. This has three important benefits:
   1. I only have to give out one number. All inbound calls go to my home office line.
   2. If I leave my office for lunch, a run to the post office, or for a trip somewhere, I can still answer my calls.
   3. All of my voice mails are in one place — my cell phone.
7. Set your cell phone ringer to vibrate first, then ring. I like this feature so that others in the room or on the phone with me don’t have to know I’m screening another call. If I can’t answer, I hit “end” to let the call go to voice mail. This is great during meetings or if I am in an important conversation. If I want to take the call, I can answer it before it even rings. Of course your cell phone may be in the other room so ringing after a vibrate alerts you then too.
8. Use a Conference Call bridge service. My current and previous employer provide these to remote workers. Essentially you get a toll-free conference number. Call participants typically dial a passcode to enter your meeting. This allows other participants to come/go when it is convenient for them. This makes life much easier than fiddling with three-way calling on your standard phone.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 10th, 2007 at 10:53 am and is filed under Cell Phone, Hardware, Home Office, How To, Telephone, Tools, VOIP. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.