In this issue, we focus on the business challenges in a variety of industries and how TCI can help solve them with innovative technology solutions and best practices. 

Contact me today to discuss how TCI’s products and services can help your organization get more out of its technology investments – now and in the future.

(703) 321-3030 | cornbrookst@tcicomm.com.

Financial organizations must innovate to compete, which is why you need to plan ahead - and stay ahead - of emerging technology trends.

Today’s unified communications technology can help your bank or credit union stay on top of customer demand, achieve compliance objectives, and help differentiate your organization in the marketplace.

In this guide, we provide valuable insights into successful Customer Experience and Unified Communications strategies that will enable you to deliver greater connection, personalization, and convenience.

Let’s talk about new ways to serve your customers and compete in a rapidly changing marketplace. Contact TCI at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

Every resident in a Senior Living Community has unique needs, just as the hospitality industry strives to offer personalized experiences to every guest.

No business can afford to lose the confidence of its customers, but lost confidence comes at an even higher cost when families have placed their loved ones in your care - and every hotel guest expects to be as secure as they are in their homes.

Yet the reality is that senior living communities and hospitality providers have a lot to focus on behind the scenes to deliver that level of security.

While no single vendor can address all security touchpoints, it’s essential to partner with providers that are vigilant in bringing the latest security technologies and compliance requirements to bear on their solutions.

When you choose unified communications (UC) and voice solutions, whether a single phone or a complete UC platform, you should be assured that those solutions meet the most stringent security standards for your industry:

Residents and guests deserve great accommodations and excellent service. If they don’t feel safe, they won’t be comfortable, and they may not return.

Learn how Mitel solutions can provide your residents, guests, and staff with a comfortable, secure communications experience. Contact TCI at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

The COVID-19 outbreak “forced” many companies to allow employees to work remotely or through hybrid work models. However, not all employers can transfer their workflow to a virtual setting. As a result, many organizations struggled with disengaged employees and reduced productivity.

Onboarding remote employees in a virtual setting can be more challenging than traditional on-site onboarding. However, training and support are crucial for new employees in a hybrid work model to get on board quickly and feel like they belong.

Making your employees feel included early on before the onboarding process even starts is one of the best employee engagement strategies for those who work at least part of the time remotely. Some effective ways to build engagement early on include:

New hybrid-working employees need the right equipment to start working and perform well – devices like a PC or a laptop, a high-quality headset, webcam, phone, printer, desk supplies, keyboard, mouse, etc.

Partially remote employees should enjoy the same support and work conditions as your in-office staff. Depending on the job role, they may need different equipment. For example, if you’ve hired designers on a hybrid schedule, they might need a drawing pad or tablet. Your flexible schedule employees will be judged based on their performance, so they’ll need the same support and tools you provide to your on-site employees.

Once you’ve provided the necessary devices, arrange a virtual meeting between your new employee and your IT department. At this point, you must provide your new hire with the following:

While assimilating to your company culture and figuring out how things work is more straightforward for regular, on-site employees, workers in a hybrid model might struggle to fit into their job roles. So, do everything in your power to make their onboarding easier.

Another excellent onboarding strategy is pairing your new hire with a mentor or a buddy who will be their primary contact person. New employees often have many questions but can be too embarrassed or afraid to ask. To make them feel more comfortable, provide one-on-one mentorship with an existing employee willing to show them the ins and outs of the company.

Provide an incentive for the mentor to push them to do their best when assimilating the new hire to the company culture. You’ll create a sense of unity and common goals by tying the mentor’s success to the new hire’s performance.

A significant part of a successful onboarding process is providing your new hire with Key Performance Indicators you plan to measure and a list of short and long-term goals for their job role. They need to know what to expect and how you will measure their success, especially if they work on-site only a few days a week.

After going through virtual training, give your new employee straightforward tasks. Always set clear expectations and give reasonable deadlines. At the end of each successful project, schedule some time for re-evaluation and feedback.

Since the employees aren’t always there to read your facial cues, you must open a constant communication line. In remote settings, over-communicating is better than under-communicating. Onboarding shouldn’t be a one-way communication but a process where you socialize and engage the new hire. This is especially vital for workers with a hybrid schedule.

Guide your managers to differentiate between essential on-site staff or those on a minimally hybrid schedule versus those who can work remotely. From then on, encourage your managers to schedule staff shifts accordingly, always keeping employees' well-being in mind.

Flexible scheduling will make hybrid work easier. There is no one-fits-all approach, so managers will need to continually refine what works best for the different organizational job roles.

Getting engaged with onboarding new hires will pay off. Let’s talk about the technology you’ll need to effectively connect your hybrid workforce. Contact TCI at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

Over the past half-century, Mitel has contributed many “firsts” to the history of telephones, but they aren’t creating all these world-first inventions just for the sake of innovation.

Mitel develops cutting-edge products so its customers can make the crucial connections they need to move the world forward. Here are just a few ways Mitel phones make a difference in Healthcare, Education, and Hospitality every day.

In a healthcare environment, efficient and timely communications can mean the difference between life and death. Mitel phones can be found at nursing stations throughout hospitals around the world.

One feature that sets Mitel’s phones apart for healthcare providers is their large number of programmable keys for one-touch speed dial and other telephony features. Having numerous dedicated buttons to facilitate vital communications is ideal for nursing stations, where quick access to required personnel and departments is crucial.

Providing a clean environment is also paramount in healthcare settings, and Mitel’s pioneering antimicrobial IP desk and cordless phones are ideally suited to maintaining hygiene standards in every workplace.

Effective communications throughout school facilities have become paramount with today’s heightened concern for student and staff safety. Mitel’s phones are found in some of the largest K-12 school districts in America, including Chicago Public Schools and the New York Board of Education.

Mitel phones provide the tools for administrators, students, and teachers to stay connected from the classroom to the front office. Users in education can quickly sign up for classes, log on for virtual learning, and make important calls during emergencies.

Look behind the front desk of most hotels in North America (and elsewhere around the globe), and you’ll find a Mitel phone hard at work. The front desk of any hotel is the critical point of interaction with guests, whether checking in or answering requests for wake-up calls or extra pillows.

Mitel’s console and desk phones have become the workhorse at many hotels worldwide, facilitating excellent customer service by providing practical communications tools for interacting with guests and fulfilling their requests. They’re also doing important work behind the scenes, helping back-office staff keep hotel operations running smoothly.

The ongoing balance of home and office working will drive the evolution of the traditional desk phone. Companies must address the unique challenges of hybrid work and the resulting change to business settings, which continue to develop even now.

“In the future, we can expect to see a focus on driving higher quality audio with more advanced audio codecs and new background noise filtering capabilities,” predicted Peter Couse, Mitel’s Portfolio Manager of Desktop and Wireless Endpoints.

“Interworking with PC-based video collaboration will also become a key aspect of the future phone,” he added. “The phone will look more like a PC peripheral than a standalone communications device.”

Even phones in on-site settings like hospitals, schools, and hotels reflect the shift to a more flexible work style. With multifunctional apps and cloud connectivity, they may function more like our personal devices rather than traditional office hardware.

TCI offers Mitel phones and other technology solutions that improve daily Healthcare, Education, and Hospitality operations. Contact us at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

TCI experts are ready to team up with your real estate people, building manager, and architect to protect your business from last-minute expedites or unexpected change-order costs.

Our certified engineers and technicians have decades of experience supporting businesses in every environment, including Banks, Commercial Offices, Healthcare, Industrial, Manufacturing, Warehouses, Distribution, Retail, Hospitality, Schools, and more.

When you need to manage a new building, a renovation, or a campus addition, get us involved months in advance.

We’ve been supporting the DC region's infrastructure projects for 40+ years... Contact TCI at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.