YOUR SINGLE SOURCE VOICE + IT EXPERTS |
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Award-winning, industry-certified, serving businesses for 35+ years... CTS helps you take advantage of technology that moves you ahead. Every month we explore the latest in Voice, IT, Networks, Managed Services, Mobility, and Collaboration.
Jeff Nolte, President
Call 800.787.4848 or Email
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Welcome to CTS... Thanks for your business! |
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The Class Produce Group -
Jessup, MD
DC Derm Docs -
Washington, DC
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News You Can Use: Cybersecurity Checklist for Your Remote Workers
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As the hybrid workforce has increased, so has the number of cybersecurity breaches.
Fortunately, many of the security vulnerabilities that come with remote work can be minimized with clear-cut policies, training, and IT support for your remote workers. Here is a helpful checklist of best practices you can implement to better safeguard your organization.
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No Public Wi-Fi - 40% of the remote workforce spends time in public or shared spaces where privacy isn’t guaranteed. If your employees still want to work from Starbucks, instruct them to set up a personal hotspot on their mobile device to bypass the public Wi-Fi or have them use a virtual private network (VPN).
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Be Aware of Your Surroundings and Communicate Responsibly - According to a Code 42 study, a laptop is stolen every 53 seconds in airports alone. Instruct your remote workers not to be careless with their work laptops. They should remain alert if they work in a public space. They should ensure no one can sit behind them and watch/record everything they do. Employees should take their devices to the restroom and avoid leaving them in their cars. On video calls, use headphones and employ safe screen-sharing practices.
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Encrypt Stored Data and Update Devices & Apps - Make sure your remote workers are using devices set to encrypt stored data. Encryption encodes data to make it unreadable to anyone without the matching encryption key, password, or PIN. Keep devices, firewalls, and apps up to date. Developers are constantly working to close security gaps, so it’s essential to set the software to update automatically when patches are released.
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Enable Email Encryption - Emails are another point of vulnerability for remote workers. Just as you want to ensure that all stored data is encrypted, it’s also a good idea to encrypt the data attached to any email. This will prevent an unintended recipient from viewing the information.
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Disable all External Drives and Store Work in the Cloud - Consider disabling all external drives on work devices. USB thumb drives are popular vehicles for bad actors to use for malware attacks. Bad guys can install malware onto thumb drives and then distribute them where an unsuspecting worker would pick one up, and thinking it was theirs, plug it into their device. Use secure, cloud-based storage instead.
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Update Password Policies and Enable Security Features - Instruct employees to choose strong, unique passwords and to have different passwords for different apps. Users can store passwords in an encrypted password manager or use a password generator to make them up. Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds another layer of security using a second or third identification element, like a key card, fingerprint, or text code, to verify identities. Turn on location-finding and remote wiping to manage devices if they get lost.
Final Thoughts
When you keep your communications platform up to date with the latest software and features, it will be protected with fixes that address security flaws and close security holes that could be exploited.
UC or voice platforms/services also require proactive updates to help ensure your business can head off cyberattacks on your communications systems.
CTS can help ensure your systems are continuously updated and secure. Contact us today: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.
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On-Hold Messages 101: How to create a Great On-Hold Experience |
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No one likes being put on hold, but an effective on-hold program can help you build your brand, educate callers, and tap into your phone system’s marketing potential.
But where do you start? How do you write an on-hold message?
Let’s break down all the basics of your on-hold system so you can create professional quality, custom on-hold messages that reduce caller frustration and improve your bottom line.
Understanding Your On-Hold System: Traditional Vs. Cloud
You need to know how your phone system’s on-hold message feature works to design a great on-hold program. There are two types of on-hold messaging systems: traditional and cloud-based.
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Traditional On-Hold Message System - Traditional or legacy phone systems require an external audio player to be installed on-site and operate continuously. With a continuous loop player, callers may hear a different portion of your message each time they call. So, it’s important to keep messages concise and add an acknowledgment message (thank you for holding, we appreciate your patience, etc.) between every three or four announcements.
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Cloud On-Hold Message System - Newer, cloud-based systems do not require the installation of an audio player, and unlike legacy systems, they start the on-hold message from the beginning for every caller placed on hold, so get your most important, timely message out first. If you don’t have the bandwidth for continual message updates, it’s important to use messages with a long shelf life and a neutral, indistinct musical track.
Call Hold Times determine scripts
Regardless of your system type, you need to factor your average caller hold times into your scripting process.
Average on-hold lengths can vary from industry to industry, but generally, an on-hold program is three to four minutes long and an average of 200 to 300 words. However, this structure may not be appropriate for all industries. If your business has extensive hold times of eight minutes or more, you should keep messages brief and utilize longer musical breaks. Consider the needs and preferences of your typical caller and adjust accordingly.
What Should You Include In Your On-Hold Message?
On-hold programs vary from industry to industry. A doctor may tell you what insurance coverage they accept, while an auto body shop may want to share directions for after-hours drop-off information. Regardless of your industry, there are a few things all businesses should consider including in their on-hold program:
- Tagline or mission statement
- Website URL
- Product/Service and Benefits
- Hours and location
- Social media pages
- Experience or years in business
- Awards and/or accreditations
- Request for referrals
What sets your business apart from the competition
Selecting Voice and Music For On-Hold Messages
- Your target audience should be the most important factor when choosing a voice for your on-old message recordings. Who would one of your prospective clients take advice from? Whom would they find the most captivating and trustworthy? Whether they’d prefer a conversation with a friend, a command from an authority figure, or advice from their mom, keep your audience’s needs at the forefront.
- The music you select should also reflect the tone of your business and the sentiment you wish to portray to your callers. If you're an Italian restaurant, go for the tarantella; a doctor’s office should stick to light, easy listening; a gym might choose an electronica track. If you’re self-recording, avoid licensed music to avoid a potential fine.
Most companies turn to professional agencies, like Snap Recordings, to produce their on-hold messages. Agencies specializing in phone recordings will give you access to professional voiceovers, pre-licensed music libraries, and other resources that make it easy to have high-quality brand voice messaging for your business.
CTS has decades of communications expertise. Let's talk about better technology to meet your business goals. Contact us at: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.
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eGuide for Banks: Accelerating Customer Experience (CX) and Driving Growth with Unified Communications |
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CTS supports leading financial institutions across the region.
Financial organizations must innovate to compete, which is why you need the right plan and a focus on transformative solutions to stay ahead of emerging technology trends.
Modern unified communications technology can help your bank or credit union stay on top of customer demand, compliance, and the need to differentiate yourself in the market.
In this guide, we provide valuable insights into successful customer experience and unified communications strategies that will enable you to deliver greater connection, personalization & convenience.
Contents:
- Transformational UC and Setting Up for Success
- Analyzing Insights to Keep Pace with Customer Demands
- Connection is the key to Successful CX and EX
- Applying UC to Financial Services: The Benefits to Users and Customers
- Omnichannel Communications: Faster Decisions and Better CX
- Accelerating Sales and Efficiency with Communications Infrastructure
- Deploying Regulatory-Compliant Communications
- Back-Office Processes That Deliver Front-End Service
- 2023 and Beyond: The Future of UC in Finance
- Protect Your Future with the Right UC Investment
Contact our experts today.
Let’s talk about how we can help you deliver the future of financial services to your customers: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.
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How Mitel’s MiVoice Subscription Service Adds Business Agility & Simplifies IT Support |
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Supporting the communication and collaboration needs of your end-users today is critical as employees are more dispersed with hybrid work arrangements.
But evolving technology has created new challenges for leaders in the public and private sectors…
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44% of organizations surveyed support between six and ten distinct communication and collaboration apps.
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46% cite added complexity and inefficiency in their IT operations as the top challenges of their communication and collaboration platforms.
The added complexity stems from the different requirements in network infrastructure, software licensing models, and management tools needed to operate, update, and manage multiple, disjointed applications.
At the same time, inconsistency in the end-user experience is interfering with staff productivity. Regardless of where their end-users are located, organizations want a better way to provide a seamless, consistent end-user communication experience so their staff can be more agile and productive.
Overcoming Communication and Collaboration Challenges with Mitel MiVoice Business Subscription
Mitel has designed its MiVoice Business Subscription to provide organizations with an integrated unified communications (UC) platform that minimizes operational overhead.
All communications and collaboration capabilities - voice, messaging, mobility, video meetings, and others - are included. MiVoice Business Subscription is deployed either in your on-premises environment, a public cloud environment, or on Mitel’s own cloud infrastructure. Your local CTS experts can help you determine the best deployment arrangement for your organization.
You’re in control
Instead of paying an upfront capital expense for software licensing, the Mitel MiVoice Business Subscription enables organizations to pay based on the actual monthly usage of individual Mitel services. Organizations still purchase the necessary hardware (e.g., gateways, endpoint devices). All end users are assigned a level that dictates the number of services they can consume under the MiVoice Business umbrella. Should needs change, organizations can reassign levels to their users, allowing organizations more granular control of their overall monthly spending.
Organizations can also control the timing and installation of MiVoice software and security updates. With this level of control, organizations can do upgrades during off-peak hours to ensure daily business communications remain undisturbed. Behind the scenes, Mitel will be continuously improving the UC experience to support your overall productivity and business agility.
Let’s talk about a MiVoice Business subscription that will improve your communications and simplify your IT operations.
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We Appreciate Your Referrals… Send Us Yours and Get A $250 Thank You! |
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Know someone who is grappling with a Hybrid workforce? Is moving or looking for a new phone system? A friend who needs faster broadband or Wi-Fi? A business partner who wants to add Sound Masking to their space?
Tell us about it... Just mention "Newsletter Referral Program" when you contact us - we'll take care of the rest. CTS rewards you with $250 when we get their business. And there's no paperwork hassle or hoops to jump through.
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CTS Highlights
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800.787.4848
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