Cell Phones in the Workplace: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Cellular phones seem to be a part of society, now even entering the workplace.  Many employers are attempting to go strictly cellular at their businesses and seem to think it is a good idea to let their workers bring their own cell phones to work.  Business owners may be thinking that it can possibly reduce costs, ensure a better work environment because the employees are happier and even attract new and more creative workers.  Despite the good this idea affords, the bad and the ugly can be costly for your business.

Some may think it’s abnormal to think that you would let your employees bring their smart phones to make them happier; nevertheless, while you're paying them for productivity and creativity, they are wasting time on their phones!  As an employer, you are paying them to work for your business and contribute to the company’s growth.  If you were visiting a store or a potential business partner, how would you feel if they were texting and watching videos instead of working? 

Another factor to consider is how easy it is to be distracted by your smartphone.  Cell phones provide enjoyment in all forms and can continually entertain us.  They provide captivating material between the texts, social media and games; you can be entertained for hours without even using the phone as a phone.  So are you paying your employees cell phone bills for calls or for the extras? 

While banning cell phones is an unlikely solution, instead keep the cell phones for personal calls and the business line for work.

One last problem to consider in providing cell phones to employees is that it blurs the line between home and work.  Employees answering personal phone calls at work and working from home can get difficult and stressful quickly. 

Keep the cell phones out of the workplace and save money.  Business Network Long Distance is your trusted business partner, helping you keep cost down and productivity high.

Landline Safety Features

Keeping your landline is the most important decision a home or business owner can make.  While it may seem like a minor detail, there are many reasons that make it a top priority.

Batteries and towers are not required for the use of landlines.  Landlines require no batteries, while some cordless phones need an occasional charging when not in use; the corded landline requires no electricity.  Your cell phone battery goes out and you are unable to contact anyone until it charges.  What if the power is out?  A landline can save a lot of stress if an unpredictable power outage occurs.  During emergencies as well, the cell phone tower can be compromised for bandwidth, causing your cell phone to be unable to make phone calls or text.

Cell phones are at the mercy of weather and geographic features of the area.  Whereas landlines give you five bars everywhere.  No worrying about where you are in your house and if you get a signal, the landline doesn’t drop your call. 

The safety feature included in a landline for your business is especially important when considering the safety of your employees and of your customers. They will remember how you were prepared and could contact emergency services with the landline, while others were stranded because of only mobile phones and signals jammed. 

Business Network Long Distance cares about your safety and your priorities.  Keep your landline and save money with long distance services by Business Network Long Distance. 

Why choose a business landline?

One argument against your business landline you may hear is that it is outdated and no longer needed, because cell phones provide everything a business needs and more. Stop! Don't buy into the hype and cancel your landline without comparing the important differences between business landlines and cell phones.

The primary reason for having any phone is to communicate with your potential clients. Landlines are used for verbal communication, while cell phones have the capability of both verbal and non-verbal communication; such as: texting, tweeting, Facebook, etc... However, cell phone features cannot compete with traditional landline security, reception and dependability.

Traditional phone lines do not use software and calls travel over permanently connected terrestrial circuits. Security against electromagnetic intrusion or spying (cyber security) is a leading security problem in the United States. Cell phones connect with the telephone network using radio waves, which makes them susceptible to attack from eavesdroppers who intercept consumer information from radio frequencies. The entire spectrum of electromagnetic frequencies include: not just wireless calls, but also frequencies used for radios, scanners, microwave ovens, facsimile, video, radars and televisions.

This provides a safer network for new clients to provide credit card or other information.  Cell phones track your incoming and outgoing calls, incoming or outgoing text messages and your location. By using a landline it becomes more difficult for media marketers to send signals to your cell phone. Security systems for your office can be connected directly to the landline. This provides another safety feature to your place of business.

Landlines offer a clear channel of communication without the white noise or dead zones that are common in all cell phone services.  How embarrassing it can be when you are not sure which parts of your office have no bars and your call disconnects. Landlines give consumers added security, by restricting undesired callers from having unlimited access to your cell phone. 

The business landline is more dependable than a wireless cell phone also because they work during power outages. While the power outage may shut down surrounding companies, it would be great for your company to outlast the power outage and continue to take orders and provide great customer service.  This also gives any visiting customers a way to communicate with family and friends where they are in case they are stranded due to it.

Landlines are linked to the address of the line, which provides a 911 guarantee. There is no such guarantee with cell phones and the extra minutes that it could take to find the exact location are not worth the risk.

In order to protect your investment, let your cell phone stay personal and conduct business on your landline. Business landlines are affordable, providing unlimited local calling at a reasonable price and if you want to save even more money on your long distance service, contact Business Network Long Distance.

Your Business Greeting

How do you answer your business line?  

Keep the business line separate and answer it professionally.  This business tip brought to you by Business Network Long Distance.

The Perks of a Business Phone

Have you ever thought the grass was greener on the other side? It may seem that way when considering removing your business landline and going to all cell phones.  However after making the switch you may face some disappointments.

With a landline you have no contacts to deal with and use a long distance provider that only charges you for the calls you make.  There is a nominal fee for your landline that meets your needs and your budget.  The cell phone switch can be expensive and charge overages when you least expect them.  Don’t waste time watching minutes and tracking your employee’s phone usage with their cell phones. 

The shiny small smart phones may seem appealing and tech savvy.  However, your landline gives you a dependable phone.  The business phone as a landline provides a clear connection every time.  Cell phones lose service when you least expect it, that’s never good when talking to a client or customer and you have to repeat yourself due to no bars.

Cell phones also cause distractions at work for employees.  Many employers who have switched to cell phones for their business line have realized how much time employees waste playing games or contacting friends and family.  The landline dials, that’s it.  It’s the perfect communication tool for businesses with unlimited lines.

Landlines may not be the perfect thing for when you are on the road or on a business trip so keep your cell phone.  Just don’t get rid of your landline because you think it will be more convenient.  It causes more of a hassle in the long run.  The grass may look green, but that green grass takes a lot more work than you can see. 

Keep the cell phone private and keep your business professional with long distance services from Business Network Long Distance.  

Cell Phone vs. Landline

There is a price one pays to enjoy the plethora of benefits of owning a cell phone. A cell phone makes life easier and efficient, but annoyance and vulnerability are a part of the package as well.

The cell phone and the landline are natural allies, their inherent abilities and inabilities work well together, let’s consider them.

Cell Phone: Mobility equals around the clock access for everyone to you, which can mean a ton of calls, at any given time, from those you do not need or want to talk with.

Landline: The home phone should be the work horse for receiving calls, an answering machine or service is a great way to screen calls.

Cell Phone: This mode of communication is not operating on a secured system, conversations can easily be intercepted. You are a sitting duck if you give sensitive financial or very personal information over your cell phone. A simple device like a scanner can intercept the analog waves that carry wireless calls.

Landline: You have security of your conversation because it is harder to intercept a conversation through cables compared to radio waves.

Cell Phone: This technological wonder is prone to loss, theft, misplacement and damage.

Landline: The old but faithful is stationary and robust, it has stood the test of time.

In short, make your cell phone number exclusive, like a country club. You do not want everyone to have access to you. Your home number is like the county park, it allows more access to you but it's screened. In addition, the long distance service on the landline is less expensive.

Contact Business Network Long Distance for a great price and great quality with your long distance services.

Functioning Better with a Landline

Do you really only need a cell phone? Landlines and cell phones are two very different communication devices and they are used differently.

Overall, landlines are a cheaper option than cell phones if you are looking at making a lot of local calls.  When money is an issue and every penny counts, as in our present economic situation, holding on to a few extra bucks each month by choosing your landline and a minimal cell package may make a real difference in your budget.  One glorious thing about landlines are the fact that the phone is not always with you.  You're able to keep in touch when you need to, but you are not constantly available.  You can have an evening that's uninterrupted by bells, whistles and text message alerts, if you would like by turning the cell phones off and relying on the landline for emergency situations.  A landline makes shutting down and having personal time easier as you are only available then to family and friends.

Landlines are not dependent on the use of electricity. During a lengthy power outage, if your cell phone loses its charge you will still have a way to make sure everyone else is okay and keep in touch with the rest of the world. Corded phones do not lose their charge, and are therefore always available to you.  How many times have you forgotten to charge your cell phone at night and it loses charge in the middle of the day? While it's charging, you still have a way of getting in touch with people: your landline.  Businesses can’t just stop because cell phones lose power or a cell tower goes out, keep operating with a landline. 

Let's look at the fact that cell phones are not always cheaper than landlines. If you sign up for an unlimited cell phone plan with data service, you could be paying about $100 a month or more.  Basic landline telephone service with no bells and whistles might cost around $20 a month.  The key is to buy what you need. Having a landline means you aren't paying for use by the number of minutes you use, you're charged one flat rate for all the local calls you can make. This may seem like a negative if you don't use it often, but if you are at home and about to make a local phone call, pick up your landline instead of your cell phone and save money. If you make a lot of long distance calls the cell might be cheaper since most plans include long distance with your bucket of minutes.  If you don't talk long distance very often, the landline is probably the cheaper option.  

You can use the landline for local calls and to save money on your long distance service contact Business Network Long Distance.