These case studies are based on real user experience that we have accumulated over the 10 years of operating hosted switchboards. The names have been changed, and the interests and benefits compressed to make the cases more useful.
Case study: Williams Widgets
Williams Widgets is a small Birmingham based Widget Company. It has 7 full time employees, and contractors who work in the workshops.
| Features liked by all members of the company | |
| MidCall Menu | We used to have a dreadful time with the old system, especially when people were off site, or could not get into work. Now can transfer calls really professionally, and we like the 3 way conference, it's a good way to hand a customer around when they need to talk to more than one of us. |
| AnyTalk | It allows everyone to use the type of phone that they feel comfortable with, after all we are very different people, and also what is right at the time. |
| Hunt | Sales calls are the life-blood of Williams Widgets, and Jane implemented a system by which no call to the sales lines should be unanswered longer than 20 seconds, so more and more people are included into the sales team every 5 seconds the calls go unanswered. Only Bill is exempt! |
Jane Williams
Jane is the MD. She takes an active roll in selling Widgets, and does a lot of travelling.
| Jane likes... | |
|
Caller ID and enhanced call information |
It's important that one starts phone calls properly, and even some very prestigious companies get it wrong, and they don't realise that bad caller ID can stress out the person you are calling. Likewise it's vital to me that I can see who is calling me, I don't like to interrupt my work, with calls that I could return at another time. |
| Team Extensions | I don't care if we are a small company. We WILL answer sales calls properly within 20 seconds, even if I'm the only one free. |
| Our Gold Number | It's an easy way of making yourself look more serious and successful, and it's almost subliminal! |
| AnyTalk | No excuses if I'm out of the office, I want my calls. |
| ProVoiceOver | The first impression of people calling our company should be quality and efficiency, before they even talk to out team. |
|
CLI Authenticated Login
(to Personal Extension) |
When I am away from the office, I frequently need to call customers with my mobile phone. That way I give out my personal phone number on the switchboard, and it looks professional. The customers usually think that I'm in the office! |
Bill Williams
Bill is the chairman, and is now mostly retired. He still helps out with sales, but spends about half the year abroad as a semi-expat.
| Bill likes... | |
| WebPhone | I can just handle the web, and I like the simplicity. |
| dmCalls12 & WebPhone | I like saving money when I'm at my villa in Spain, rather that paying those bandit mobile phone companies. |
| dmCalls12 | Did I mention the fact that I like saving money? I love my Internet phone in the office, I can call anywhere in the world for a couple of pence. |
| MidCall Menu | Sometimes I need to get Henry in on a 3 way conference call with a customer, as I don't know some of the details on our new products. It's really simple (I just remember to dial "**"). |
| ProVoiceOver | The first impression of people calling our company should be quality and efficiency, before they even talk to our team. |
Henry Williams
Henry is Technical Director, and responsible for Williams Widget's ICT systems. As expected, he's a big fan of some of the dmSwitchboard12's more technical features.
| Henry likes... | |
| Cloud based |
I don't have to look after a box, and if someone digs up our street, and breaks a couple of cables, we have a fall back. I can make changes from anywhere in the world (I even did it on holiday once). |
| Plans | I found the plans easy to setup, and liked having the summary that I could print out and give to everyone in the company. I have setup a disaster recovery plan, just in case. |
| WebPho ne | One less bit of clutter on my desk! |
|
Bria Instructions for the iPhone |
When I'm on the move, I'm still connected to the office, and it's free over the internet and my monthly data account. |
| ProVoiceOver | The first impression of people calling our company should be quality and efficiency, before they even talk to out team. |
Priya Williams
Priya is the Finance Director, and does all the company's book-keeping and some general administration. She often works from home.
| Priya likes... | |
| WebPhone | It's simple to run on my laptop at home. |
| WebPhone | It gives me really good information on who is calling which department, I wear lots of hats, and I need to answer the phone depending on which department I'm being called on. |
| Open Hours | I work part time, so it's handy to set my working hours. |
| dmAnswers | When I'm not available I don't like voicemail, I don't want a secretary, but I do want someone taking my mesages for me when I can't. |
Ray Smith
Ray is the Work Shop Manager at William's Widgets.
| Ray likes... | |
| Gigaset instructions | We love the Gigaset, they are combined internet and traditional phones. They can take quite a pounding in the workshop, and they work nicely over our ADSL link. Henry just followed the online instructions for use with dmSwitchboard, which meant that we were up and running with 5 minutes first time right. We still have the BT option to make analog phone calls, but with the prices they charge, they will only get our emergency business! |
| MidCall Menu | I like the 3 way conference, if Jane has a customer who is chasing an order, then we are all talking together so there are no "Chinese Whispers". |