3 reasons why you shouldn’t use your mobile phone for business
Many of us will have considered using our mobile phone for work, or already do. Let’s face it, carrying two phones around is not always practical, especially if you travel a lot. Unfortunately, there are a few key reasons why this might not be a great idea – especially if you already struggle to define the boundaries between your work and personal life.
Say goodbye to late night business calls and hello to uninterrupted personal time. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone systems allow you to get a virtual phone number on top of your mobile device so you can continue using your smartphone. There is the option of having a separate phone with a different number of course, but how inconvenient can that be?
Wondering how VoIP technology could transform your business?
It is necessary, as a business, to maintain the privacy between employees and customers while still ensuring a good working relationship. If employees use their personal number, their privacy is compromised and they are exposed to a range of issues – as is the business they work for. Below are three reasons why you shouldn’t be using your personal number for business use and how a VoIP system can help eliminate these issues.
Disruption to work-life balance
A work-life balance is something that many people can struggle with without the added pressure of business calls coming through in personal time. If you use your persona number as your business number as well, switching one off without turning the other off is difficult. Obviously, working hard for your business is good but setting boundaries is also good.
Furthermore, how are you supposed to distinguish the difference between personal and business calls?
VoIP telephone systems allow you to set up your virtual number with business hours in mind and when after hours, you have the choice to automatically send calls to voicemail. This feature is very beneficial as it means employees can keep that work-life balance as well as keep customers happy and informed.
Exposure to threats
The internet connects us both in our work and personal lives – many risks come with that. From phishing attacks to ransomware, cyber-criminals are always looking for ways to gain access to your sensitive and personal information whether it brings any amount of money or is to make a statement.
If cyber-criminals get hold of your personal number, they could find out a lot more. For example, with just your phone number and some persuasion, cyber-criminals can convince service rep’s they’re you and then gain access to your accounts. Moreover, research has shown advanced cyber-criminals are able to read texts, listen to calls and track victims when finding out their personal numbers through weaknesses within mobile phone network interconnection systems. They use the network interchange service called Signalling System No. 7(SS7) which it also known as C7 in the UK and acts as a broker between mobile phone networks.
Don’t play into the hands of cyber-criminals by putting your personal number out there. Having a separate number for business keeps your personal number as ‘personal’ as possible and reduces the risk of cyber-criminals being able to target you.
Inability to control employee-customer interaction
It’s nice to have trust in your employees by allowing them to use their personal number for customer interaction. However, by doing this, you can risk you losing control. Should employees take advantage of the trust you have given them, the business could be impacted.
How would you how the call was handled if there was a complaint? Or how would you know how long the call lasted?
VoIP phone systems allow business interactions to be monitored via recordings or statistics per employees. No longer do management have to worry about losing control or not being ‘in-the-loop’.
Conclusion
Virtual numbers are often referred to as the must-have tech in the modern business environment. They are not effective and efficient but can easily be created using a VoIP phone system. VoIP allows you to answer your business calls from your desk phone on your mobile device without having to give up your personal number. Additionally, as VoIP is based ‘in the cloud’, numbers are not tied to a specific smartphone, handset or computer system so you could get a new device without any problem. if you were to get a new device, this would be no problem.
At Serval IT Systems we can provide you with VoIP technology that can transform your telephony. There is no complex installation and it can increase mobility by enabling staff to work from the office, home or abroad.
Please get in touch for more information.