Has the Covid connectivity boost improved telecoms?
Since the pandemic began, the ’Covid connectivity boost’ meant millions of people have become new internet users. Many were driven by the need to work/learn from home, access essential services, and communicate online.
Some businesses had to completely transform the way they did things overnight. RPS Telecom saw an increased impact on many business sectors, such as GP Surgeries, who went from face-to-face appointments to telephone appointments overnight.
How did business’ telecoms transform over the pandemic, and what did RPS do to overcome their challenges? Read on to find out…
How RPS North Road Medical Practice transform their telecoms
The pandemic forced many businesses to switch up their practices, and telecoms was one of the main areas of change. One of the worst hit by the pandemic were doctors surgeries who overnight went from face to face appointments to telephone consultations. RPS’ work ensured doctors were able to make and receive unlimited calls during the pandemic, even when doctors or staff had to isolate, they were provided with a mobile application to allow them to manage calls as they would in work.
RPS Telecom implemented a new telephone solution where patients could call any number to book an appointment, and the surgery no longer had limited inbound and outbound calls. This was particularly helpful for the doctors who have been using the phone more than usual with telephone appointments. The surgery saw a 59% increase in the volume of calls per day which would have not been possible on their old system. The new system also introduced a welcome message, allowing patients to select options and achieve minimal hold time.
Catherine Smith, the Practice Manager at North Road Medical Practice, explained that “Our new RPS system has meant that working at home became an extension of the office. The cloud system meant that a handset could be taken home, plugged into an internet connection and linked to the Practice system. This has proved invaluable during these recent times”.
The Covid connectivity boost explained
The Covid-19 pandemic meant that we had to become much more connected to be able to communicate with the same people as before. In work, in-person meetings changed to Teams meetings, and family dinners changed to Zoom calls. Being connected with people across the world became more important than ever, which is what encouraged the Covid connectivity boost.
Natalie Strange from RPS Telecom said that, “Since COVID-19 we have seen a massive shift in the way businesses work, 85% of our customers had no choice but to work from home. We worked alongside our customers to understand what challenges they were facing and offer alternative solutions”.
Natalie added that “Businesses were forced to become aware of their telephony solutions as they were faced with the challenge of how this was going to continue to work in the pandemic. The businesses that suffered the most were the ones on traditional telephony solutions who were unable to adapt to the working from home or hybrid environment. These traditional systems provide very limited options and are not very flexible.”
Connectivity still has many inequalities in the UK
Whether it’s the financial cost of acquiring devices, cultural choice, or lack of awareness, many choose not to improve their communications systems, including telephony and connectivity.
RPS Telecom’s, Natalie Strange spoke that, “there are some big changes happening in the telephony and connectivity world over the next few years; one of the biggest changes happening in 2025 yet many businesses are unaware of these changes and how they will be impacted… The upcoming changes will affect all businesses’ connectivity and telephone solutions so it is important everyone is made aware of these so they can plan ahead. ”. Natalie added that “Over the next few years, there is going to be a massive roll out of fibre technology with aims to have FTTP installed to 25 million premises by 2026. This will improve connectivity for a large percentage of businesses”.
From 2025 all businesses will have some form of IP based telephone solution, and connectivity needs to be in place to ensure these solutions can work seamlessly. Whilst this is an essential change, it is also a great opportunity for businesses to transform the way they work going forward.
The pandemic caused a total transformation in the way we communicate, and businesses had to change their telecoms to stay in touch with their customers. RPS Telecom’s friendly team were happy to help all of their customers throughout the difficult period and ensure that they could go on trading with as much ease as possible.
Keen to find out more about what we do?
To find out more about RPS and how our services can benefit your business, contact our friendly team on 01633 481424 or email welcome@rpstelecom.co.uk
