Old Phone? Just Because We Can, Does Not Mean we should.

By: Kenneth B. McCormick
CEO / Co-Founder
Keltic Fish L.L.C.

“Dude… can I have this old phone as my desk phone?” Was the question my new salesperson proposed earlier in the week? At first, I thought he was joking, but I gave in and did it for him after asking a half dozen more times. We heard the old-time ringer and cleaned it up to be presentable as a work phone set off a debate in the office. Is this something we should share as one of our capabilities? What bag of warms would we open? Ultimately, the funny value won, and I decided to write a blog.
When it comes to Technology, most people would agree that we do not make equipment last nowadays. I would agree with the saying that we have become a throw-away society. When working with my customers, I like to emphasize that business equipment is designed to last three to five years, but I am the type to push the life out of a device if possible. Nowadays, the problem with equipment is that it begins to slow down and take time away from productivity. I know as a business owner; I do not want to pay someone to reboot their computer every day and must wait for a half-hour to boot up. Yes, it is nice to have a fresh pot of coffee made at that time, but the long-term cost of that employee’s time is not worth the cup of joe.
Now, when it comes to using old Technology, it may work but is it worth the trouble? The short answer is no. Just because it works does not mean we should use it. Being a VoIP Provider and having this phone on our phone system, we lose so many of the needed capabilities in the business world. This device may make phone calls and have an excellent ringer, but that is all you can do. The phone cannot put a customer on hold, transfer to another extension, merge phone calls onto a conference call, and many more of the most common features we use daily. Luckily, our system has a web interface that makes most of these features available but is still somewhat limited. The benefit that this phone will become is a conversational piece that will bring back memories from many of our childhood days.
Overall, I love the creativity of my staff! Yes, we can make your old equipment work, but no, it is not worth our time or your time. Technology is meant to make your life easier, so why would we limit your capabilities to the ’80 Technology. We have progressed so much in speed, knowledge, and abilities, so why would anyone want to digress in time to save a few dollars when the cost of our employees can cost us thousands. If you hear your employees complaining about how slow their old computer is or that they cannot attend on the other side, it is time to do a price analysis on if your employee is ready for an upgrade or are they just being a Karen. If you need help with anything, please call the staff at Keltic Fish L.L.C. at (775) 996-3761 or stop by the office at 9410 Prototype Dr. Suite 19, Reno, NV 89521