The ultimate Christmas telecoms survival guide

As the festive season approaches, sleigh bells aren’t the only things set to jingle. If you listen closely enough, you’ll be sure to hear your telecom lines jingling away in the background too.

During this time of the year, your business faces unique challenges in keeping its communication systems running smoothly. From managing increased customer enquiries to ensuring your teams – both office and remote – stay connected, your telecoms setup plays a critical role in surviving and thriving during the holidays.

At Right Digital Solutions we know the key to a stress-free Christmas resides in preparation. That’s why we’ve put together this Christmas Telecoms Survival Guide to ensure your business stays connected, your customers are happy and your team can enjoy a little holiday cheer.

Communication planning: keep everyone in the loop

Leaving your telecoms prep to the last minute is akin to doing your shopping on Christmas Eve. It’s stressful, unpredictable and exhausting. Effective communication therefore starts with preparation.

This means ensuring your clients, customers and team know how to reach you over the holiday period.

Set clear expectations

Update your website, social media and email footers with holiday opening hours, response times and emergency contact details. It’s really important to set your customers’ expectations now to avoid an influx of calls during any planned downtime you might have. Even Santa needs a break.

Out-of-hours messaging

Set up professional voicemail greetings for both individual team members and general business lines. Don’t forget to include alternative contact information for urgent queries. You could get fancy and give it a Christmassy vibe – it’s a bonus gift your callers will be sure to appreciate.

Automated call routing

Ensure call routing is up to date. Divert calls to the correct department or on-call staff member to maintain a seamless customer experience. If you don’t, expect confused callers and staff.

Technology check-up: keep your systems running smoothly

Besides forgetting to leave out milk, cookies and carrots for Santa’s late night visit, nothing derails a holiday season faster than a communication breakdown. So make sure your telecoms infrastructure is ready to handle any increased demands during the Christmas period.

Perform system testing

Run a full diagnostic on your telecoms systems to ensure they’re operating efficiently. Identify and resolve any potential issues before the holiday rush.

Upgrade bandwidth if necessary

If your business expects a surge in call volumes, consider temporarily increasing bandwidth to avoid dropped calls or delays.

Backup your VoIP systems

For businesses using VoIP, ensure your systems are backed up to avoid losing critical data in the event of a failure.

Remote working: stay connected, wherever you are

With many employees working remote, particularly during the holidays, staying connected is more important than ever.

Test collaboration tools

Make sure tools like Microsoft Teams are working seamlessly to enable efficient communication between team members.

Mobile integration

Ensure employees’ mobile devices are fully integrated with your telecoms systems so they can answer business calls on the go.

Provide secure access

Double-check that remote workers have secure access to your network to maintain both productivity and security.

Customer experience: make it a Merry Christmas for everyone

A great customer experience can be the difference between a happy holiday and a stressful one for your team. With cooking Christmas dinner already on your plate, you don’t need telecom issues to also worry about.

Queue management

Use automated systems to manage call queues and let customers know their expected wait times. Consider offering a callback option to reduce frustration.

Seasonal scripts

Prepare a holiday-specific script for customer service teams to ensure consistent, festive and professional interactions.

Monitor performance

Use analytics to track call volumes and response times, making real-time adjustments to improve customer satisfaction.

A festive cheer for team well-being

Even in the busiest season, it’s important to look after your team. Each business does this differently. But here’s a few tried and tested gifts proven to work.

Flexible schedules

Consider allowing employees to work flexible hours during the holidays to reduce stress and improve morale.

Celebrate success

Host a small festive event or virtual celebration to thank your team for their hard work throughout the year.

Preparing your telecoms for Christmas and beyond

At RDS, we understand the critical role telecoms play in keeping your business running smoothly. Our Managed Communications Solutions are designed to ensure seamless connectivity, robust infrastructure and exceptional customer experiences – not just at Christmas, but all year round.

Ready to optimise your telecoms? To make your systems a “ho,ho,ho” as opposed to a “no,no,no”, contact us today to learn how RDS can support your business.