Inclement Weather Hotline: How Answering Services Help Businesses During Bad Weather
Businesses face all different kinds of bad weather emergencies. Companies that use an answering service to help weather the storm have an easier time of making it through to the other side.
No matter what time of year it is, or where your business is located in the United States, there is always a risk of some kind of bad weather. Natural disasters and weather events like floods, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, or snow storms can derail your business in a hurry.
If you aren’t prepared to take some tough jabs from Mother Nature, your company could get knocked out. Fortunately, emergency answering services and disaster call center solutions can be used to get you through your bout with inclement weather.
Let’s find out how an answering service helps businesses during bad weather by talking about the most important part of your company—the employees!
Employee Hotline
Your call center partner can help you set up an employee hotline, as keeping your employees safe is one of the most important benefits of an answering service for bad weather emergencies.
Let’s review some examples of situations a weather hotline can help with:
Snow Storms
A snow storm comes in overnight and covers your area with a foot of snow. The roads are super dangerous. You leave a message and instructions for your employees on the hotline. Each employee knows to call the bad weather hotline to find out what to do if it snowed the night before.
They all call in, hear your message, and find out that those who are more than 5 miles away from work should stay home. Anyone within a 5-mile radius will be picked up by the management team in appropriate vehicles. Now everyone knows what to do and will stay safe!
Tornadoes
Say a tornado blows through town and knocks out your company’s power. How are you supposed to do anything to help your customers? Your callers can’t even reach you by phone!
Oh but wait, you can kick your phone lines over to your answering service, send them a message to let them know what’s going on. They can also handle all your business calls until your company regains power.
As far as most of your customers and all of your callers are concerned, you never skipped a beat because your answering service just acted as an extension of your business by taking orders, providing information, scheduling appointments, and more!
Wildfires
Imagine a wildfire threatens your area, and evacuation orders are issued. You leave a message on the hotline instructing employees on the safest evacuation routes and temporary work-from-home procedures. This immediate communication ensures that everyone is aware of the situation and can act swiftly.
Employees can call in, receive critical updates, and know how to proceed safely, ensuring everyone remains informed and protected. For example, you might provide information on designated safe zones, tips for protecting personal property, and contact information for local emergency services. Additionally, the hotline can be updated regularly with real-time information about the fire’s progress, road closures, and any changes to evacuation orders.
Moreover, an answering service can also handle calls from concerned clients or customers during a wildfire emergency. By providing a consistent and reassuring point of contact, your answering service can keep your business running smoothly, addressing inquiries, providing updates, and maintaining your professional reputation even in the face of disaster.
Floods and Hurricanes
Floods and hurricanes can cause significant disruptions, including power outages and dangerous conditions. In such cases, you can use the employee hotline to provide instructions on evacuation routes, safety procedures, and work-from-home arrangements.
For instance, if a hurricane is approaching, you can leave a message advising employees on whether the office will be closed, how to secure the premises, and who to contact in case of emergencies. This ensures that everyone is well-informed and able to take necessary precautions to stay safe.
These are just a few ways a hotline answering service helps businesses during bad weather or emergencies. There are plenty of variations and solutions involved with these scenarios, so give us a call today to find out how we can help your company weather the storm!
Inclement Weather Hotline Services From AnswerMTI
Ensure your business remains operational and your employees and customers stay informed during bad weather by utilizing our inclement weather answering services.
Contact AnswerMTI today to learn more about our emergency answering services for inclement weather.
