On-call line: how to set it up quickly?

Choice of on-call number

To set up an on-call line in your company, we recommend you opt for a single geographic on-call number, or a national number starting with 09.
It is not advisable to choose a mnemonic number, as these numbers are more likely to receive unwanted calls.

If you already have an on-call number in your company, simply transfer it permanently to the Planitel number.
Calls will be automatically transferred to on-call employees, or to the on-call or on-call service, without any human intervention, according to the times on your Internet-accessible telephone schedule.

If you also want Planitel to take over and forward received SMS messages, you'll need to choose a virtual number starting with 06 or 07, associated with the schedule.
Please note, however, that SMS messages must be forwarded directly to the Planitel 06 or 07 number.

On-call reception via IVR

Planitel has been designed to meet all on-call requirements, and can be customized to suit your internal organization.

If you have several on-call teams and therefore need several schedules, it is also possible to create a voice greeting menu in advance. This allows you to choose which work schedule will be used to transfer the call to the corresponding on-call person, depending on the period.

This telephone service can be, for example :

• An IVR asking for the type of machine to transfer to the team of specialized employees.
• An IVR asking for the zip code to transfer to the regional on-call service.
• An IVR requesting the contract number to identify the customer's rights and direct them to the maintenance department's internal on-call service.
• A reception that redirects to the right telephone schedule according to call number and period.

Quality of the on-call line

An on-call line does not receive a large number of calls, but these calls are often urgent. They must be clearly audible and routed as securely as possible to the employee on duty.

It is therefore particularly important to have exemplary communication quality, and to avoid using Internet lines with degraded communication for the on-call line.

On the other hand, the service offering must be multi-operator in order to compensate for the slightest operator failure.

On-call line planning

Scheduling an on-call line involves first and foremost setting up an automatic call transfer to route the number according to a schedule.
To make your on-call line as easy and secure as possible, the telephone scheduling solution must offer you a number of criteria:

Telephone scheduling time

Telephone scheduling must be able to be managed over very long periods.
As the aim is to limit human intervention, a source of errors and omissions, the tool cannot be limited to scheduling a single week.

A telephone schedule that can be accessed at any time, both internally within the company and by employees working on the road. As the primary objective is to limit human intervention as a source of errors and omissions, the tool cannot be limited to scheduling a single week.

Real-time on-call line modification

In the event of loss or breakdown, or unforeseen absence, you need to be able to easily change the on-call line schedule instantly and from any workplace.

Telephone scheduling must therefore be accessible via the Internet with a login and password.

Quick and easy telephone scheduling

Thanks to a wide range of functions, such as predefined on-call periods and copying options, it should be possible for any in-house employee with no computer knowledge to create the schedule quickly and easily.
The on-call schedule should be all the easier to create, given that on-call scheduling will ultimately only be carried out occasionally.
The presentation of the schedule in different colors makes it easy to see.

On-call line management with several scenarios

The on-call system should offer you:

• Avoid the personal answering machine of a scheduled on-call duty.
• Personalised and unlimited call escalation management even on mobile phones.
• Different call distribution modes with priority management.
• All possible call scenarios in case of no response, empty schedule etc...

Detailed statistics and comments

You need to have all the necessary elements concerning call statistics with the possibility of exporting the information:

• Date and time of the call.
• Persons on call who have been contacted.
• Person on call who responded.
• Conversation times.

Simple management of comments on each call will allow you to qualify the call.

Options for your on-call line

The product should be open and scalable to meet your needs:

Examples of requests subscribed by our clients:

• SMS on every call.
• SMS for each call not taken by the on-call team.
• SMS to notify the on-call person that their period is starting.
• Recording of conversations.
• Smartphone application that allows the on-call person to call back a customer by displaying the unique on-call number.

Why is an on-call line essential for companies?

In a business environment where services need to be available 24/7, setting up an on-call line is crucial. This solution guarantees continuity of service for customers, partners or employees. For companies providing after-sales or maintenance services, an interruption in the answering of urgent calls can have serious consequences: loss of contracts, customer dissatisfaction or contractual penalties. An efficient on-call service avoids these inconveniences by ensuring a rapid, continuous response to urgent requests.

The advantages of an outsourced on-call line

Many companies choose to outsource their on-call line management, for a number of reasons. Outsourcing not only saves time and internal resources, but also allows you to benefit from the latest technology without having to manage the associated infrastructure. Here are just a few of the major benefits:

• Internal cost reduction: instead of training and maintaining in-house staff dedicated to on-call management, companies can outsource this task to a specialized service provider. This enables better budget management, especially for small companies or start-ups that cannot afford to invest in costly in-house solutions.
• Access to cutting-edge technology: Specialized service providers, such as Planitel, offer high-performance, scalable tools tailored to the needs of companies. These tools enable on-call calls to be scheduled and managed automatically and securely.
• Greater flexibility: By outsourcing, it becomes easier to manage peaks in activity or adapt to off-peak periods. For example, a company can easily adjust the number of operators on call according to the season or the specific needs of its customers.
• Enhanced security: On-call management systems offered by experts like Planitel guarantee data protection and optimum quality of service, thanks to robust security protocols and redundant telephone infrastructures.

How does an on-call line help improve customer satisfaction?

Setting up an on-call line is more than just answering urgent calls. It plays a key role in customer relationship management. When a customer is faced with an emergency situation, his or her first expectation is to receive a quick, clear answer. A well-organized on-call line therefore helps to reinforce customer confidence in the company's ability to manage crises.

What's more, effective on-call management enables problems to be anticipated and resolved before they become serious, so that customers are not adversely affected. By proactively planning on-call teams and setting up escalation scenarios, companies can avoid human error and guarantee continuous support.

Integration of on-call systems with corporate tools

Another important dimension of on-call management is its integration with other company tools and systems. For example, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can be connected with the on-call line to ensure that the necessary information is available to deal effectively with emergencies. Possible integrations include :

• CRM: Customer information, such as contracts, contact details and contact preferences, can be linked directly to the on-call line. This enables the call to be routed to the right team, with all the information needed to resolve the problem quickly.
• ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning): In the case of a manufacturing or technical services company, ERP systems can provide information on machines or processes in progress. In the event of an emergency, this information can be used to direct the call to the right person in the on-call team.
• Personnel management tools: A good on-call solution must be able to link up with internal schedules and HR tools to enable smooth planning. This ensures that the right staff are always available to respond to emergencies, even in the event of vacations or unforeseen absences.

The impact of line quality on on-call reliability

The quality of the telephone line used for on-call calls is often underestimated, but it's essential. An emergency call lost or of poor quality can have serious consequences for the company. That's why it's essential to choose an on-call solution that guarantees impeccable call quality.

• Use of secure, reliable networks: Planitel provides multi-operator lines to guarantee continuity of service in the event of a breakdown or failure of an operator.
• Regular testing and maintenance: To ensure maximum reliability, we recommend regular on-call line testing and preventive maintenance checks. These tests ensure that all call scenarios function correctly.