The Telephone: What has changed?

These days everyone has a cell phone, and while we can talk on it, we can do most anything else that we need to do in our digital lives using our smart phones. Having a smart phone is not just a “cool” tool, it is a necessity. 

We find that new Board leaders often come into the role, not having thought much about how they plan to communicate. Good communication between the president and the executive director is critical, as is effective communication among the officers and the committee chairs. We can choose from email, text and telephone – not to mention social media messaging tools. It is important to have the “communication” discussion up front. 

Those of us who are older tend to use the phone the same way we did 50 years ago. If you haven’t changed your phone habits, you may find the flurry of board communications challenging. 

I remember when we just picked up the phone and called someone when we wanted to talk with them. For decades, one of four things happened. (1) The person answered and you held your conversation. I remember as a child, being asked to ring the doorbell so my mother could extricate herself from a call. (2) The person answered and said, “can I call you back?” (3) No answer meant nobody was home. It was impossible to tell who was calling, so you dared not ignore a ringing call. (4) The line was busy. Long distance calls were expensive, especially during the day, so they were rare. Those days are long gone. 

Voice mail gradually crept into our lives, and with it came “phone tag” that could go on for days. Today many calls go over to voice mail, which then may be relayed via email within a business. At Next Wave Group we still answer our phones live, but we can’t catch every call if on the line with another caller. 

Here are my personal observations about how we use the telephone today.

Placing Calls

1.  If you call someone on the phone without an appointment, there is a good likelihood that the call will not be answered, and it will roll over to voice mail. 
2. If you are calling a cell phone, even if you don’t leave a voicemail, the recipient will know you called and may call you back. 
3. Appointments for calls are generally made using email. This is true whether the call is going to be audio or video.
4. When a matter is urgent, it is common to text the recipient to ask if this is a good time for a quick call.
5. Most recipients don’t appreciate lengthy phone calls that disrupt their day. Calls that will require more than a few minutes should be scheduled in advance and the time blocked out by both parties.
6. When calling a business or office, don’t assume that a live person will be answering the phone. More than likely, you will get a directory and instructions to leave a voicemail message. 
7. When you leave a voicemail, understand that it may be forwarded to the correct person via email.
8. Don’t say anything on voicemail that you would not like to be shared.
9. You are more likely to reach the intended recipient if you text or call them on their cell phone rather than a landline (typical for office phones.)
10. The telephone is your best tool if you want to discuss a sensitive issue.

Receiving Calls

1. Modern cell phones allow for a high-level screening. If the person is in your contact list their name will show up. Numbers that are potential spam will be automatically labeled as such.
2. When you get a call and you can’t talk or don’t want to talk at that moment, it is fine to send a text with a time when you will be able to talk.
3. If you call somebody back and you have a limited time to talk, say so.
4. Today if a business wants to stand out in a good way, they have someone answer the phones. 
5. A callback is not expected for spam.
6. Never share personal info over the phone to strangers.
7. Beware of A1 generated calls. Have a code word that you can use for verification. 
8. If you are driving don’t answer calls unless it is safe and you have hands free.
9. Don’t pick up calls in public places where you can be overheard or be disruptive to others. 
10. When scheduling a call back time, include a buffer between other calls. 

SCAM ALERT – Assistance in making a payment

There is a common scam that targets association board members, typically presidents and treasurers. The treasurer gets a friendly and casual email from the president. The president asks the treasurer to wire an odd amount of money like $591.43. They may include an invoice and note that they approve the invoice for payment. Of course, the payment must be made immediately or by the end of the day. 

This is much more likely to happen if you have board emails on the public site. If your association is professionally managed, you are less vulnerable because you know that management pays all the bills. The highest level of vulnerability is those cases where the treasurer has the checkbook, and the president routinely directs payments.