As older Phone System Technicians reach retirement age, businesses are facing a major challenge in maintaining their aging Office Phone Systems.
Learn the reasons why Aging Phone System Technicians’ is an issue
This is because these technicians are responsible for a wide range of tasks, including phone system repair, maintenance, phone system troubleshooting, Phone System Programming, Phone System Parts replacement, and even upgrades. With their numbers dwindling, it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to ensure that their phone systems are running smoothly and effectively.
The retiring of Older Phone System Technicians brings concern
The issue of older telephone technicians reaching retirement at a fast pace is simply due to the average age of the Phone System Technician pool. Many of these techs began their training in the late 80s to early 90s. According to a recent study, the number of telephone technicians over the age of 58 1/2 who are leaving the workforce is at its highest level in five years. This means that businesses and organizations are losing a significant number of experienced and skilled technicians who are essential for maintaining phone systems like Nortel, Vodavi, Comdial, InterTel, Toshiba Phone, Avaya, Norstar, Meridian, Samsung ProStar, NEC and Panasonic Phone Systems. These older more complex systems require “old school” knowledge that is not easily obtained compared to modern computerized systems.
Age and Interest in Phone Systems Repair
The problem is not just limited to the number of technicians who are retiring, but also to the lack of younger technicians entering the field. The telecommunications industry has not been able to attract a sufficient number of younger workers to replace those who are interested in learning older Phone Systems or Office Phone Systems in general. This is partly due to the perception that the field is not as appealing as other, more technologically advanced industries. Such as Cyber Security, Managed Services, Data Cabling or even Alarm Systems.
The lack of younger technicians entering the field is also due to the fact that many technical schools and vocational programs have closed in recent years, resulting in a shortage of training programs for aspiring telephone technicians. This makes it even more difficult for businesses to find qualified technicians to replace those who are retiring.
The shortage of telephone technicians is having a significant impact on businesses and organizations that rely on their phone systems for daily activities. Without properly trained and experienced technicians, companies are more likely to experience system downtime, which can result in lost productivity, revenue, and customer dissatisfaction. Major brands like: Nortel, Meridian, Toshiba Business Phones, Avaya, Lucent, and Panasonic Phone Systems are not even offering support on models over ten years old. Additionally, it also makes it difficult for these companies to upgrade their phone systems to keep up with the latest technology, which can put them at a competitive disadvantage.
Scott of Atlantic Business Systems a provider of dispatch Phone System Technicians in the Carolinas has gone on record to say “This is a businesses crises so many owners are just not prepared to address because they feel what they have is working.”
The shortage of telephone technicians is also having an impact on the economy as a whole, as businesses are not able to function as efficiently as they could if their phone systems were functioning properly. This can lead to lost economic growth and job opportunities.
To address this issue, businesses and organizations need to take steps to prepare for the retirement of older telephone technicians. They should give serious thought to upgrading to more modern systems that have greater levels of support. Even a used system from a decade ago is more supportable to these twenty-year-old Phone Systems.
The reality is hard to swallow for many small business owners who love their older and often still operating Phone Systems. Businesses and organizations need to develop upgrade plans, invest in upgrading their phone system because failing to do so will cost them even greater amounts of money when their phone systems fail completely. When they are forced to make hard choices while under the pressures of being unable to make and receive calls.
We hoped you enjoyed another great article from First Business journal regarding ideas for today’s Small Business, these business articles provide great insight. This article is related to:
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