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Equipment Tips


How do I complete basic telephone cleaning?

VERY IMPORTANT:  Never spray liquid cleaner directly onto or into the telephone, as it can drip down into the telephone body and damage the internal components. Telephones are NOT waterproof, and they will be damaged if liquid gets into the interior electronic parts.
   
Instead, spray a small amount of liquid cleaner (i.e. Simple Green, Fantastic, Formula 409) onto a clean, soft, cotton cloth. Then using the damp cloth, wipe the exterior surfaces until clean. Avoid using Comet, Soft-Scrub or other such cleaners containing bleach or abrasives, as they can damage and dull the plastic surfaces on a telephone. Wipe off all traces of liquid cleaner with a clean, dry portion of the cotton cloth. This should restore the telephone to a "like-new" appearance. 
   
     

How do I clean telephone handsets?
  
The best way to clean a handset is to first disconnect it from the handset cord. Use “no-rinse” cleaner sprayed on a soft cloth. We recommend keeping one spare handset for every 25 telephones, as occasionally one will break if it is dropped on the floor too many times or one may become too dirty to clean. When a telephone seems to no longer be working, try a new handset and handset cord first before sending in the whole telephone for repair. Over half of all telephone problems are caused by bad handsets and bad handset cords. If a handset seems to have loose parts rattling around inside, this would indicate that the handset has probably been dropped and should be replaced.  
    
      

How do I care for and use speakerphones for maximum performance?

As with any audio device, the “sound quality” of calls on a speakerphone will depend on how it is used. Following are some basic tips for getting maximum performance from speakerphones:

  • Speakerphones are designed for fairly QUIET environments. Avoid using speakerphones where there is high background noise caused by loud voices, radios, printers, copiers or other noisy office equipment. Do not let heater and air conditioning fans blow air directly towards the telephone.
     
  • Speakerphones will sometimes have a “hollow” or “echo” sound when used in an extremely “live” acoustic environment. For example, a room that has hard plaster walls and ceilings, large glass windows and a hard floor surface might not be a good place to use a speakerphone. In such a room, adding a carpet, some padded furniture or pulling the drapes over the windows should improve speakerphone sound quality.
     
  • Locate the “microphone” opening on the speakerphone. This is the small hole or opening on the front or lower front body of the speakerphone where sound is taken in. Avoid resting your finger over this hole when using the speakerphone. Don't rustle papers or tap your pencil right next to the microphone hole, or cover it up with notes or other office materials.
     
  • Avoid talking before the person on the other end of the call is finished speaking. When both parties talk at the same time, only the louder person's voice comes through. If the speakerphone has a key, try switching off (mute) your microphone when you want to listen carefully to the other end. Muting the microphone first is highly recommended when listening to voice mail and other recorded messages on a speakerphone.
     
  • Do not use a speakerphone to make announcements over a loudspeaker paging system connected to your system. When paging and making announcements, always use a handset.
     
  • When talking, try to face the speakerphone and stay within arm's length of the telephone. Do not turn your head, stand up or move far away from your desk while talking.
     
  • Place your speakerphone at least six inches away from the edge of your desk. The surface of your desk in front of the telephone will help focus sounds and allow the speakerphone to pick up your voice more clearly.
     
  • Find your speakerphone's volume control and experiment with it. If you have difficulty hearing the other side of the call, try adjusting your speaker volume. On most speakerphones, the volume control setting has a large effect on the overall performance of the speakerphone. The best volume setting is usually NOT all the way to either the loud or soft end of the volume control. Try different volume settings from soft to loud until you find the best setting. When the volume is adjusted properly, there will be far less sound interruptions where one party cannot hear the other side of the call. The “best” volume control setting may vary a bit from call to call.
     
  • If you have background noise, try turning off your microphone (use your key) when the party at the other end is speaking. Turn it back on when you wish to speak.
     
  • If difficulty in hearing persists, lift the handset to continue the conversation. Occasionally, there are some combinations of background noises, weak sound volume from the other end of the call and variations in the quality of outside telephone company equipment that simply do not work well with any speakerphone.
     
  • In conference rooms, use of a specially designed “conference speakerphone” is recommended. In desktop telephones, the built-in speakerphone is optimized for use by only one person at a time. The special “star shaped” conference room speakerphone systems combine larger and louder speakers with multiple microphones. These are usually designed to be placed right in the middle of a large conference table.