What is a long duration call?
- The phone was left off the hook
- One of the calls was not terminated after the quick hangup/pickup feature was used to initiate a three-way call or call waiting
- A connection initiated through the auto-attendant was not disconnected
- A fax line or computer port was not disconnected after transmission
You are ultimately responsible for every call that passes through your business (inbound and outbound) as well as any additional usage charges for overages.
How to protect your system against long duration calls?
There is no guaranteed way to fully safeguard your business against an accidental failure to disconnect or terminate a phone’s connection. However, by following the steps below as soon as your phone service is installed, you should be able to prevent or limit the impact of long duration calls.
Educate employees on proper phone use:
- Provide training on your specific phone and fax features
- Remind employees to check for a dial tone after hanging up the phone
Disconnect or restrict phone functionality:
- Restrict access to your phone system outside of regular office hours
- Block or restrict overseas access to your phone system
- Block unneeded ports (such as remote maintenance ports)
It’s important to note that these are general guidelines only and may not apply to every aspect of your phone system. For this reason, we encourage you to contact your equipment support provider to discuss the unique aspects of your company’s phone system in more detail.
