Friday, November 20 – The Telephone Services Management Unit (TSMU) is asking public servants to use extensions when calling Government departments to help reduce Government’s telephone bill.
TSMU Manager, Mr. Reynell Turnbull told the Department of Information and Public Relations that “Calling government extensions internally is free and it helps government save money.” He explained that when 468 and other direct government numbers are used internally, the call goes out to LIME and is then re-routed to the government’s network, a process that costs 15 cents per minute and ties up lines unnecessarily.”
“To reduce the cost incurred by government we have already started to restrict some of the 468 and other direct numbers, therefore we are encouraging persons especially those who are calling from within government to use the extensions,” Mr. Turnbull stated.
He is also appealing to customers of the BVI Government to use the automated attendant at 468-3701whenever possible. “For persons calling from outside the network, using the automated attendant and extensions, when possible, helps to reduce daily call volumes managed by the customer service staff,” Mr. Turnbull reiterated.
The TSMU official further stated that on average, the customer service staff handles 1,500 to 2,000 calls daily. “For those customers who know the extensions they want, they can either call them directly or use the automated attendant, thus giving the operators more time to help customers who do not know which department they need to be transferred to,” the manager stated.
“Government departments are therefore encouraged to ensure that their customers have both direct numbers and extensions when conducting business and to make an internal directory available to all staff members,” Mr. Turnbull concluded.
TSMU is responsible for continuous implementation and management of the government’s telecommunication system by using cutting edge technology and efficient communication.
British Virgin Islands News