RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY
CONTINUED
situations. Additionally, these essential and trained staff need to be able to be heard by other staff members, and not necessarily shouting into mouthpieces and causing widespread panic. Walkie Talkies are superb for areas with no or limited mobile coverage, especially inside venues that have a large amount of infrastructure – just think of your local superstore and how often you drop the phone signal – that’s because all that refrigeration, stock and shelving, steel and concrete structure is hindering the phone signal, and the same principle would apply to a nightclub below ground level. Talking headsets Favoured by call centre agents, gamers and football coaches, talking headsets enables the user to communicate hands-free whilst wearing a headset with a built-in microphone and speaker – some can be worn around the neck, whilst others are best suited to be worn on the head. If your customer is serious about a good communication device, then offer headsets with additional features such as wireless connectivity, noise cancellation and duplex, so that information can be communicated both ways simultaneously without interference. Depending on budget, and just how serious the client really is, conversations could also include two-way radio headsets, these are designed to give clear communication in seriously challenging situations – favoured by constructions workers who have to communicate above the noise of drilling and hammering all day long. Two-way radio headsets are often paired with a radio, which the user, with instructions, can usually pair themselves, but not all two-way radio headsets are compatible with two-way
radios, and some radio frequencies require a licence, so something worth noting if your customers are considering this option. Dedicated Premises Mobile Phones Consider suggesting to your customer to have a dedicated on-premises mobile phone, that is fully charged, to be used in emergency situations. It is not a good idea to rely on retail and hospitality staff to use their own personal devices, which may be held securely in a locker, or if they do have them to hand the device may have a low battery or minimal data. Emergency calls are usually available without having to unlock the handset on iPhones, and simple signage should accompany the dedicated premises mobile phone – such as what to do if the phone signal is unavailable, for example turn the phone off and on again, text 999 with brief information, and so on. Speaker Systems (fixed or portable) Powered loudspeakers include built-in amps, so all you have to do is connect it to your sound source, whereas passive loudspeakers require an additional connection to add that power separately. Speakers can be portable or fixed, and UCC advances have enabled them to be mounted to walls and ceilings very easily and discreetly. Back-up Power An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system is a device that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source or mains power fails. Phases of a UPS, such as a single-phase UPS or a three-
If your customer is serious about a good communication device, then offer headsets with additional features such as wireless connectivity, noise
cancellation and duplex...
phase UPS, describe the number of electrical phases that a UPS receives and transmits. Electrical
CONTINUED
20
Powered by FlippingBook