After telephones, sound and overhead paging were the second product installation line, RCI entered. In the 80s and 90s, it was a natural outgrowth of telephone systems because so many customers wanted to be able to use their telephone paging feature through overhead speakers.
Today, in the era of cell phones, overhead paging doesn’t have the same ubiquity it once did, but there are still plenty of situations that require it and sound systems, in general, as part of their daily operations. Here are some of the most common applications of sound and overhead paging for businesses.
Public Facing
Some of the most common uses for sound and overhead paging systems are retail and other public-facing businesses. Sometimes, these businesses dispense with the paging feature and only use the speakers.
For supermarkets and other retail locations, music is omnipresent. When was the last time you went shopping without a soundtrack? We don’t notice it half the time because it’s so common, and there’s a reason.
Music makes the shopping atmosphere more pleasant. People naturally get self-conscious in silence. They don’t want to draw attention to themselves and, as a result, become uncomfortable.
That awkward feeling can lead to shorter shopping trips. Retailers noticed this psychological trick early on, and now sound and overhead paging equipment is present in every chain and most small stores.
No Phones Allowed? You Need Sound & Overhead Paging
Those retail environments often have another need for a sound and overhead paging system. Frequently, employee cell phone use is discouraged or forbidden.
While cell phones can be a way to locate and communicate with employees, many employers don’t like the way they can distract from work and so don’t allow employees to use them while on the clock or limit usage to particular situations. But unless a work environment is small enough for all workers to work in the same room, you need a method to communicate with those who aren’t in shouting distance.
One of the original uses of sound systems was to alert or summon workers to a particular area. If you have a phone call and no one knows where you are, an overhead page is the quickest way to get you to the nearest phone to answer it.
Medical Applications
Perhaps even more than a grocery store, the place where you’re most likely to hear “Employee A, please come to X location” announcement is a hospital, nursing home, or other medical facilities.
The life-and-death situations combined with the chaotic environment make sound and overhead paging systems a necessity for reaching the right people quickly. In a medical setting, no one has time to run someone down physically or by dialing their cell phone or office number.
Instead, a quick announcement will let a specific doctor or nurse, or anyone with the right skill set, know that their assistance is needed and where to go.
One of the industries where RCI does the most work is the medical field. You will find our systems in many local medical facilities and nursing homes. We also operate the telephone systems, nurse call units, and IT there.
Emergency Situations
Even if you work in a situation where overhead paging isn’t necessary 99 % of the time, it’s helpful to have the paging option available. Paging is an excellent way to get a message to a large number of people over an ample space quickly.
For that reason, many modern telephone systems have an emergency option for sending a prerecorded message across all paging zones. Even if most of the time you can dial one extension and reach a person’s desk phone and cell phone through the use of modern tech, there are times when you want a backup.
Overhead paging is ideal for emergencies.
No Reception
Believe it or not, there are some places that still don’t have good cell phone reception! Whether because their too far out, there’s too much interference, or because the building contains materials that block cell transmission, when you have a large building with no cell reception, you need sound and overhead paging to reach the dispersed workforce throughout your building (or buildings).
Warehouses: Extra Loud Sound & Overhead Paging
Manufacturing warehouses and anywhere with loud equipment need special considerations when buying and installing a sound and overhead paging system. Often announcements and other pages can’t be heard over the din of an assembly line.
In these environments, we offer either extra loud horns or light signals to let someone know there’s a call.
RCI Business Technology Installs & Services New & Existing Sound and Paging Systems
While sound and overhead paging systems don’t have the flash of computer network security or the absolute necessity of a telephone system, they still have a place in the modern workplace. They are a convenience during everyday communication and a lifesaver during emergencies.
We’d be happy to check out your system to ensure it runs properly.
