Question: Our on-call situation is a mess.  Since you handle on-call for many organizations, what are some procedures that seem to work well?

Answer: On-call management can be a challenge.  There is, however, no ideal on-call procedure.  Each situation must be tailored to your needs and expectations.  Here are some general ideas:

Fixed Method: Some organizations, with basic on-call needs, simply have an “on-call” cell phone; it is given to whoever is on-call.  This method is convenient because you don't need to notify the answering service who is on-call or if the schedule changes.  However, since wireless phones have range limitations and can encounter technical problems or service interruptions, provide the answering service a list of your on-call staff and their home numbers as a backup.

Rotation: Other organizations use a rotation.  For example, assume there are five people, with each one handling on-call for a week.  When the week is over, the answering service switches to the next person on the list.  After five weeks, they go back to the top of the list.  You only need to notify the answering service to add or remove staff or update contact numbers.

"Until further notice:" With “until further notice” the same on call person will be contacted every time until their replacement notifies the answering service that he or she will be taking over.  This works well when there is minimal on-call activity, allowing staff comfortably to be on-call for a long period of time.

Daily Update: Another option is for you to tell the answering service who is on-call each night when you call-forward your phone.  Although this is simple and flexible, there is a downside as this is the answering service's busiest time of the day and you may need to wait a bit before relaying your on-call information. 

Email Update: Other companies email (or fax) their on-call schedules to the answering service, which is entered into the computer for staff to use as needed.  If you forget to email your schedule and the answering service notices it in advance, they will contact you.  Otherwise they will contact the person most recently on-call.

Website: The newest approach is to your answering service's Website for your on-call scheduling.  Not only can you use it to develop and manage your schedule, but it is directly linked to their computer.  Therefore, your information is entered immediately and is available to their staff as soon as you enter it.  This is the most efficient and accurate method.

Learn more about telephone answering services and discover how the might be able to help you.