ToolsAlerts | Mass Notification Software, Voice Broadcasting Service | Automated Broadcast Voice Service
2 min read
2 min read
Mass alerts in emergency situations are essential in providing vital information to contacts to help ensure their safety and well-being. These alerts are often sent using a variety of delivery methods, with the emphasis being put on email and SMS; these methods citing almost immediate open rates and quick response capabilities. However, we must not discount the power of the voice alert: a recorded notification sent to a contact’s phone.
Voice is still a valuable method of contact — despite this generation’s growing aversion to answering their phones. The sound of a telephone ringing can oftentimes be the first indication that something is amiss, especially if the contact does not subscribe to email notifications or has their cell phone’s text alerts on silent. Even if the voice alert is sent to a silent cell phone, a persistent buzzing will hopefully cause the phone owner to pay attention.
Receiving a voice alert during a crisis may sometimes be the only viable option for certain contacts. Those who are visually impaired rely a great deal on their other senses, such as touch and sound, to interact with the world around them. Should they not have access to screen-reading technology, which can read out email and text message alerts, a telephone call may be the easiest way for them to communicate with someone who is not in their immediate presence.
As well, what if some of your alert contacts live in rural areas with spotty cell service and internet? What if they don’t possess a cellphone? How can you effectively warn them in the case of an emergency?
Though their use is diminishing in urban areas and concentrated cities, landline telephones are still an important staple in the homes of many country dwellers who cannot rely on consistent cell and internet service. Landlines provide these people with a reliable mode of communication should they ever need to contact emergency services. And the same goes for the other way around. Emergency services can ensure that rural residents are able to receive their notification by sending it in the form of a voice alert to these landline phones.
Voice alerts don’t have to be a daunting prospect. They can be created quickly and easily using mass communication software that has the ability to upload a pre-recorded voice alert and send it automatically with a few clicks of a button.
You can also record voice alerts using the call-to-record method, wherein you can have the system dial out to you and you can record a new voice alert on the spot and attach the recording to the alert that will be sent out. This is a good option if you do not have a traditional recording device handy on which to record your message.
On the other hand, for those who aren’t too fond of hearing the sound of their own voice, many of these same mass communication softwares allow for the creation of text-to-speech voice alerts. This is where you can type out the content of the message and it will be converted automatically into a machine-provided voice when sent out to contacts.
No matter how popular “new” technologies like email and text messaging become, there will always be value in sending a voice alert in an emergency — even if only to supplement these other communication methods. It never hurts to send alert messages through as many different channels as possible, especially if it will help get people to safety and increase awareness while limiting panic. Mass communication can be a life-saver in many respects and it only makes sense to try and contact people in whatever way possible — even if it means going “old-school.”