NATCO staff members recently received training to manage NATCO’s new, all digital voice mail system. Network Services Supervisor Travis Sullivan, along with Network Services Analysts Kirby Davis, Bill Hunt, and David Fortenberry, initially obtained instruction on the programming of the new voice mail system and all its features via a “webinar.” More in-depth training for Hunt and Fortenberry was held on-location with the manfacturer, Innovative Systems of Mitchell, S.D., Sullivan said.

The additional instruction supplemented the original training by allowing Hunt and Fortenberry to do more hands-on programming of the new system’s features, such as conference calls using the voice mail system and utilization of NATCO’s own calling name database.

NATCO’s new digital system contains additional options that have previously not been available, according to Sullivan. For example, NATCO customers may now receive voice mail alerts on their email and cell phones. When accessing voice mail on email, a customer receives an email from “voicemail@natconet.com” with an attachment, then opens the attachment and hears the voice mail from a computer.

All NATCO customer service representatives have been trained on the features of the new voice mail system so that they can instruct customers how to access their voice mails from email without calling into the system and access voice mail from their home or any remote telephone, including their cell phone. They are: Melissa Merkel, Tammie Parker, Gerri Bamberry, Pat Woods, and Misty Ring.

“Cell phones and e-mail are important tools for today’s residential and business customers,” said Steven G. Sanders Jr., NATCO president/general manager. “Our customers will be able to access voice mails from their email without calling into the system, as well as from their home or any remote telephone, including their cell phone.”

Sanders said the new system provides the flexibility their customers need to check voice mail when away from home while still being assured of a solid, dependable anchor to their existing wireline phone service. “Most importantly, Sanders said, since there are emergencies when our region has no electricity, we are pleased that the new, all digital NATCO voice mail works even when the electricity fails, never missing messages.”

NATCO has also increased voice mail reliability with additional backup and redundancy. To fit the budgets and needs of NATCO customers, Sanders said various voice mail packages are available, starting at $3.50 per month.

The digital voice mail system requires no at-home recording equipment, provides a choice of notification methods – through the wireline phone, email, or cell phone – has superior sound quality, plus the ability to save and use multiple greetings when needed. For details, call 453-8800 in Flippin or 1-800-775-6682.