Use in The Real World
A bat phone often has some or all of the following properties:
- It gets answered outside of working hours
- It does not make the caller wait on hold or navigate through cumbersome voice menus
- The line rings straight through to high-level management or technicians without having to be transferred from front lines.
- The number is only given to selected people
- Shields technical personnel from receiving irrelevant calls
Bat phones are common in many industries. The phone numbers are typically given to key customers so that they may reach important individuals in case of emergencies or critical situations. Bat phones can also provide direct access to politicians or notable people.
Police Stations in the United Kingdom are often closed to public enquiry overnight, in this situation it is normal for a call point to be provided. This is often referred to internally as a Bat Phone.
Another example of their use is for Internet service providers offering a selection of Internet services that range from dial-up access to secure web server hosting. Customers using the secure web hosting facility would be given access to a 24-hour bat phone for prompt resolution of technical issues, while dialup customers seeking technical support would be required to wait on hold and/or call only during business hours.
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