just putting you through now...

My wife and I use the phone a lot. But she gets more calls than me. So it was very frustrating to keep answering her calls and either taking a message (I'm no secretary!) or searching through the house to find her.

The solution was remarkably easy... we each have our own phone line. But rather than having two separate phones, I decided to go to for Panasonic's PBX system, the Panasonic Digital Super Hybrid System. We've had it for nearly 2 years now, and it has given us a huge increase in efficiency and effectiveness.

For example, since we each give out our own dedicated line phone numbers, this immediately stops any message taking. If we are not in, then the message goes to our separate voicemail boxes. I don't answer her calls, nor she mine. Easy.

But there are other benefits as well... I put an extension in all our main rooms: the guest bedroom, kitchen, my wife's office, the main bedroom, my office (photo above), the garage (right) and a doorphone (below) which can be answered by any extension.

So whenever we get a call that needs to be answered by the other partner, we can transfer it through. We can also have our calls transferred to our cell phones.

In short, the system acts like the switchboard system of any small office. I couldn't do without it.