X-Posted here because of the cognoscenti!
I am involved with a local charity support group who are not the most IT literate, and those supported are even less so.
We are having problems communicating with our target audience because although we have a web site it looks as though some/most of our target audience don't visit it (although I can't get any metrics from the site).
Facebook/Twitter? Mentioning this generates shudders from all.
Probably the most effective way to communicate would be via phone.
The committee could buy a cheap phone and cheap SIM and pass the phone around, but as we are widely geographically distributed this could cause logistical problems.
So - based on an archaic knowledge of how 0800 services worked in the '90s I had the following idea.
Have a central contact number, on a network based virtual phone (possibly some SIP based service).
The service has the following features:
(1) Number key options and voice prompt with "For date and time of the next meeting please press 1; to speak to a committee member please press
2, to leave a message please press 3.".Obviously this can be expanded. Calls at anti-social hours could be directed to an answering machine - we are not providing a 24/7 emergency support service.
(2) The option to speak to a committee member redirects to the phone of whoever is "on duty" with the backup of an answering machine (the answering machine may be difficult because if you transfer a call to a "real" number you are likely to lose control of it).
(3) Re-programming the divert probably via a web site - although a PIN option to change it and the messages using a hand set could be an option, although tricky for the non techies.
Hmmm....beginning to sound a lot like an answering service tied to a mobile phone apart from the front end menu.
Anyway, thought I would ask here to see if anyone had already solved this, before I lose a day of my life in the wasteland that is Google (or Bing, or...)
Thanks
Dave R