Pat Ingelse

Over the last couple of months, you all have seen the email in your NSB inbox and gotten a call on your cell phone from the Automated Notification System. Here’s some background information on its purpose and how it works.

We test the system twice a year to make sure you are familiar with the process in case it might need to be activated for a true emergency. We run reports twice after each test — 30 minutes after the call is initiated, and then again at the end of the day. The results are shared with department and branch managers.

A number of questions arose during the last test that we would like to share with you.

Why pull a report 30 minutes after the call?
It is important to be aware when the system is trying to reach you. The report tracks who responded via each channel. In a true emergency, this report will give your manager a snapshot of who has been reached and who still needs to be contacted.

I received an email from noreply@northshorebank.com. Is this real?
It is! The call tree tests are sent to your cell phone and the NSB email address so that you can become familiar with both types of communication.

Why didn’t I get a call on my cell?
Please make sure that your contact information (home phone, cell phone, home email address) is set up correctly in Ultipro. We’ve found that many cell phone numbers did not transfer when we transitioned to our new payroll system. Your contact information is uploaded monthly into the automated notification system. If it is not there, we are unable to reach you.

The reports show an average of 62% of all employees responding within the first 30 minutes. Ideally, it would be great if we could hit 85% in that time frame. In a true emergency, quick and early responses are vital.

We encourage you to consider setting up 800-342-3459 in your cell phone with a unique ring so that you easily recognize the call. The brief amount of time it takes to respond to the call is well worth it; it provides assurance that, should there be an actual emergency, you will recognize what it is and be able to better focus on the message the system is delivering.

Your participation is appreciated!