Feature Focus: Ready2Talk®
Written by Dalia Zaher
Updated at July 25th, 2025
Table of Contents
What is Ready2Talk?
Ready2Talk® is a non-emergency companion service designed to support you when there’s clear evidence of a safety risk.
How does the Ready2Talk feature work?
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Activating a Ready2Talk call opens a 2-way call with an operator in the SoloProtect Monitoring Centre. |
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When connected, you should discuss the risk you’re facing with the operator, explain how long you think you will need to be monitored (this would usually just be a few minutes), and provide details of your location. |
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The operator will ask you whether you wish to maintain a 2-way call or switch to a 1-way call to ensure discretion. |
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If you switch to 1-way call, the operator can hear what’s going on around you, but they cannot talk back through the device. |
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When you feel the risk has been averted, just say “break silence” to switch back to a 2-way call. Tell the operator that you’re safe and you wish to close the call. |
*Please check with the solution administrator within your organisation as to whether the Ready2Talk function is enabled on your device.
When should Ready2Talk be used?
Our Monitoring Centre is available 24/7 so you can make a Ready2Talk call at any time of day or night. Here are some scenarios where the Ready2Talk feature should be used:
- You’re walking to your car through a dark car park at night past a group of people who are shouting and appear to be very drunk. You are concerned the group may turn their attention to you when you walk by so you’d like some reassurance that support will be available if you need it.
- You arrive at a residential property. You need to enter the property to carry out a survey, but you can hear a heated argument going on inside. You’re concerned that the aggression might be redirected at you when you ring the doorbell or someone on the inside may need assistance.
- You’re due to have a brief meeting with someone who has a history of aggression towards you and your colleagues. You need to deliver some news that you know they won’t take well and fear an incident is likely. You’d like someone to be listening in so they can escalate to your manager and the emergency services if necessary.
- You are a security guard working alone on the night shift and you are aware there has been a break-in. You’re doing a sweep of the premises because you believe an intruder may still be present.
- You arrive at a premises and your role is to restrain a dog that is reportedly exhibiting dangerous, aggressive behaviours. Despite your training, you’re concerned the dog might turn on you when you approach it and you may not have a free hand to press the Red Alert button to call for help.
What happens if an incident occurs during a Ready2Talk call?
If an incident occurs during a Ready2Talk call and you require further assistance, i.e. the police or an ambulance, the operator will quickly escalate to a Red Alert on your behalf (there’s no need to press the Red Alert button on your device).
You can help the operator to understand the seriousness of the situation by giving verbal indicators. Here are some examples:
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Someone is being verbally aggressive towards you and edging closer. Say: |
Someone is threatening you with a weapon. Say: |
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Someone has become physically aggressive towards you. Say: |
You’re injured and face no additional threat. Say: |
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Note: In some cases, it may be safe for you to provide much more comprehensive information to our operators by talking into your device.
When should the Check-In feature be used instead of Ready2Talk?
You should use the Check-In feature at the start and end of each working day, when changing location, when entering a new lone working situation or when starting a new activity. But it’s particularly useful to leave a Check-In in any of these scenarios if you feel nervous or uncomfortable about something.
In this example, John Smith has correctly left a Check-In message because he feels nervous about entering Mr. Jones’ property due to a previous incident.
If, upon stepping out of the car, John could hear Mr. Jones shouting aggressively within the property, he should then also open a Ready2Talk call to ensure he is monitored during his visit. If the situation escalates and an emergency response is required, the SoloProtect operator will upgrade to a Red Alert on John’s behalf.
When should the Red Alert feature be used instead?
You should use the Red Alert feature if you aren’t already on a Ready2Talk call and you require emergency assistance e.g. you are subject to abuse or an attack, or you are witnessing a serious criminal offence.
How long should a Ready2Talk call last?
Due to the nature of Ready2Talk calls, they usually only last a few minutes until the identified risk has dissipated.
If you expect your Ready2Talk call to last longer than this, you should consider whether leaving a Check-In message (followed by a Red Alert, if necessary) would be a more appropriate solution.*
*Our operators cannot monitor a Ready2Talk call for an unlimited amount of time as this may impact genuine Red Alert or Incapacitation Alert calls which need their immediate support.
