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When was the last time you woke up, and the only thing you heard were birds chirping, the wind blowing, or simply the delight of complete silence? Few city dwellers get to experience that. Glamping, a more luxurious kind of camping, has become a popular occupation for city folks searching for the sound of silence.
Camilla Linnér, the founder of Swedish Silence, offers that kind of exotic overnight stay in the heart of nature in Dalarna, and with the help of Televox's PBX, her guests never have to wait to get help.
Maybe you are, like most people, woken up daily by an insistent mobile phone alarm or even have an abrupt awakening by a garbage truck whizzing down the street. Later, you find yourself stuck in a car queue or on a crowded subway train. Your brain has experienced hundreds of different sounds – just during the first few hours of the day.
"I deliver silence in collaboration with nature. A silence that is, unfortunately, a luxury for many people in today's society. Out in nature, there is nothing to distract us. There, we experience the sounds of nature instead – for example, the rustling of the wind in the trees or drops of water bouncing against the tent canvas. It is incredibly relaxing while giving the brain room for new thoughts," says Camilla Linnér.
Morning swim in the middle of the enchanted forest
If you check in at Swedish Silence, you are about three miles north of Falun. Camilla points out that this is not in the wilderness, but despite the proximity to buildings, it is still in the middle of nature.
"It's a shifting forest with a moss-covered ground, which I think contributes to a magical feeling. And a 20 minute walk from the tent, there is a small pond to try your luck at fishing or perfect for a morning swim. I guarantee it's a lovely way to start or end the day. It's incredibly refreshing, and you really feel alive," says Camilla.
Camilla Linnér, creator of Swedish Silence. Photo: Malin Jahnson.
For couples tired of spas
Swedish Silence's target group is, among others, couples who are tired of going to the spa. Families with children who need to spend time with each other, or companies that want to do something different.
When we are forced to stay in small indoor spaces for long, without little or no time for relaxation and fresh air, we tend to be stressed. In nature, the children can play freely, and the parents have time to really listen to them. Camilla's guests also learn how to bake charcoal buns, Dalarna's regional dish, that, in the past, were everyday food for charcoal burners, miners, and forest workers when they were away from home for long.
"In my opinion, the charcoal buns should be baked properly, bordering on slightly burnt. A father who tried charcoal buns for the first time thought it was so delicious that he lost count of how many he ate. A good grade, I think."
Photo: Anna Hermes.
Just like a hotel room
Camilla says the guests don't need to bring anything with them, except for an undershirt and maybe a hat, as it can get chilly at night – even during summer.
"The tent is like a ready-made hotel room with everything you need, such as bath towels and bed linen," says Camilla. But instead of a hairdryer, you can borrow binoculars and a headlamp. The guests also have access to a hygienic toilet near the tent."
You check in during the afternoon and get a welcome drink of non-alcoholic wine and a coffee basket in the tent. At noon, Camilla comes there, builds a fire, and together they start making the charcoal buns. The dinner ends by making coffee over the fire. Breakfast the following day is announced by "herding calls."
"Dala breakfast is served by a genuine Dalecarlian woman (dalkulla)," smiles Camilla. “Freshly baked bread, freshly brewed coffee, eggs, granola, and sour milk.”
Telavox takes care of customers
Swedish Silence uses Telavox, and according to Camilla, it is worth its weight in gold to have a company PBX that takes care of calls when she is unavailable.
"This is a one-person business, and it is impossible for me to always be available. Especially when guests from other countries call and want to make a booking from other time zones. Then a cloud PBX is great.”
A flexible telephony solution reduces stress
Apart from the virtual PBX, the welcome message feature is the one Camilla enjoys the most.
"I like that a voice comes in and "takes care" of the call immediately so that the caller doesn't have to wait unnecessarily long. It feels safe, I feel less stressed, and if there's something I need help with, Telavox customer support is superb."
Recommends other entrepreneurs
It was Camilla's friend, also an entrepreneur, who suggested Telavox to Camilla, and she didn’t hesitate to do the same to another friend.
"It was a little funny. I suggested Telavox when Andreas Åkervall and I started the non-profit call service Coronaluren. But it turned out that Andreas also already used Telavox."
Swedish Silence's 3 favourite features:
- It feels more professional with a separate business phone number.
- A welcome message that immediately receives customers who call.
- Friendly customer support when you need help – always!
Learn more about how another Swedish company Hövding, which manufactures the world's safest bicycle helmet, improved their customer service with Telavox's statistics tool.
