Does Your Business Have A Phone?
March 1, 2011 No Comments
How many small businesses start out with their owners using their cell phone to take and place calls. What happens when you out grow your cell phone or just becomes to expensive with all the monthly charges. Or what happens when hire an employee, now what do you do, you can’t give him or her your cell phone, it has all your important numbers on it.
Google Comes Into Play
With every Gmail account you have you can get a Google Voice number. You heard me a Google Voice number. Several years back Google purchased a phone company and now they can offer phone numbers and get this they are free. To get a free Google Voice number just click here.
Why Use Google Voice
- The Google Voice number can be set up to ring several phones at once.
- It is Free
- Messages can be sent to an email or if it is tied to a cell phone a text message can be sent to you.
- Messages can be saved for future reference
- You can screen a call and pick it up at any time while the customer is leaving a message.
- The messages are transcribed and stored.
How I Use Google Voice
Here is how I use Google Voice in one of my businesses. I have two business locations. I was using the same phone number for both locations (cell phone) but as the business has grown it has become more difficult to decide from which place the calls are coming from and now that I’ve added a pick up and deliver component to the business more so. I no longer know from the calls for what service or place they are calling about.
What I did was set up to Gmail accounts and then got a phone number for each place. The set up process for the phone numbers was easy and it only took me a couple of minutes. I post the phone number for each place at the store with a sign that said “If you have any trouble with the equipment or need assistance please call 111.111.1111.
Now when a call comes in I know for which place it is. In addition I can go to my Google Voice account and have a record of each number that I was called from. This is good because these are customers who use my services and I’ve just captured their phone numbers, which I can then use follow up and invite them back.
I’m planning to grab another couple of numbers in the near future for marketing purposes so that I can track my results.
Have you used Google Voice, how have you used it and for what purposes? Please share.
Here we go with the disclaimer. The opinions expressed herein do not constitute legal advise and if you have legal question I recommend that you seek that services of a competent attorney. The information provided here is just that information. While I try to do my research but from time to time I my make a mistake. If I make a mistake I won't take offense if you correct me, I would much prefer that we learn together. From time to time I will promote a product of service which I feel is useful or helpful. I never promote a product or service that I have not tried myself. I may receive some compensation from some of the services I promote through affliate programs.