VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Adam Verner

Wondering if anyone has successfully made the transfer to Google Voice or a Skype number for their main business phone line.

The problem
I have Tmobile cell phone service - usually very good, but for some reason my studio/office has little to no reception. It bounces in and out for no apparent reason. I use this cell number as my main point of contact, it's on my website and all my business cards.

Solution?
I've been toying with porting my number to Google Voice - then getting another Tmobile number. When I'm in the studio/office, I could take calls over the computer using GV. When I'm out of the studio, forward the incoming calls to my new cell phone number.
http://support.google.com/voice/answer/1065667?hl=en
I'm not sure how caller ID works though - would I have to input all my current cell contacts into GV? Similarly, at night or on the weekends, outgoing calls from my cell would show a new number...and what about text messaging? Seems like a lot of headache Frown

I think much of the above is also possible with a Skype number - though GV is free to U.S. numbers, and Skype is not (though still cheap). Anyone tried something similar?
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

I was an early adopter of Google Voice and I can recommend it but I've switched to Skype, and I pay to have a number and call forwarding, not just a name there. It's more convenient for new/prospective clients to just call me rather than have us add each other the typical Skype way (which then we do after we set up a session). With GV and Skype, I just treat the number as the "Studio Line" and label it as such on my website and elsewhere. My cellphone is my cellphone. Use them both, but keep them separate.

I really liked GV, but two things:
1.) I had three sessions in a row where I did a successful test call before hand and then the client tried to call in and the settings were somehow all fouled up. I can't trust it anymore. My settings for Google talk/chat/voice don't hold. No idea why.
2.) Skype sounds better than Google Voice. I noticed the difference when I switched, and I did a test of calling my cellphone and leaving a message on Skype vs. Google Voice and Skype was clearly better. But hey, I'm the kind of guy that refuses to use iTunes because their mp3 encoding is inferior and sounds dull to me.
3.) I'm a Microsoft/Bing/Facebook/Skype/Outlook/SkyDrive user now that they're all integrated. Stopped using GMail, Google Search, and Google products pretty much altogether. I have a few friends and clients that insist on writing to my gmail account and yeah, I dabble in G+, YouTube, and Blogger just to cover all the bases of trying to reach as many people as possible, but in general I've tried to de-google. Hasn't affected my SEO one bit: it's better than ever! Clients are messaging me now through Skype which never happened before on Google chat.
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ccpetersen · Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:57 pm Post subject:

Skype has been my "go to" for patching and telecons. It seems to work pretty well.

As far as email is concerned, however, I do use a company email, but also route things through gmail when I'm travel. You can link accounts, which makes it very easy for me to go to one place to do email.

Not into G+ much, although a lot of people have added me to their "circles" without asking. The only one I've visited with any regularity is CourVO's circle for VOs, and it's useful. Otherwise, I can do without the others.
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Jason Huggins · Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:50 pm Post subject:

I've got GV, and the caller ID just shows my GV number, which has become my business line. I don't like the call quality though. I had a patch session today, and in the hour we were recording, it did some funky dropping noises five times. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence in a first time client. I had to playback every time it happened so they knew it was the phone and not me.

I have been really thinking about Skype, but until today, wasn't ready to pull the trigger. $60/yr isn't that much for a Skype number.

Have you Skype patchers had dropout issues?

Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

I've had plenty of dropouts with Google Voice that required retakes even thought the recording was fine. That's another reason not to use Google Voice!

I have not had any dropouts that were Skype related, although I'm sure that's a possibility.

$60 a year is absolutely worth it. Especially since I don't have an old-school phone line anymore!
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Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

Jason Huggins · Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 9:49 pm Post subject:

Ill have a new number in the morning then LOL

Lee Gordon · Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:03 am Post subject:

I used to carry around two cell phones, one with my personal number and a second one with a separate business number (after Peter O'Connell shamed me into adding it a couple of years ago). When I was shopping for a smartphone I tried to find one that could accommodate two sim cards so that I could have both phone numbers on the same device. They're pretty common in other parts of the world but not so much here in the US.

The guy in the phone store didn't have a two-line smart phone but, instead, he recommended an a Hobo Tounge

called Line2. I signed up, was assigned a phone number, and after about a week or so, I was able have them replace the number they assigned me with my old business number, cancelling my second AT&T account in the process. You can have Line2 installed on your Android phone, iPhone, iPad, and personal computer; you just can't use it simultaneously on more than one device at a time. So, while you're in your office, you could log on to the one you have installed on your studio computer and take calls via your internet connection, then when you have to hit the road, log out of that device and log in on your smart phone.

When using your smartphone, it uses what they call Tri-Mode calling, which first tries to make and receive calls via wifi, then 3G/4G, and then as a last resort, your cell phone connection. The first two options do not use minutes from your phone plan either for calling or texting.

It shares the phone's existing phonebook but I believe you can also give it its own separate directory.

The standard plan is $10 a month (cheaper than I had been paying for a second mobile phone account), but I upgraded to the "Pro" version for $15 a month so my business name shows up in CallerID, rather than just my number.

It's something you might want to look into. www.line2.com
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Jason Huggins · Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 10:31 am Post subject:

Just went to go get a Skype number and realized that you not only have to pay $60/year for the number, you ALSO have to pay for the service if you want to call out on the number. Incoming calls are free, but outgoing calls are charged. They do have an unlimited calling plan for $2.99/month. Maybe it'd still be worth it for really reliable phone patch and the ability to fine tune your business phone number.

Bish · Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 10:41 am Post subject:

If the client has it, I prefer Skype... but due to the current pricing model, if they want a phone patch, I call them via GV from my Mac at zero cost, and everything patches nicely through my system as per Skype. The only time it doesn't work properly is when calling into a third-party conference call site... GV does not play nicely with them.
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georgethetech · Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 7:54 pm Post subject:

For me, $120/year for Skype number and unlimited calling is a small part of doing business. I've done it this way going on five years now, and it's almost always worked flawlessly. I love going seamlessly between Skype to Skype and Skype to landline calls, and conferencing between them as needed.
No one has ever asked me "are you using VOIP?"

Now on EWABS doing video conferencing, well, that's a horse of a different color. Still searching for the ultimate Skype replacement. Google Hangouts is getting better, but when Skype is at it's best the picture and sound quality are remarkable.

We do use GV as our home phone with an OBI100 adapter, and that's been amazingly reliable, too (although we hardly ever use it). My wife ported her cell over to GV and it works wonderfully well.
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