One Man Operation - Phone Setup

[L2CS]

I searched around the forum and couldn't find anything like this...

I was just curious on how everyone else has their phone set up.
Here is my setup. Its works out for max convince for me and my clients. Keep in mind I also work another part time job where I don't have access to my cell phone, and I am taking a few classes at a college near by. I also work out of my home currently, but eventually plan on getting a retail store front.

My actual phone number is paid for from Skype. I picked them originally 3 years ago because I could take calls on my computer. I quickly figured out that that was annoying as hell. Then I forwarded my calls to my cell phone. Not a bad setup but then I have to answer every phone call with "Layer 2 Computers..." So that was annoying. So then I forwarded my Skype number to Google Voice and GV would call me or take the message if I didn't pick up. Well my issue there was sometimes the conversation was delayed a few seconds or the call wouldn't always make it to my cell phone. So fail there.

So my current setup is... my Skype number goes to my answerer service who picks up and gets a set of information that I want the service to gather for me. From there I receive a text message and an e-mail with the details. I call back when I can and go from there.

My older clients think that its very profession and totally understand that I cant pick up my phone 24/7 and my new client don't know any better and to them I am a bigger business not just a one man operation and that gives me some credibility in their head. I have talked to new and old clients about it getting their feedback.

So what kind of setups do you guys have?

 

[NYJimbo]

Standard answering machine:

"Thankyou for calling blah,blah,blah, Please leave your name, phone number and reason for calling and we will get back to you as soon as we can, thank you".

thats it.

 

[L2CS]

Standard answering machine:

"Thankyou for calling blah,blah,blah, Please leave your name, phone number and reason for calling and we will get back to you as soon as we can, thank you".

thats it.

My issue was I knew new clients were not leaving messages. I kept seeing new numbers that I didn't recognize and no message.

I would call them back and explain I had a missed call from this number and apologize I couldn't get to the phone I was with another client.. blah blah blah. Then they would say sorry I already called someone else.

After having the service for a month it has easily paid for its self and what I said above hasn't happened at all. I try to always return the calls ASAP generally within the hour.

 

[chrisaroz]

Free Google number. I can send it to any phone I want or have it go to voicemail. I get emails and texts for transcribed voicemails, and all calls are available for review online so I always have customers numbers.

 

[iptech]

If you can afford it go for one of the telephone answering services. A real person will answer your phone with a personalised message for your business, and you can ask them to say something like "I'm afraid XYZ's in a meeting at the until {time}, would you like me to ask him to call you as soon as he's free?" they will then send you a text message with contact detail that you can then follow up on at the earliest opportunity. It all sounds very professional to the prospect and efficient to the prospect.

Most of these services have a monthly fee and charge a small extra for each call taken.

 

[PorterComp]

All our calls go to our office phone (in home) and my wife usually answers, if she's there and can't get to the phone, then a standard machine picks up...nice professional message...we call right back. If we're not there to answer, we have our calls to forward to her cell. This keeps my calls down, she then calls me and tells me what's going on. If I were a one man operation, then the calls would follow me to my cell...I have a nice message there as well saying, thanks for calling blah blah, i'll call you back. You inevitably are going to loose a few customers when you don't answer immediately or can't get to the customer immediately, but you do your best. Some callers are very impatient and will just move on to the next guy...IMHO, that's not the kind of customer you might want anyway...at least I don't.

 

[TimeCode]

2 cell phones. 1 standard phone for personal then a blackberry curve for work. I always know how to answer because my business clients don't have my personal cell. Then I leave the business cell @ home during off hours.

Regular cell plan + $9.99 per month for the second line. Done.

 

[OfficerLahey]

i'm working out of home, and i use a VOIP line setup with a geographical number, so i have a 'local' number that is completely seperate from the home phone line, and 2 mobiles, one for work and one for personal.

both the business phones have the 'nice professional' answerphone message, and all calls from the VOIP line can be forwarded to the mobile as and when needed.

i'll probably move to a 'virtual office' style answerphone service as mentioned in this thread once we've grown to a level that'll call for it to be in place.

answerphones in general are a big no no in my opinion (for new customers rather than existing), if a client can speak to a person then they're alot more happy, and confident that you'll call them back, rather than getting the answerphone message and moving onto the next company in town. But having just started out, i'm pretty free to answer the phone when needed so it would be an un-needed service for me currently.

in your situation, i can see how the answering service works perfectly, and aslong as the costs are balanced and you're still breaking out on profit, then it's a winning situation!

 

[TampaBayTech]

I use a combination of Vonage and a cell phone. The Tampa Bay area is pretty much split between 813 and 727 area codes so I have one number for each plus an 800 number on the Vonage account. All of those numbers are setup to ring a desk phone and my cell phone at the same time. If I don't pickup then the call goes to voice mail with a personalized greeting and I get an email on my cell with a .wav file of the message.

 

[atlanticjim]

Take a look at RingCentral. I am not using it but I have heard good things about the service.

 

[SCR12]

I have BT broadband and you get the home hub router and phone included, so i changed the home hub phone number to a local number and that diverts to my mobile, so i answer the phone no matter where i am.

 

[PCSupportGlasgow]

I got a call from some firm trying to sell me an 0800 number which they claim I'd get "for life" for a one off payment - can't remember what that was but maybe like £100 including diverts to my mobile.

Anyone used anything like that?

I was very suspicious because someone has to pick up the transfer to the mobile cost. I can't see how this could possibly work for years and years of call charges. For all I know that firm could shut itself down after 3 months and restart under a new name and the service is gone like that.

agree with you that certainly seems far too good to be true, especially here in rip-off britain where everything costs

 

[PCSupportGlasgow]

But aren't you in "everything paid for by English tax payers Scotland"?

where our oil gone muthafecka pmsl


ps want to tell siome of those english taxpayers to send directly to me then as i seem to get bugger all of this cash lol

 

[PCSupportGlasgow]

free dentistry not a saving as most of the population who actually qualify for it had no teeth left to begin with lol

you cant beat irn-bru for curing your hangover

plus think of all the money we save the uk in pension funds by all dying young

not posting anymore as will end up as a hijacked thread lol

 

[L2CS]

Well its finally quiet around here at 11:30 at night so I had some time to get back to this post. It seems that most people just forward a 800 number to their cell phone or have a business cell phone. I could definitely see how that works out for most people. Thanks for all the fast comments and information that everyone provided. You guys gave me exactly what I was looking for.

And man this thread has gone off topic.

 

[Xander]

Standard answering machine:

"Thankyou for calling blah,blah,blah, Please leave your name, phone number and reason for calling and we will get back to you as soon as we can, thank you".

thats it.

"Thank you for calling blah,blah,blah. I am unable to take your call right now as I am giving my current customer my undivided attention. Please leave your...."

I find I get a lot better response since I added that line. People don't mind a one-man-band like myself so long as they trust he's professional. This way, they know that when I'm dealing with their system, I won't be distracted by other people's calls.

 

[usacvlr]

Just one line and an answering machine. The number of people who have my cell phone number can be counted on one hand.

I searched around the forum and couldn't find anything like this...

I was just curious on how everyone else has their phone set up.
Here is my setup. Its works out for max convince for me and my clients. Keep in mind I also work another part time job where I don't have access to my cell phone, and I am taking a few classes at a college near by. I also work out of my home currently, but eventually plan on getting a retail store front.

My actual phone number is paid for from Skype. I picked them originally 3 years ago because I could take calls on my computer. I quickly figured out that that was annoying as hell. Then I forwarded my calls to my cell phone. Not a bad setup but then I have to answer every phone call with "Layer 2 Computers..." So that was annoying. So then I forwarded my Skype number to Google Voice and GV would call me or take the message if I didn't pick up. Well my issue there was sometimes the conversation was delayed a few seconds or the call wouldn't always make it to my cell phone. So fail there.

So my current setup is... my Skype number goes to my answerer service who picks up and gets a set of information that I want the service to gather for me. From there I receive a text message and an e-mail with the details. I call back when I can and go from there.

My older clients think that its very profession and totally understand that I cant pick up my phone 24/7 and my new client don't know any better and to them I am a bigger business not just a one man operation and that gives me some credibility in their head. I have talked to new and old clients about it getting their feedback.

So what kind of setups do you guys have?

 

[L2CS]

"Thank you for calling blah,blah,blah. I am unable to take your call right now as I am giving my current customer my undivided attention. Please leave your...."

Thats a pretty good ideas, but personally I would never use it. Just because some of the time when I get calls its like right now 9:35 on Friday night... As I was quoting you I got message from my service right then. WEIRD!

 

[buciotek]

I am using Ooma

I am a one man operation working from home. I have Ooma connected to my cable modem and have both a regular house phone and my cell phone ring a the same time with calls coming to my business number, a big advantage when out in the field. I also have Google voice, which as you know can be configured pretty much any way you want. The Google voice number I will use for special marketing campaigns to measure effectiveness.

 

[Felix]

I am a one man operation working from home. I have Ooma connected to my cable modem and have both a regular house phone and my cell phone ring a the same time with calls coming to my business number, a big advantage when out in the field. I also have Google voice, which as you know can be configured pretty much any way you want. The Google voice number I will use for special marketing campaigns to measure effectiveness.

How long did it take you to get a google voice invite?

I'm still waiting on mine