Not everyone has the luxury of being a member of a coworking facility with business lounge space. Many of us resort to having a virtual mailbox – giving the appearance of a commercial office based business, (or if you have a location based business like an australian cobberdog breeder who does not really need a voicemail) and then do the majority of our work from home. Many Google Voice is a communication service that allows you to send messages, forward calls, send voice messages, and receive voicemail transcripts. To use Google Voice, users must first have a Google email account (Gmail). You can visit www.google.com/voice and choose a telephone number. Google has several virtual telephone numbers from various area codes that you can choose and use.
For computer and laptop users, Voice user accounts must be open at all times. Google eliminates the cost of calls in the US and Canada, while international calls will cost a lot cheaper than conventional telephone services. Many users choose to forward phone calls to their mobile phones. Smartphones will be connected to the internet 24 hours a day. This means that your Voice and Gmail account can be open all the time. Mobile phones also don’t need additional tools such as headsets.
Voice usage in the business field
The majority of Voice users are companies that want to have the opportunity to communicate with clients or partners 24/7. This is especially true for companies that want to expand their business in other countries or want to get users from certain countries. The high cost of telephone calls between countries often hampers business development. Voice will remove that obstacle. Voice is used by those who are aware that communication failures / obstacles will reduce their chances of getting new clients, partners, or investors.
When you register for a Google Voice account, you can choose a specific area code even if your company is not in that area. Clients can contact the number anywhere and anytime. Voice can also send transcripts of each voicemail message directly to the company email address. This allows business owners to be able to answer every phone call via email.
You might think that SMS is an old-fashioned way of communication and no one uses it, and you are wrong. SMS functions as an alternative communication for clients who cannot connect to the internet. SMS will enter into your Voice account and display like an email. You can reply directly from your Voice page and the client will receive the message like SMS in general.
Weaknesses of Google Voice
One of the main disadvantages of VoIP is the decrease in sound quality and the lag caused by the instability of the internet connection. This is why Voice or other VoIP services are recommended to use a Wi-Fi network.
Another disadvantage is the recycled phone number. Google Voice will include an old user number to be used by new users. This allows the client to contact the wrong company. Inactive users will lose the virtual phone number they have and Voice will offer the number to other users. This can reduce client confidence in a company.
The biggest weakness of Google Voice is the lack of technical support. In this scenario, we recommend checking out Youtube videos on Google Voice. I personal use Google Voice on all my projects, and when I am able to grow the company beyond myself, I use it in conjunction with Grasshopper which is a great companion to Google voice. You will not be able to contact anyone when there is a disruption to your service. For a company the size of Google, this should not happen. Google must provide technical support to support the smooth communication of its users.