I am a member of Verizon’s Influencer Team #VZWBuzz and I receive phones and other accessories from time to time to review. This post has not been monetarily compensated. Please note that, as always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own.
I have a mobile number. I’ve had the same one for years. The more time passes, the more I become convinced that I don’t use my cell phone like most people. I suppose you could say that when it comes to phone usage I compartmentalize things. I do not give out my mobile number freely, nor will I give it to just anyone. I am very choosy about who gets my mobile number. With few exceptions, only my family, the folks at my son’s school, and a couple of doctors have my number. If it rings I know exactly who it is, and it’s a very safe that I will want to speak with them. Everyone else gets to speak with my personal assistant.
Ever call a company and ask for someone and get their personal assistant? You know, the woman that was like a guard dog that made you say who you were and what you were calling about before they put you through? Yeah, her. In sales we called them gatekeepers. Anyway. Sometimes they take a message. Sometimes, partway through that message the person you wanted to speak to mysteriously becomes available. Guess what? They were close enough to their personal assistant to either hear part of the conversation or perhaps read what was written down. Well, I’ve got a personal assistant on my cell phone – Google Voice. I call him Percy.
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Google Voice is a free app that you install on your cell phone. It gives you a single phone number that rings all of your phones, saves your voicemail online, and transcribes your voicemail to text. It even gives you the ability to listen in on messages while they’re being left, and to block unwanted callers!
When you sign up for Google Voice you choose the exchange of the phone number you’re getting. This means you can pick something local to your area, or that you can spell out a word if you’re creative enough. Once you’ve got your number, give it out freely. It will ring through to phones you specify. For example, if you call my Google Voice number it seems like any regular number. I could have it ring to my house if I wanted. I choose to only have it ring to my cell phone. If I answer we talk. If I am busy or don’t want to answer, I let it go to voicemail. I can listen in live while you’re leaving your voicemail message, and I can pick up the phone at any point if I choose. Voicemails that are left are transcribed and sent to you by text message. You can also access your mailbox right in your browser. You can even send and receive text messages using your Google Voice number!
Above you can see just a few of the different types of calls, messages or texts that the app handled for me. Coupons by text. They’re nice, but I don’t want my regular mobile number getting all of that stuff. Sergio and his glasses? Wrong number. Telemarketer calling for the business owner? Not a chance buddy. I made cold calls for many years and you will not get through my full-time gatekeeper. Ever sell something that required you providing a phone number? Those calls can go on for days and weeks. I recently sold a car. Guess what number was placed in the ad?
If you’re one of those people that needs two numbers, this app can handle it. Just forward one number to your Google Voice number. No more need to carry two phones around!
This is the first app that I download on any cell phone that I have. It’s one of my favorite and most used apps for sure. There’s a lot more that I could say about this app. But you probably don’t want to be sitting here all night. So just go download it and check it out for yourself! It’s available for both iOS and Android.
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That sounds like a cool idea, but I don’t take calls, so I really have no need for this. I only answer for my mom and husband.
Oh my goodness, that is the coolest thing every. How have I never heard of Google Voice? SO cool… i have to check this out. Thanks for sharing…
This is so great! I give my cell number out all the time. It’s my primary contact. Thanks for sharing this.
This is an awesome idea! My cell is my main contact, so everybody and their brother has it.
I am freaking out right now! After reading this post I went to see if I could get it on my phone and I DID!!!! YAY! Thank you so much for telling me about it 🙂
That does sound like a useful organizational tool. It’s so cool that voice messages can be transcribed to text format!
This is awesome! I am a huge call taker- call me old fashion- but sometimes the waste of time is too much to handle.
That would be a great service for someone needing that. That’s pretty cool.
Okay, this is really, really cool. I am currently paying for a service like this and it sounds like I need to do this instead. I give out my cell but only because it is my only phone (no house phone).
This is a great idea. I do not like to give my cell phone number out to very many people. I will have to look into this.
Oh man, I need to get this before Political season ramps up. I sure dont’ need all those calls coming through.
Oh I need to do this! I am so sick and tired of the crazy phone calls we get. We only have a cell phone. But I hate all the junk phone calls we get. I want a safe number that will help “screen” our phone calls and that won’t spread my real phone number around.
This is interesting. I do not usually give my number out freely.
Wow, this is something I hadn’t thought of. I could definetly use this!
Google Voice was essential when I was running my own business!
I do think this would be helpful work-wise. I can’t count the number of times I have a random caller asking for pizza!
I tend to not give out my number freely but, wow, I’d love to have someone handle my calls!
Yes and no–blogging I share. But too many calls UNWANTED come through from solicitors wanting to sell. I am amused at FINAL calls that come back day after day from the same company. Obviously they are misrepresenting themselves when they say they are Rachel and the man talking says it isn’t his name…..
Never knew about this. Pretty neat!! I wish I had a personal assistant for my emails!!!