Working from home with your GWI VoIP phone service
THREE TYPE OF NEEDS WITH DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS:
NEEDS
- Individual users
- Key answering positions
- Main business number
Individual users are the easiest to affect. These users are only concerned with their calls and their voice messages. Any Solution is valid.
Key Answering positions, like a receptionist, is more difficult due to the volume of calls and need to manipulate calls. They are typically members of ring groups, have sidecar buttons and more. Just transferring a reception phone to a single cellphone might be too much. Perhaps some creative redesign of their call flow if they cannot move the actual phone home.
Main business number can be redirected to another number as well. Or the main greeting for callers can perhaps offer special options to the callers for this special occasion.
SOLUTIONS
- Take your VoIP phone home
- Use the SimRing and vmail to email service on your DID
- Forward all you DID calls to another number such as a cell or home
- Forward your main business line to another number
- Use an App on a smartphone for your line (not supported)
Take your VoIP phone home
This option gives you the most functionality, especially for key answering positions. It works just like at the office. This also shows the correct caller ID details to the people you call. The drawback is it relies on getting the phone moved and working. It requires a power adapter, Ethernet patch cord and a good reliable Internet connection. Plus a 911 reconfigure.
Use SimRing and Vmail to Email
This option bypasses having to move the phone home. SimRing will take all ringing calls to your DID and ring them out to your chosen number, cell or home. If you do not answer, then your hosted voicemail takes the message (vmail recall timer needs to be shorter that home or cell). With Vmail to Email, you can then receive your messages via email. Calls from the cell or home will show personal caller ID if you do not block. This feature needs to be activated per line and set up.
Forward all individual calls
Very easy to *72xxxxxxx your phone off to a cell or home before you leave the office. Every call will go to your other number. If you do not answer, they with go to your personal cell or home voicemail. No calls would go to your work voicemail box. Calls from the cell or home will show personal caller ID if you do not block.
Forward your main business number to another number
This is easy to affect. But with a high call volume, this could be a bad choice to a cell or home number. If you do not answer, they with go to your personal cell or home voicemail. Calls from the cell or home will show personal caller ID if you do not block. Perhaps a redo of the call flow to put callers in to an Auto Attendant to select options. Plus identify to the callers the special circumstances.
Smartphone App
GWI does not currently support any of the available apps.