Do you use Google Voice for tenant calls??

Question

I have a property manager on anew building and they are going to hand out the flier tomorrow on where to send the rent payment and number to call to reach the PM.

Does Google voice let you create a number with them like an 800 number?? The PM didn't want the tenants to have their cell phone number and instead call a number and leave a message and the PM can check it.

Didn't know if Google voice did that or would need an 800 number.

Lakia Hasenjaeger · Answer

I'm not sure about Google Voice but you should check out phone.com. They offer an expensive way to handle inquiries and some of the features include transfer and call forwarding.

Account Closed · Answer

I have used GV for a couple years now with no problems.

Chris

Luis A. · Answer

For the price you will not be able to beat GV. Like others I used it a lot with no problems. It rocks that you can see your messages on email and you can text for free.

What no ones has mentioned here is what I think the most powerful thing about GV is that you can block numbers. So if that pissed off tenant is calling you to hassle you, you can block his number and when he calls you he will hear a "phone disconnected" message. It is awesome to keep away marketers and pesky sales people.

Ann Bellamy · Answer

I use phone.com with a purchased 800 # from tollfreenumbers.com.

Phone.com allows multiple menus, recorded outgoing messages, extensions, forwards, etc.  I pay less than $18/mo, and it gives a very professional impression.  My tenants have my maintenance guy's phone number and mine for emergencies.  That's intentional.

The reason I bought the number from tollfreenumbers.com is that it is portable anywhere.  If you buy it from your virtual switchboard, sometimes you lose it when you switch services, so watch for that. I think it's $49

As for Google Voice, I used to use it for visual voice mail with my Verizon droid, but it was consistently inconsistent. It frequently didn't give me a vm indicator, and I often couldn't play back messages.  I switched to the paid visual voice mail from Verizon and at least it usually works.

George P. · Answer

not paying for google voice rocks.

Emy S. · Answer

I've used GV for a few months now and the best features are the free texts and automatic transcribing of voice messages via email. I also like having a local number and agree that it adds a certain level of privacy if you don't want to give out your personal cell number.

Stacy Nettinga · Answer

I use Google Voice for other business, but I am my own property manager, and my tenants all have all of my contact numbers.  That's the way I like it.

Dave Lamattina · Answer

I use Kall8.com. It is great as you purchase an 800 number that you give to tenants. I have mine set to go straight to voice mail so my phone doesnt even ring (great when they try to call at 1 am b/c the washer took their quarters). I get an email to my blackberry right away with the vm as attachment, I can call them back right away. Strongly recommended.

Max Drizin · Answer

Google Voice is a great service, I use it all of the time.  It syncs well with my smartphone (Android, of course).

Not only is it good for international calls (extremely cheap compared to carrier rates, and I make far too many calls to Canada), it's good for people you don't want to give your real number to.

If you are using your cell phone, you have to be in 3G coverage, basically.  There are issues with call quality, but I've never had it be so bad that it's unusable.  I give it out on a regular basis to people that I don't want to give my phone number to.

Visual voicemail is also wonderful.  I like just reading my messages.  It's not the best voice transcription, but it usually works well enough to get the point across.

Also, making calls from your computer is always nice, if a novelty at some points.  Also, things like ringing to certain phones in certain hours, so that it calls your home and cell, having people say their name and then accepting the call based on that, and a ton of other stuff do make it useful.

I'd say use it. It's free, it gives you a number in the area code you want, and it works.

George P. · Answer

use google voice all the time. love it, it's free...sometimes it's quirky and can't retrieve a message for a few mins, but it's free.

i can get texts of the translated message, as well as translated emails. so i dont even have to check the voice mail inbox.

Do you use Google Voice for tenant calls??

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