Google Voice, the internet telephony service of search giant Google, was launched in 2009 after the company acquired the service GrandCentral. It was initially offered as an “invite-only” system, but has since been made available to all Gmail subscribers.
With Google Voice, users can make free PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone voice calls nationwide, as well as make cheap international calls. Call forwarding, messaging, and voicemail and voicemail transcription, to name a few features , are also offered through the service. In addition, users only need to obtain a single telephone number, and calls to their number will ring on whatever device is synced to the service (whether it’s your computer, tablet, or smartphone).
With all these useful features provided for free, it may seem that Google Voice is the perfect solution for your business’ telecommunication needs. But the truth is, Google Voice has its downsides, which will make you think twice about adopting it as your primary business communication tool. Here are the top three reasons why you shouldn’t rely on Google Voice as your business phone service:
One of the biggest limitations of Google Voice is that it is not capable of placing or receiving emergency calls. Thus, in case of an emergency and you attempt to dial 911 in the U.S. via Google Voice, you would receive a prompt that the number is invalid. So if you choose to port over your number to Google Voice, you must look for an alternative method to access emergency calls. This is obviously inconvenient and risky.
Despite the fact that Google Voice is owned by one of the largest tech companies in the world, Google Voice offers no real tech support for users. This can be problematic in case you run into some issues with your line, phone number, or overall service. There’s no direct support line to call or email contact where you can voice your concerns. However, they do have an online help center where users can learn about the system and find answers to frequently asked questions. While this is helpful, the solution does not provide a quick and real-time feedback for businesses that have a high call volume and can’t afford any downtime or disruption to their phone service.
If you need a low-cost way of making simple calls, Google Voice can help. But if you’re looking for a comprehensive phone system that can let you train staff, track calls, and gain insight on the performance of your employees, then Google Voice certainly falls short. Unlike most business Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone solutions, Google Voice doesn’t offer call reporting, call queues, call groups, or call monitoring features (such as whisper, listen and barge) that today’s businesses need in order to remain productive and competitive.
Compared to traditional phone providers, Google Voice clearly has a lot to offer. It lets users make calls at a relatively lower fee, with many added and useful features. But if your business can live without the ability to make emergency calls and is not dependent on customer support or training and tracking features, then it just may not be the right choice for your business. But a more viable option would be to choose a business VoIP solution because VoIP plans offer the features, low rates, and flexibility that helps businesses succeed.