Frequently asked questions

Here are some questions we regularly get asked. If you can't find the answer you're looking for please contact us and we'll be pleased to help.

What benefits would the voice net service offer my business?
How easy is it to set up?
We have an answer phone, but we sometimes forget to check the messages, how can this help me with that?
What happens if someone hangs up when they are on the call?
I don't like the intro message can I change it?
Can I choose the on hold music?
Can I have more than one number?
We are a small business and only have a few lines to our office, can you help me avoid the engaged tone?
I have people in several locations, can you help me just give out one number?
I have sales people in more than one location, can I give out one number for sales instead of three?
Why is such a useful service free of charge?
Will my new 0870 number be exclusive to me?
Can I keep my existing number also?
What are the call charges?

What benefits would the voice net service offer my business?

Many UK businesses use 0844 local rate numbers because they give their business a national presence and the feel of a BIG company! Also, if they relocate their office they can keep the same number and not have the expense of re-printing expensive stationery or re-designing web sites.

However, in today's competitive work place that's not always enough; Did you know that lost or badly managed inbound calls are the single biggest reason small companies in the UK lose customers and revenues? Most businesses miss the odd call, are engaged from time to time or even forget to return messages!

Free Switchboard helps you manage your inbound calls effectively, ensuring you never miss a call again!

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How easy is it to set up?

It's extremely simple and very fast to set up. We allow you to set up the switchboard from a single web page. We provide you with a user name and password. All you need to do is click on the link and choose the number you would like to set up. You have a few simple options to choose from, which are all explained on the page. It should take no more than 2 minutes.

If you prefer, you can always chat to one of our customer services team, who will be happy to help you. Your details can be updated or amended easily on line as often as you like. Just log on and click! It really is that easy!

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We have an answer phone, but we sometimes forget to check the messages, how can this help me with that?

You're not alone! Our development team find answer phones a pain! We forget to check them, they can fill up over night and worst of all you have to listen to the message 3 times before you have a chance to note it down.

We have simplified all this! If we are unable to connect your caller to you because your line is either busy or not answered we will offer the caller the opportunity to leave you a voice mail. We will then send the voice message to you via e-mail as an attachment. Once you have the message you can listen to the voice message with any player, eg, windows media player. Alternatively you can store it or forward it as you would a normal e-mail. This is a great use of e-mail and is simple to use.

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What happens if someone hangs up when they are on the call?

What happens if someone hangs up when they are on the call? If a customer hangs up before you have a chance to answer their call we will e-mail you their phone number, providing it is not withheld. This is a very valuable asset for your company. Imagine the last time you were in a call queue and hung up in frustration, what if a few seconds later that company called you right back and apologised for missing your call! Instantly that company would be in your goo books!

This is one of the most beneficial features a small business could want out of a telephone system.

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I don't like the intro message can I change it?

No problem! You can choose from a selection of intro messages until you find one that suits your company. Just click on the one you like or record your own from your phone, then click to make it live! It's that simple!

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Can I choose the on-hold music?

Yes you can! Just click on the music drop down list and choose the on-hold music that suits your company's image. We even cover the performing rights licence payment so you don't have to!

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Can I have more than one number?

Yes, once you are logged on to your account you have the option to add as many numbers as you require. Each number can be configured separately, so you can have a different number for sales, accounts, customer service...etc

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We are a small business and only have a few lines to our office, can you help me avoid the engaged tone?

One of the best features for small businesses is FREE Switchboard's ability to queue callers if your line is engaged or is not answered immediately.

We welcome the caller and inform them we are trying to connect them to you. We then try to connect them to your office. The caller is put on hold, listening to the on-hold music you have selected, until we can connect them to you. So your customer will never hear the engage tone again, meaning you answer more calls.

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I have people in several locations, can you help me just give out one number?

Yes you can! You can select up to three locations for the call to be routed to. When a caller phones your number we ring each location in turn until we manage to connect the call to you. We call this our 'follow me application. It's great for people who work in more that one location, companies with several offices or even people that work between home and their office.

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I have sales people in more than one location, can I give out one number for sales instead of three?

Yes, you can give out one single number for say "sales" and have it connect in rotation to three separate locations. This is a great feature if you have sales people that work from home and you need to distribute the calls evenly between them. You can even log on to see the number of calls they have taken!

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Why is such a useful service free of charge?

Our switchboard equipment benefits from massive economies of scale as we host numbers for many companies. We only offer this service free of charge to UK businesses with less than 60 employees. We are able to absorb the cost of managing this service for you because BT pays our company a small amount of money for each number that we connect.

There are no catches, no set up fees, no rental fees, no increases in your call charges or and monthly phone bill will not go up. These services are completely free for you to use, providing you are a UK based company with less than 60 employees. If your company has more than 60 employees please call our sales team for details on how we can help your business grow.

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Will my new 0844 number be exclusive to me?

Yes! Once you have chosen a number it will not be allocated to anyone else while you are using it. Your number will be for your exclusive use. If you have not used the number for 3 consecutive months we will contact you to see if we can take it back to offer to other customers.

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Can I keep my existing number also?

Yes, you can still keep your existing number. We will connect your new 0844 number to your existing number. Therefore your current number will not be affected. However your existing number will not benefit from our advance features; so we recommend promoting your new number as soon as possible on your web site and marketing material.

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What are the call charges?

Somebody calling your 0844 number will be only be charged at local call rates.

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