Thank goodness the days of carrying a separate device for all your business needs (like a phone, agenda, camera etc) are gone. Most of us now carry a smartphone that does everything we need it to as there’s an app for everything. Companies (especially small and medium sized ones) often have a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy of some sort which means that we can use a shiny new iPhone 5 or the latest Android phablet (no this is not a typo, this is the category of smartphone like the gargantuan Samsung Galaxy Note 2 which is half phone, half tablet).
Since these smartphones are used for our personal lives too, mixing business and personal use can wreak some havoc. I know people that hide their phone at night to charge so that they don’t have to deal with it. There’s a better way using some of the key features that RingCentral’s cloud based phone system provides including:
- Call Handling: For incoming calls to your business number, simply have the call forwarded to your smartphone if you are not at your desk. Ring both simultaneously if you want. After hours, set it so that the calls go directly to voicemail. Your personal smartphone number never needs to be given out to customers.
- RingOut: What about outgoing calls you ask? This is where RingOut comes in. It enables you to make calls using your business caller ID using any smartphone. Enter a 10 digit number and press the call button to initiate RingCentral. You will receive a call that appears with your RingCentral number as the caller ID. Simply answer the call and RingCentral will connect you to the phone number you were trying to reach. Your personal smartphone number never needs to be given out to customers.
- Business SMS: Now you can use your one business number for voice, fax and text messages. Send unlimited texts using the iPhone and Android RingCentral app. 160 character texts can be sent to any extension or 10 digit number. You never need to text using your personal smartphone number.
Basically, you can have your cake and eat it too. Use your iPhone or Android phone and text or make/take calls between levels of Angry Birds Star Wars.
Important Tip: Keep in mind that it’s best to use RingCentral voicemail instead of your mobile carrier voicemail. Centralized voicemail has its advantages – Here are the top 5 reasons why it’s best to centralize all of your voicemail messages with a RingCentral mailbox. If a business call does come to your cell phone, just remember to let it ring through and press the volume down button if necessary. If you swipe ignore on your smartphone, your mobile carrier will take the message not RingCentral.
Thinking about a better way to balance business and your personal life this year? Think RingCentral.
Sign up today for a free RingCentral demonstration.
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