When using Google Voice many businesses face several issues including scalability issues, limited administrative powers, and many more. Hence they shift to other VoIP providers.
But what is the reason that Google Voice failed to meet the business’s needs? Why is it becoming a bottleneck for businesses? Follow the article to know more.
Founded in 2009, Google Voice is a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone service that lets its users make and receive phone calls over the Internet. It was highly popular among businesses a few years back. But today, many companies using it, are looking for its alternatives.
If you are looking for a different option than Google Voice, you have come to the right place. This article will highlight some reasons why you might want to consider Google Voice Alternatives and what factors you should keep in mind before making the switch to another platform.
Reasons Why People Are Looking For Google Voice Alternatives
Some of the reasons why businesses look out for the Google Voice alternative include:
1. Limited Administrative Powers
Google Voice may not be the ideal solution for business purposes, as its design limitations make it challenging to share phone numbers among team members and perform administrative functions such as adding or removing team members, setting permissions, and managing call logs.
These are important features that businesses require, and unfortunately, they cannot be controlled with Google Voice.
2. Inability to Mass Text
Google Voice doesn’t allow sending mass texts. However, you can send a similar message to multiple people one by one. If you wish to send the same message to more than one person at once, you may need to explore other options.
It is possible to send a message to multiple users in a group chat using Google Voice. However, sending the same messages to multiple people at once is not allowed. To send messages to large groups quickly and easily, businesses require a platform that has mass texting capabilities.
3. No Shared Inbox
Google Voice doesn’t offer team-friendly features like shared inbox, This means team members will have to manage multiple conversations independently, which is inefficient and time-consuming.
Furthermore, businesses are unable to effectively collaborate and communicate on projects or tasks due to the inability to share messages or conversations with multiple team members.
4. Lack of Productivity Tools
Google Voice was not designed with businesses in mind, which means that it lacks several essential features like scheduling messages, automation, templates, and more.
These features are crucial for businesses to collaborate and communicate effectively. Without them, teams may struggle to work together, leading to a lack of productivity.
Furthermore, businesses need to invest in productivity tools that streamline collaboration and communication on projects or tasks.
5. No Reporting Features
It’s not entirely accurate that Google Voice doesn’t provide reporting features; it provides basic calls and message logs, which can be accessed through the Google Voice website or app. But yes, it does lack advanced features, such as call analytics and reporting like other VoIP providers.
It’s suitable for basic communication and task coordination, but for businesses that require more detailed tracking, other VoIP providers may offer more features.
6. Few Third Party Integrations
Google Voice only integrates with Google Workspace and doesn’t offer any third-party integrations, making it less suitable for businesses that require a wide range of integrations.
Moreover, to integrate tools like CRM systems, Cloud call center software, and content management platforms, you need to step out from Google Voice and find other Google Voice alternatives.
How to choose a Google Voice Alternative?
1. Consider your Usage Needs
Make a list of your communication needs such as international calls, voicemail transcriptions, and call forwarding. Identify areas where Google Voice fell short of your expectations.
This will help you to get clear ideas about your needs. Compare the pros and cons with different alternatives, Research, and choose one that best matches your needs.
2. Look at Pricing and Fees
Start by creating a budget for your business and comparing prices from various VoIP service providers. Consider factors such as subscription rates, calling rates, premium features, and customization charges.
Finally, choose a VoIP provider that meets all your requirements and fits your budget. Also, make sure to read the agreement to ensure there are no hidden costs.
3. Consider a value-packed solution
When searching for a VoIP service provider, consider factors such as security, customer support, scalability, ease of use, and competitive pricing.
You can try KrispCall as your Google Voice Alternative; it offers features like international calling, virtual numbers, call transfers, IVR, call analytics, call monitoring, and many more. KrispCall offers a wide range of affordable plans to choose from, each with its unique features.
4. Check carrier and device compatibility
Ensure compatibility with your device and OS before choosing an alternative. Some providers offer apps for Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, and web browsers, while others may have limited compatibility.
5. Assess call quality and reliability
When selecting a VoIP provider, it is important to consider call quality and reliability as these are crucial factors. Fortunately, most VoIP providers offer free trials that you can take advantage of. During the trial period, you can use the product to its fullest and determine if it meets your business needs or not.
Additionally, you can check customers’ reviews and feedback to ensure the product’s reliability. Also, you can switch to other providers if the product doesn’t meet your business needs.
6. Consider Number Choices and Porting
Ensure that your alternative service provider supports number porting. Number porting allows you to transfer your existing phone number to another service provider. Also, ensure your chosen provider offers phone number choices like local, toll-free, or vanity numbers.
Additionally, Some VoIP providers offer free number choice and porting in their plans, be sure to check the availability of the number and check for any restrictions regarding it.
7. Check out customer support options
Ensure your chosen provider offers top-notch customer service. Thoroughly research customers’ reviews and feedback to get a better understanding of the service provider’s customer service.
Also, make sure they are using support channels such as phone, email, and chat and their responsiveness to customer queries.
Conclusion
Google Voice may not be the best fit for your business needs and expectations due to several limitations and shortcomings that may affect your communication and collaboration efforts.
Google Voice lacks the ability to provide detailed analytics and reports to help businesses track and measure performance. Furthermore, the key reasons include the inability to send mass texts, the absence of a shared inbox, the lack of productivity tools, third-party integration, and advanced features.
It’s better to find and shift to other VoIP providers that offer compelling features, better customer support, improved call quality, and other features that are beneficial for businesses.
