Hello,
I recently had the challenge of porting my business' primary number from Google Voice ("gmail version") to a 3rd party carrier (cell phone) back into Google Voice (Workspace). We did this to gain customer service support when problems arise.
As a small business, medical practice, we depend on the ability to have our phones operational and all calls fielded. I believe Google could have done two things to make this transition much smoother/ easier:
1. Currently, Google allows the user to schedule a weekday to port the #... but not a specific time. We were unable to sequester the phone disruption to the weekend. Furthermore, this inability to schedule the transition to a specific time necessitated that I make myself available to update our voicemail message, link phone #'s, and assure functionality DURING BUSINESS OPERATIONAL HOURS for a FULL DAY! Simply enabling weekend scheduling, or specific time-frame scheduling (as you can do when expecting the cable company to make a house call!) would have reduced the disruption significantly.
2. Considering that Google Voice is a digital construct, Google could do a much better job of enabling the user to prepare for the transition. This would have nullified the concerns presented in #1 above, had I been able to:
- Prepare a voicemail greeting while a Number Port is still Pending
- Link phone #'s while a Number Port is still pending
With such options, I could have rested assured that once the port was put into effect, the system would be ready to receive incoming calls, forward to the office phones, and avoid losing patient confidence during business hours.
I hope this feedback helps future users have an easier transition into Workspace's Google Voice.
Dr. Samantha Slotnick
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