Business Phone Numbers

Almost every smartphone can detect who is calling, and more recently landlines have been able to do the same as well. But what if you want to how to make a private call? Is there a way to hide or block your caller ID when making calls? The answer is yes.

“No Caller ID,” “Scam Likely”: What Are Private Calls?

One way to display caller ID is to save contacts of people you know on your device. This usually applies to family and close friends and any other important people or businesses. However, that is not the only way caller IDs work. Most phones will also be able to notify you of the caller’s ID if their business or organization is registered. This way, you almost always know who is calling you. But what of those “No Caller ID,” “Private Number,” or “Scam Likely” calls?

Most phone carriers notify you about potential spam calls by displaying “Scam Likely” when you receive a suspicious call. Android users who have their “Caller ID and Spam Protection” on can see information about callers and business numbers not in their contacts. This is enabled to warn them against potential spam callers. Global Call Forwarding has a feature called “Black and White Lists” which allows you to white list (approve) and black list (block) calls.

However, private calls are made by hiding one’s caller ID. This is when a person or business willingly hides their contact information to ensure a call goes through. In some cases, this may work even if they are on the caller’s no-call list. This is usually the route taken by telemarketers doing illegal business or angry exes or creepy stalkers trying to get in touch with you. It is safe to ignore these calls as anyone important will leave you a voicemail to get their message across. If you think it may be important, it is also possible to call-back a restricted call.

Related: How to Prevent Your Phone Numbers from Being Marked as Spam

How To Make A Private Call: Block Your Caller ID Permanently or Temporarily

There are a few different ways to hide or block your phone number from being displayed on the receiver’s screen. Let’s look at how to make a private call either on your own or through your phone number provider.

You can temporarily deactivate your number to make it appear as a private number by dialing ‘*67’ before the number you are calling. For example, if you wish to block your ID when calling 698-334-5647, dial *676983345647. Calls made this way cannot be called back. However, you must contact your phone service provider to block your ID permanently by requesting a line block. Before you do this, remember that when you block your number permanently, it cannot be reversed. It is important to remember, however, that calls made this way remain traceable by police services.

Hide Your Caller ID Through Your Phone’s Settings

The other way to mask your caller ID is by turning certain phone settings on or off. Most Android phones and iPhones provide caller ID settings. Below is the process of how to make a private call from an Android phone and iPhone. Note, however, that the process varies depending on the phone’s model and software version.

To block your number when calling from an Android phone:

• Go to the ‘Phone’ app
• Tap ‘Settings’
• Then, click on ‘Call’
• Tap ‘Additional’
• Select ‘Caller ID’
• Select ‘Hide number’ or ‘Show number’ to turn the Caller ID on or off

To hide your number when calling from an iPhone:

• Go to ‘Settings’
• Tap ‘Phone’
• Then, click on ‘Show My Caller ID’ and turn it on or off

For Business Reaching International Clientele, Local Numbers May Be A Better Option

Users generally hesitate to answer calls that display “Private Number.” If you are an international business trying to expand your clientele and are choosing to contact them by hiding your foreign number, we may have a solution for you. Global Call Forwarding has local numbers in over 160 countries which are meant for local and international businesses. Purchase a local number for the country or state you want to extend your business to. A local number will make your customers more comfortable with answering a call from your business because it is a number they recognize. Don’t get lost in all the “Private” or “Scam Likely” call your prospective client is receiving. Purchase a business number from Global Call Forwarding today and stand out among the virtual crowds!

Want an efficient solution for your corporate call center? Interactive Voice Response (IVR) can help reduce your company’s costs and improve productivity.

IVR systems are basically automated systems that are voice-activated. For example, one of your customers simply wants to pay an overdue bill. They dial into the system, choose from a menu of options using their voice as an indicator, then pay their bill over the phone. The information gathered from IVR systems is stored in an electronic database you and your teams can access anytime.

It’s not just inbound calls, either. IVR systems can make outbound calls to a pre-chosen list of clients. Once you install it, IVR can dial multiple consumers at once to offer surveys or relay important information. In fact, IVR is frequently used by drugstores to automatically let people know when their prescriptions are in. Since IVR systems handle thousands of customers much faster than a real person, your company can manage large volumes of calls while saving money on labor and payroll.

What Are The Cost Saving Features of an IVR System?

Before calculating the costs of an IVR, it’s fair to point out the cost-saving opportunities this system will afford you. A flooded call center overcrowded with simple inquiries burns employees out easily. If you’re using a team of real people in your current call center, you don’t have to worry about completely replacing them. In fact, an IVR system only replaces the more mundane calls. This frees up your live team to handle high-value transactions and potential sales calls. Not only that, but your organization can also better prioritize customers through customized routing.

In more advanced IVR setups, routing doesn’t stop once the call reaches an agent. Call Whisper can be used to privately notify agents of the IVR path or queue a call followed—helping them answer with context and reduce unnecessary transfers.

Here are some of the other cost-saving features of an IVR system:

• Voice prompts: A consumer will clearly hear and understand all of their options. There’s no time lost from miscommunications.
• Call scheduling: Calls can be conducted before, during, or after business hours. Your staff does not have to go into overtime to make these calls.
• Call statistics: Being able to analyze call center data can give you valuable metrics for the future, along with truly understanding a client’s level of satisfaction.
• Call transfer: If the IVR system cannot handle a special request, a caller will be directed to the appropriate agent.
• IVR Scheduling: By automating when specific IVR paths run, IVR Scheduling reduces the need for staff to manually update call menus. This minimizes errors, saves administrative time, and helps businesses maintain consistent call handling without added operational costs.

How Much Does an IVR System Cost?

The actual cost of the IVR system will vary based on the size of your company, the number of lines needed, and the features you want. There will be upfront, one time fees as well as monthly and ongoing fees. And as your business grows, you will need the system to be scalable and to grow with you, which may mean an increased cost. However many organizations will offer volume discounts for loyal clients.

Usage Fees

Usage fees are typically monthly fees. They include the actual “use” of the IVR platform, as well as the infrastructure’s initial build, ongoing security, regular maintenance, and the use of enhanced services. This fee will also include keeping the IVR in compliance with your industry’s standards, if that is one of your requirements. An IVR provider will offer you an enterprise contract outlining all of these details and what they entail. The longer the contract, generally speaking, the better the rates.

We’ll start with the base monthly fee, which is a flat fee for up to 100,000 minutes of usage per month, for example. This rate does not change and gives you an allowance of minutes. Sometimes providers will let you “roll over” extra minutes into the following month, and some will not.

In addition to the flat monthly fee, you may also be charged “per minute”. So the cost of a usage fee can be as little as one penny per minute, a few cents per minute, or as much as twenty-five cents per minute, depending on call volume.

Usage fees will depend on whether you as a consumer choose to be a Client Of Record (COR) or Non Client of Record (NCOR) for the phone company. It’s normal to keep an existing contract with a telecommunication provider if they offer you a special deal. However, IVR providers also get special rates and have the ability to pass those savings on to their clients.

Professional Service Fees

Companies will have different names for this, but they all fall under the umbrella of “professional service fees”. Professional service fees cover the initial setup of your system. So of course, the more complex the system, the more you will be charged.

Larger organizations will need to pay close attention to the “flow” of their configuration. This requires great planning. For instance:

• The IVR answers a call from a customer.
• The IVR plays a message asking the caller to confirm their information.
• If the information is incorrect, Step 2 will be repeated.
• If the information is correct, the IVR system will take the caller to the next step.

If your configuration needs are quite great, such as integrating text to speech features, then this will be included in your professional service fees. Some fees are one-time, while others are rolled into a monthly charge.

Professional service fees can range from a few to several thousands of dollars, depending on your system’s complexity. It’s best to clear up what these charges will be moving forward in your contract.

A Trusted IVR System Vendor

Now that you know all of the costs associated with an IVR system, you’re ready to make an informed decision. Before choosing a vendor for your company, write down a list of questions you may have first. This way you can easily evaluate what’s best for your situation.

Not only that, you must know all of the services a certain vendor offers and for what prices. This is why transparency is key before you get started. Hidden fees and charges have no place in a standard IVR contract. That’s why Global Call Forwarding is a leading provider of IVR systems across small, mid-size, and large businesses seeking growth. We let you know exactly what features we offer and at what price points.

The costs don’t have to be complicated. Give our team a call for all of your IVR system today.

Getting potential customers to call you for business leads is a huge step in the corporate world. This can allow you to shift your focus from finding customers yourself to providing the service you specialize in as the customers continue to come your way. A good marketing campaign can help you achieve this influx of customers, but there are a few steps you will need to take along the way to make the most out of your efforts.

Setting up a personal toll free number for potential customers to contact you through is one of the best things you can do for your company, and call forwarding can help you with this.

Call forwarding can help your business grow by turning your existing line into a toll free number.  This means you can keep your existing line and as customers call they will be seamlessly patched through to your new, toll free number. This can help you manage calls and promote your new line without losing potential business that would come in through your old clientele.

Benefits of a Toll Free Number

A toll free number offers validity, reliability and security to a business. A toll free number can make your business appear more established than another type of number, especially if the number you would be giving clients is out of town. Customers will hesitate to make long-distance calls, and the fact that a competitor offers a toll-free number could be the difference between a lead and lost opportunity.

Opening a second contact line can often spell out confusion. As your company grows you may find the need for multiple lines, but generally you will want to allocate those lines based on department or purpose, not simply call capacity. Customers could potentially become turned off by multiple numbers listed for your company across different directories. The best marketing tactic you can use is uniformity. You want your company easily recognizable through your logo, your website and your phone number. Too many numbers assigned arbitrarily can throw off the uniformity of your company’s brand.

A toll free number can do wonders for your business. Use call forwarding to roll over your existing telephone lines into one that you can advertise. For help or information about call forwarding options, contact us.

If you’re from Ireland or you frequently need to do business with people in Ireland, you may be wondering how to call Ireland from US states. So, if you need to frequently make out of country calls to Ireland, you might be looking for an easier way. In this article, we determine how to call international to Ireland. And, provide an option for affordable long distance calling options through Global Call Forwarding.

How to Call Ireland from US Phones Step by Step

Before calling people in Ireland, first thing’s first – you need to figure out the present time in Ireland. Surely, you don’t want your call to catch anyone while they’re sleeping or super late at night. Typically, it’s best for people in the US to call people in Ireland in the mornings.

Step 1: Dialing Out

Once you figure a good time to make your call, it’s time to dial out. But, remember, calling Ireland isn’t like calling people in the states. First, you’ll need to exit the US calling code system. To do this, you need to dial the numbers 011. Anytime you want to call outside of the US or Canada, you’ll need to first dial these numbers.

Step 2: Ireland Country Code

Next, after the exit country digits, you’ll need to dial Ireland’s country code. This number is 353.

Step 3: Dial the Area Code

Once you’ve dialed both 011 and 353, you’ll then need to punch in the area code of the person you’re calling. Just like in the US, there are many different area codes for the people living in Ireland. So, you’ll need to know this number before dialing. If you don’t know the area code of the person in Ireland you’re trying to reach, check out this Ireland area code list.

Step 4: Dialing the Phone Number

Now that you know the area code of the person living in Ireland you’re trying to reach, you can dial that along with their entire 7-9 digit telephone number. So, all in all, the format of the number you’ll be calling will be: 011 (exit USA) – 353 (Ireland’s country code) – XX (Ireland area code) – XXXXXXX (full phone number).

How to Call Ireland Cell Phone Numbers from the US

Another thing that you’ll need to consider before making your call is if you’re calling a wireless cell phone or a landline. This is because Ireland has a different area code for people with cellphones. So, after the US exit code and Ireland’s country code, you’ll dial a specific area code to a specific region. Or, the standard wireless code for the country (80 or 81). So, if you’re not sure of the area code that you’re calling, you might need to use this as the area code. Specifically, if the person you’re calling has a wireless cell phone.

Choosing a Provider for Your Long Distance Calling

If you don’t set up a long-distance calling plan with your current cellular or telephone service provider, you might want to think about doing so. Especially if you have friends or family in Ireland and you plan to call them often. If you don’t get a good plan for out of country calls, you could be looking at steep international charges on your next phone bill. However, while your current provider may offer options for international calling, it still may be a bit more expensive than you’d like. If this is the case, consider other options, like purchasing a national virtual phone number from Global Call Forwarding.

National Virtual Phone Numbers for Calls to Ireland

Maybe you already know how to call Ireland from US phone lines. But, you’re looking for a cheaper way to call friends, family, or potential customers. If this is the case, virtual phone numbers may be right for you. Simply, a national virtual phone number is a phone number that’s given an Ireland area code. This way, you can call people in Ireland without racking up international charges. And, your friends, family, or Ireland customers don’t have to rack up international charges either. With virtual phone numbers from Global Call Forwarding, you pay a monthly fee for the minute plan you select. This way, you can make as many overseas calls to Ireland as you want without paying outrageous charges. Plus, you even have the option to set up SMS at an additional charge.

Getting Your Virtual Phone Number Today

If you think that national virtual phone numbers may be the right solution for your Ireland phone calls, learn more about our services right from our website. And, contact us today to set up your virtual phone number so you can call your Ireland contacts today.

Need to know how to get a business phone number? Whether for a large business or a small one, Global Call Forwarding offers virtual phone numbers to meet your needs. In this article, we will take a look at a few aspects to consider when purchasing a phone number, including:

• Types of phone numbers available
• Choosing a location
• Enhancing your phone number with add-ons
• Subscribing to a service for a business number

Types of Phone Numbers Available from Global Call Forwarding

Perhaps the primary consideration you should keep in mind when thinking about a business phone number is the type that fits your needs. Global Call Forwarding offers the following varieties of numbers:

• Local numbers
• Toll free numbers
• Vanity Numbers
• DID numbers (Direct Inward Dialing)
• ITFS numbers (International Toll Free Service)
• UIFNs (Universal International Freephone Numbers)

These virtual numbers can be augmented with mobile accessibility, enabling cellular phones to reach them, and vice versa. Also, it should be noted that virtual phone numbers are based on current inventory and availability.

Choosing a Location

Second, to the type of number that you will be using, choosing a location is the next important step. You will want to consider two location-based aspects:

• Where you want to be reached
• Who you want to reach

Location-Specific Phone Numbers

First, a virtual phone number serves as a type of location marker for your business. A business that uses a Canada local number will be perceived as having Canadian origins. Of course, thanks to the routing capabilities of cloud-based telephony, your business can be located anywhere in the world and still be reached instantly.

Canada’s virtual phone numbers are identical in function and appearance to “normal” Canadian phone numbers. The only difference is their added routing capabilities. Having the same country code and corresponding region/area code helps with the localization process of your business, while also circumventing typical long-distance calling obstacles, such as:

• Long-distance fees
• Service blockages
• Customer preferences to deal with only domestic business entities

Gaining Freedom of Location with Toll Free Numbers

Another location-based concern is whether you want to be based on a certain region or remain geographically agnostic with toll free numbers. Considering that toll free numbers not only make calling free for your customers but they also work nationwide. As a result, you can use toll free numbers as a way to obscure where your business is headquartered. Instead, toll free numbers impart a nationwide quality. This encompasses different states, regions, provinces, and so forth based on the toll free prefix you select.

Enhancing Your Phone Number with Add-ons

Now that you’re aware of business numbers from Global Call Forwarding, you should know they can be enhanced with add-ons. These add-ons can completely change how your phone number functions, opening up new possibilities of usage and profitability.

One of these is rollover minutes. This add-on allows you to retain any unused minutes each month, so they are available for future use.

Another popular add-on is call recording which, as the name implies, records and stores calls made using your phone number. This can be effective as an aid for on-the-go entrepreneurs. Additionally, it’s also useful for managers that want to create training materials from prior calls.

Subscribing to a Service for a Virtual Business Number

Now that you have a good idea of the benefits of business phone numbers, it is time to subscribe with Global Call Forwarding. The process of purchasing is simple and easy. You will begin by navigating to their home page at www.globalcallforwarding.com.

Once there, a series of dropdown menus will appear at the top of the page. At that point, you can select your new phone number (including location and type) choosing from a list of currently available phone numbers.

Second, you will enter your destination number (where calls will be rerouted to and from). This will include the country code, area/region code, and remaining digits. After this, you will choose a payment plan and add-ons that fit your intended usage. The process is similar to most online transactions, requiring billing info, contact info, and agreeing to the Terms and Conditions.

Once completed, a customer service rep will contact you within 24 hours or less to assist you with setting up, enabling you to begin using your phone number immediately. Now that you know how to get a business number with Global Call Forwarding, you can purchase as many as needed. Feel to contact them today if you have any questions or issues.