Item: Google Voice
Rating: 8
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use Google Voice to manage my personal phone to avoid the need to carry multiple phones or give out multiple numbers. Being able to give out a single number and know that I can manage when and where it reaches me was a primary motivation for using Google Voice. Additional benefits like transcribed voicemail and web access are also great.

Pros and Cons

Voicemail transcription.
Call routing.
Support for multiple devices.

Dynamic scheduling.
Desktop support.
Integration with other systems.

Return on Investment

Personal control over call routing.
Quick changes to different devices in case of lost/forgotten phone.
Transcribed voicemail.
Integrated text messaging.

Alternatives Considered

RingCentral

I use Google Voice personally and it works great with my Google account. At work, I have a RingCentral account and while it might have more features, I find it more cumbersome to use. The app isn't as polished. The voicemail transcription is pretty good, but not as smooth. Overall, RingCentral works fine, but I wouldn't choose it given the option.

Support Rating

For personal use, the support seems to be reference material only. I haven't had direct interaction with a support team, but also haven't needed one. The documentation is fairly detailed, but there are gaps and it can be difficult to apply the documentation to my personal use cases at times. Overall it is fine, but not particularly good.

Key Insights

Do you think Google Voice delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Google Voice's feature set?

Yes

Did Google Voice live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Google Voice go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Google Voice again?

Yes

Likelihood to Recommend

Google Voice has worked well for me personally, but the setup and ongoing maintenance can be overwhelming. It may be difficult to implement in an environment where individual users are not highly engaged or involved in the setup. I'm also not confident recommending specific porting options as they seem to be confusing to understand the details of.

Google Voice: a solid option for personal call management

Overall Satisfaction with Google Voice