Posted on 08/07/2011 5:58:06 PM PDT by truthkeeper
I know there are smart people here. May I pick your brains to get an answer for a very simple office set-up issue? Unfortunately it is not simple for ME so I am tearing my hair out.
I'm a technology-challenged paralegal opening an office in a few weeks with an attorney who is equally inept at this stuff. We will have a lot of initial start-up costs and want a dirt-cheap phone system for a very small office. (Mostly just me as the attorney will only come around every week or so.) All we we want is an old-fashioned landline (telephones with hold buttons, like in the old days) and a dedicated fax line. We would like to use three numbers, the fax, an 800 number, and the 3rd number.
(We aren't interested in any weird "fax through the internet or email" schemes, just want to use the free-standing fax machine. Sorry, we're dinosaurs.)
The key points are that we don't want to spend a fortune for the phone services and we want to minimize calls going to voicemail or an answering service. It's very important that I pick up that call the first time or we lose the client.
The two suggestions I've had so far are:
1. Set up the cheapest landline and fax available and use one of the lines. Set up the the other line on a cheap unlimited-use cell phone. I really don't know what this would cost, but taxes through the phone provider, Verizon, are usually ridiculous.
2. Get a Vonage system with a dedicated fax line and two phone lines. I was told this system won't work with an old-fashioned hold-button type phone but would work by using "flash" hold when another call comes in on the second line. Supposedly costs about $70 a month.
Is there anything else I can do? Suggestions? Keywords here: CHEAP and SIMPLE.
If you root around your grandma’s attic, you’d probably find one of those old rotary phones.
I don’t think you can get more cheap than free.
Cheapest set up is to get cable for phone and internet and one of the fax services that send to email. I use to use efax but switched to ringcentral. If you have one line you must have call waiting.
We run a business from our home. We use a VOIP solution which we like. We’ve learned that voice quality is directly related to bandwidth so keep that in mind. We both have cellphones also. You can forward to the cell phone so the phone is always answered. Good voicemail options including text voicemail to both cell phone and e-mail.
ping
You can get simple two line phone at a Best Buy Of office store. Some looked pretty simple to use. I would suggest at least one land line. My internet phone required a working computer. You don’t want all your phones down if you have a network or computer problem.
Your simplest and cheapest option is to pay for a second number (not line) on your land line and have the telephone company program the second number with a different ring tone than the first number. Buy a fax machine that has the ability to program it to selectively answer only the second ring tone. Qwest/Century Link charges only about an extra $5.00 per month for the extra number in Colorado.
You’ll have to make sure the fax has a set of ring tones such that at least one of them is available from the land line company.
I personally recommend a laser-based fax because it’s very cheap to run, good quality, and fast. I’ve bought and installed a lot of the Brother MFC multi-function printer/copier/faxes, and they’ve worked well for my clients.
“I suggest three, really, it’s the minimum for a one attorney office.”
Yes, I second that. I work for a law firm too, and I really think you need 3 lines just for the phone. I assume that 800 number is for clients/adv. etc. We don’t have one of those.
OK, maybe most of the times the second 2 lines won’t be in use, but I agree with Auntie Mame. One line for the atty to talk on, one for you to talk on and one to get that next call that comes in.
I didn't know this was an option. I will look into it.
Thanks to all for your suggestions. I would love to pass this off on someone else but unfortunately I have been stuck with the assignment...not my choice. Your input will help greatly.
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