As mentioned in our last post, we have moved to a model where we provide new RingBranch users with shared access phone numbers in over 70 area codes. Prior to this, we used to provide each user with a unique phone number. Not having the bank roll of a company like Grand Central (owned by Google), we could not continue with this practice as it is cost prohibitive for us.
However, you can still use RingBranch to receive phone calls as well as make them. So, if you are not paying for long distance but someone you talk to is, then he or she can benefit by calling you on a RingBranch access number that is local to him or her.
We have had a few questions about how this works in the context of the shared access numbers so we wanted provide an example to clarify how this works. For this example, assume that you (the RingBranch user) in Atlanta GA want to give your RingBranch user to your mom in NYC so that she can call you and eliminate her long distance charges (we are assuming that your mom still uses a land line from home and pays for long distance).
For your mom to call you using RingBranch, here are the steps she would take:
Step 1. Since your mom lives in NYC, you would tell her to call the local access number in NYC with 646 area code as presumably this would be a local call for her. Note that she could call any of the other access numbers and still get through to you. When she calls, she will hear an option to press 1 if she is a RingBranch user or otherwise to press 2. She should Press 2!
[By the way,your mom could call into a RingBranch access number from any phone. So, she could call you from her home, her work, a hotel room, her neighbor's house, etc.]
Step 2. After she presses 2, RingBranch will then try to automatically determine (through logic that we have written) who she is trying to call. If RingBranch can make that determination automatically, we will ask her if she is, in fact, trying to reach you. If she confirms that she is by pressing 1, then RingBranch will connect your call.
If not, then RingBranch will ask her to enter the phone number of the person she is trying to call. You get to register up to 3 of your phone numbers with RingBranch so there is a good chance that whatever number that she enters will help us recognize that she is trying to call you.
Step 3. After she enters your phone number and we can match it with one of your 3 registered phone numbers, we will then connect your call. Note that we will forward your phone call to whatever phone number you have designated under "Receiving Calls from Your Friends."
Please note that your mom (or whoever is calling you) will hear audio advertising before the call is connected. Please see follow up post on this issue.
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