Never Use a Personal Phone Number for Business Purposes
Shane Piskur
August 10, 2022
Why You Need to Stop Using Personal Phone Numbers for Business Purposes
In an effort to save money and to make their operations more "convenient," small business owners, in particular, tend to make the decision to skip out on purchasing a separate business phone system and instead just use their personal phone number for work-related purposes.
In reality, this is a mistake for a wide range of different reasons, all of which are worth exploring.
Problem #1: An Invitation for Spam Calls
One of the most immediate issues with using your personal phone number for business purposes has to do with the fact that it is practically inviting scammers and others with malicious intentions to spam your personal phone.
Keep in mind this number will be listed on your company's website, on social media, on the Better Business Bureau's website, and more. That means it essentially becomes a public number the moment you make this decision.
Each of those calls - and there will be many - will be more than just annoying. They'll be a constant distraction from the important work you're doing on a daily basis.
Problem #2: The Dangers of Identity Theft
Identity theft is another pressing issue when you use your personal phone number for business purposes. Think about how much personal information is attached to a phone number: not just your current home address but also your past address, the names of family members and relatives, etc.
The more personal information someone knows about you, the easier it is for them to do something like open up a credit card in your name - an issue that you might not even be aware of has occurred until the damage has already been done.
Problem #3: A Need for Business Scalability
One significant issue that a lot of people experience is that a personal number doesn't scale with your business like a professional one will.
As your business grows, you certainly can't offer access to the business number to other team members or leaders - it's tied to your personal account. If they can use the business phone number, it also means that they'll quickly start to get your personal calls - something that is essentially begging for disaster.
Problem #4: The Essential Work/Life Balance
When you use your personal number for business purposes, your ability to maintain a work/life balance is essentially null and void.
With two separate numbers, you always know instantly which calls are personal in nature and which ones might be clients with questions or concerns. If you get a call at 9:00 pm on a Sunday on your work number, you know that you don't have to answer it and can return the call in the morning. You don't have this same luxury when using one number as you essentially have to answer all calls (or let all of them go to voicemail) to be on the safe side.
Problem #5: The Impact on Customer Service
Finally, using a personal phone number for business purposes has an almost immediate negative impact on customer service.
Think about it: for most businesses, experiencing "higher than average call volumes" these days is already commonplace. Customers have to wait on hold for long periods of time just to speak to a representative. Now, think about how long they would have to wait if they're competing with not only other customers but with all of your personal calls, too. Call times would skyrocket, and the experience would quickly grow frustrating, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of customers everywhere.
A Solution Presents Itself: Unified Communications Systems
Thankfully, there is a viable solution that can address all of these issues in one fell swoop. Zoom, RingCentral, Dialpad, and others have created unique unified platforms to handle all business communication.
Cloud-based unified communications systems condense all the tools we need for communication and collaboration down to a single platform that can be accessed anywhere, anytime, and from any device. This includes not only voice and video calling but also messaging (both SMS and Internet messaging), file sharing, team collaboration features, and more.
For business users, this configuration allows all employees and leaders to have their own unique direct dial number while still utilizing their own mobile phones. You don't have to worry about spam calls on your personal number because you're not using it. Identity theft isn't an issue because a single number isn't tied to both your personal and professional lives. Managing your users is done through a simple to use online admin portal.
Keep in mind, however, that there is no "one size fits all" solution to this type of platform. At Positive Results, we identify the right solutions for each unique company prior to implementation, making sure they end up with something that will benefit them in their own way.
If you'd like to find out more information, or if you'd like to speak to a business consultant to make the implementation of your own unified communications platform faster and more effective, please don't delay - contact Positive Results today.
If you have additional questions or need support, contact us at:
Positive Results™ Custom Business Solutions
440.499.4944
