My Office Phone: From Landline to VOIP to Skype

During the past four years I’ve been using Lingo for my office phone. I switched to Lingo because I wanted to save money over the cost of a regular landline. Now, in another cost-cutting move, I’m switching again.

As of this morning, I’ve emailed my clients to alert them of my new office number and let them also know they can reach me on Skype. In this post, I’m going to share my experiences in making this switch as a way of helping anyone else that may be looking to do the same thing.

Cost Comparison: Skype vs. Lingo
My main reason for making this switch is the savings I’ll enjoy with Skype. During the past twelve months, my average bill for my Lingo line was $20/month. With Skype, I’ve chosen their Unlimited US and Canada Plan which is $2.95/month. In addition, I’ve also purchased an Online Number which gives me a regular telephone number that anyone can dial just like any other phone number. My online number costs $30 for 12 months which comes out to $2.50/month.

All in all, Skype costs me $5.45/month whereas Lingo costs $20/month. That’s a savings of $14.55/month. 

Making the Switch and Caveats
I’ve been testing my Skype line for the past month and working out the kinks. It has taken me a bit to get comfortable with how everything is working. But once I got over a couple of following hurdles, I was ready to start saving:

1) Goodbye old office number: When I originally switched to Lingo, they let me port over my landline telephone number. However, I’m unable to do that with Skype. Of course, an email to my clients solves that one. Plus, my contact page on this website always offers numerous ways to get in touch with me.

2) Finding the right communications hardware: I started out using a Skype headset; however, it quickly got on my nerves. At some point, I may invest in a better headset than what I originally had (feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments); however, in the meantime I bought Skype Phone Adapter (see the bottom of that page) from Zoom. This lets me use a regular phone with Skype.

The only problem I’ve found with this adapter is that Skype occassionally “forgets” it is there. This happens after I boot up my computer, and rather than being set to allow voice input from the Zoom adapter, Skype defaults to my PC microphone.

It took me a while to figure out what was going on when this happened. I kept troubleshooting my Zoom Adapter microphone settings, but what I really needed to do was go into my Skype audio settings and set them to use the adapter for voice input rather than the microphone. At other times, I’d need to unplug and plugin the adapter from the USB port to get things working.

Anywhere Access
One of the nice features of Skype is that I can use it anywhere I have a high-speed Internet connection. My Skype Online Number lets people dial a regular telephone number that puts them in touch with me whenever I happen to be logged in to Skype. In addition, for times when I’m not online, my Skype plan comes with free voice mail.

All-in-all, the features and savings of Skype have certainly won me over. Now it’s your turn. Do you have a Skype story to share or a question to ask? Feel free to leave a comment below: