I’m wondering if an IC doing background investigations work can use something such as Google Voice as a contact number. The reason I ask is that my current personal cell number is the one I got when I was in A-School with the Navy ten years ago in Great Lakes and I just never really changed it after I moved back to MD two years ago. Now that I’ve gotten a little bit of work and have to reach out to sources, I wanted to see if this was worth doing. If it is, I know I’ll have to contact the two companies I work for and tell them that I’m using that number for business purposes. I’m not in a position where I can afford a separate phone line, let alone a separate phone entirely for my IC work, so I was wondering if Google Voice or someone similar would be a good choice. Thanks in advance and I hope everyone’s doing as well as they can in the middle of COVID. Stay safe!
I think that any phone number is acceptable. I know that new hires were told about the Google Voice option (a few years ago) instead of giving out their personal number - while they waited for their company phone. I know of an investigator that does all phone interviews using Skype calls (not video) on their computer but I think incoming calls go to a cell phone. I only get wrong numbers on my Google Voice number, so I don’t have any guidance on how to use it for this purpose.
Google Voice is the way to go to separate business and pleasure on one phone. I recommend you get a number with the same area code as where you are working as it increases the likelihood that people will answer your calls. I wasn’t able to get a local area code assigned through Google Voice so I bought a cheap phone that came with a local area code, and then I ported that phone number over to Google Voice.
I find the opposite. I think people are more likely to answer my out of state area code number. I am still amazed at people who use their own personal cell phone for this work. There’s been a lot of creeps over the years that I am happy don’t have my personal number.