Call Waiting/Queue on Analogue Phones

[Liquidity1]

Dear telecom experts,

A takeaway business is being set up. There is one phone number and one analogue phone to link up with the EPOS terminal. The EPOS provider has advised that only an analogue phone will allow caller ID to be detected, thus allowing the takeaway owners to identify who the caller is before the phone is picked up. This will help build a customer database and support deliveries, etc. Sounds great doesnt it...

...BUT... as analogue phones do not have a call waiting/queue option, customers will undoubtedly face the engaged dial tone when the phone is busy. This could in effect cause the takeaway to lose customers if the phone is always busy at peak periods. Not good...

So, is there a solution out there that allows Analogue phones to have call waiting/call queue? :| So that customers can be kept in a queue, listening to some music until their turn comes.

Thanks

Liquidity

 

[Sparx]

VoIP presumably? Many here recommend www.voipfone.co.uk - I would give them a call, explain what you need and they will guide you.

P.S. I presume your EPOS terminal has an Ethernet connection..

 

[cjd]

There's a lot of confusing issues here. There's no poblem identifying the caller using VoIP. VoIP uses the Calling Line Identity (CLI) information like all other technologies and once it has it, it can do an enormous amount with it because it's digital.

The problem is not CLI or VoIP, the problem is that the analogue EPOS terminal uses a modem to transmit it's data to the payment provider - this is ancient technology now and not terribly compatable with VoIP. But it doesn't usually matter because you simply use the terminal to make your payment over the analogue line - which you have to have in order to have a broadband connection anyway - and then use the broadband connection for your telephony which will do everything you need.

It's best to give us a call on Monday on 020 7043 5555 and talk it through with one of the guys so we can be sure we understand what you need to do.