Phones & SMS
Business phones and texting that run over the internet.
Knack runs hosted VoIP phone service for businesses: numbers, call routing, voicemail, desk phones and mobile apps, plus two-way texting from the same numbers. We port your existing numbers and handle the carrier registration that business texting now requires.
Calling
Everything a phone system does, without the box in the closet.
- Auto attendant
- “Press 1 for sales.” Different greetings for business hours, after hours and holidays.
- Ring groups and call queues
- Ring a team at once or in order. Callers in a queue hear hold music and their place in line.
- Voicemail to email
- Each voicemail arrives in your inbox as an audio file, so nobody has to dial in to check messages.
- Call recording
- Record all calls or selected lines, with transcripts. Recordings are saved to the customer record if you use our CRM.
- Forwarding and mobile apps
- Answer your business number on your cell or computer, and call out from it so customers never see a personal number.
- Desk phones
- We set up Yealink and Grandstream desk phones before they ship, so they work when you plug them in.
Business texting
Text customers from your business number, and get the replies.
Customers answer texts faster than voicemail. Since 2023 the US mobile carriers filter texts from unregistered business numbers, which is why messages from many small businesses quietly stop arriving. We register your business and your message types with the carriers (10DLC), so your texts are delivered.
- Send and receive texts from your existing business number
- Text from the mobile app, the desktop app or inside your CRM
- Appointment reminders and confirmations sent automatically
- Opt-out requests (STOP) honored for every message
Switching
Moving from your current provider
- Inventory. We list your numbers, who answers what, your greetings and your after-hours rules.
- Build and test. We set up the new system on temporary numbers so you can try it before anything changes.
- Port. We submit the number port. Your current service keeps working until the scheduled cutover.
- Cutover. On the date, calls and texts start arriving on the new system. We stay on the line with your team that day.
Questions
Phones & SMS FAQ
Can I keep my current numbers?+
Usually, yes. We port local and toll-free numbers from your current carrier. You sign a letter of authorization, we submit the port, and your old service keeps working until the cutover date. Most ports finish in one to two weeks.
What is 10DLC registration?+
10DLC stands for 10-digit long code, meaning a normal local phone number. US mobile carriers require businesses that text from these numbers to register their company and describe the messages they send. We prepare and submit the brand and campaign registration and answer the carrier reviewers if they come back with questions.
Do I need new phones?+
No. Most people use the mobile and desktop apps. If you want desk phones, we can supply and configure them, and many SIP desk phones you already own will work too.
What internet connection do I need?+
Each active call uses about 100 kbps in each direction. Most business internet connections handle dozens of simultaneous calls. We check your connection before cutover.
Do you offer fax?+
Yes. Faxes can be sent and received by email, and an existing fax number can usually be ported.
Tell us what phones you have now.
How many people, how many numbers, and what bothers you about the current setup. We will reply with what switching would look like.