ServiceM8 Phone – Your Questions Answered

Is ServiceM8 Phone included as part of my ServiceM8 Plan?

ServiceM8 phone is an add-on which incurs additional charges on top of your ServiceM8 subscription.

Is ServiceM8 Phone an add-on?

Yes, ServiceM8 phone is an add-on which can be activated from the add-on store. You will need to download ServiceM8 Phone app to receive and make calls on your iPhone or iPad, or install the ServiceM8 Phone Chrome Extension to receive and make calls on the online dashboard.

Can I use ServiceM8 phone without a ServiceM8 subscription?

No. You must have an active ServiceM8 subscription to use ServiceM8 Phone.

What version of iOS do I need to use the ServiceM8 Phone app?

The ServiceM8 Phone app works with iOS 13 and above.

Does ServiceM8 Phone work for on call staff after hours?

Yes, you can set one staff member to be on call outside business hours. The on call staff member can be changed from the ServiceM8 app or the online dashboard.

Can I call from the online dashboard?

Yes, you can make and receive calls from the online dashboard. You will need to use Google Chrome and install the ServiceM8 Phone Chrome Extension.

Can I make and receive international calls?

No, international calls are not supported through ServiceM8 Phone.

Is call forwarding available for unanswered calls?

Calls that are not answered will be diverted to voicemail. ServiceM8 Phone does not currently support diverting unanswered calls to a phone number.

Can I request a new number?

You will be given a number when you first activate the ServiceM8 Phone addon. This number can be called directly, but in mosts cases you will want to divert your existing phone number to your ServiceM8 Phone number to receive inbound calls with ServiceM8 Phone. 

Your ServiceM8 Phone number will be used as your default Caller ID for outbound calls, however you can go through a quick verification process which allows you to use your current business phone number as your Caller ID for outbound calls.

Do I have to use the number ServiceM8 gives me?

Changing your ServiceM8 Phone number is not currently supported.

Changing your assigned ServiceM8 Phone number is not currently supported. 

However, your customers won’t need to call this number, as you can divert your current number to your ServiceM8 Phone number to receive calls. 

Your customers also won’t see this number when you call them, because you can setup ServiceM8 Phone to use your existing business phone number as your Caller ID for outbound calls.

Can I use the number ServiceM8 gives me, or do I need my own number?

Yes, you can either use your new ServiceM8 Phone number or divert your current number to your ServiceM8 Phone number.

Is a job created from every call I make?

No, calls you make and receive can be added to existing jobs. If the call is in relation to a new enquiry, you can create a new job from the call.

Can I allocate a call to a different customer than the customer who actually called me?

Calls are assigned to jobs rather than customers. When you receive an inbound call, you can pick from a list of jobs which use that customer’s number, and assign the call to one of those jobs. If none of those jobs are the correct one to assign the call to, you can instead assign the call to the ServiceM8 Inbox and convert it to a new job or assign it to any existing from there.

Do I have to have staff in my business hours call group?

Yes, you need to select at least one person for your business hours call group. If this staff isn’t available to receive calls (e.g. if they don’t install the ServiceM8 Phone app or Chrome Extension) then incoming calls will go to voicemail.

Which staff should I have in the business hours call group?

Staff who are responsible for answering phone enquries from customers should be in the business hours call group. If a customer needs to speak to someone not in the business hours call group, the person who answers the call can transfer the customer to any staff who install the ServiceM8 Phone app or Chrome Extension.

Do I have to have the ServiceM8 app installed in order to use the ServiceM8 Phone app?

Yes, although they are two separate apps on the iOS App Store, you will need to install ServiceM8 9.0 or above as well as the ServiceM8 Phone app.

What is the difference between the ServiceM8 Phone app and the Chrome Extension?

The Chrome Extension allows you to use ServiceM8 phone on your computer, while the ServiceM8 Phone app allows you to use ServiceM8 Phone on your iOS device.

An inbound call stopped ringing before I answered, how do I know if someone else answered the call?

You will see in your recent calls list that the call was answered and by whom. If the call was missed but later returned by another staff member, the recent calls list will also show this.

Can I turn off the keypad tones?

If your phone is not in silent mode you will hear the key tones, if your phone is on silent then the key tones will not be played. Keypad tones are only played in the ServiceM8 Chrome Extension if you press a key while a call is in progress.

What happens when you miss a call?

You will see all missed calls in your Recent Calls list. If another staff member has returned the call, this will be noted next to the call. If a voicemail has been received, you can find it in your ServiceM8 Inbox. 

In the ServiceM8 Phone app, you can also listen to the voicemail from the call details page accessed by clicking the “info” icon from the Recent Calls list.

How does it work in lower coverage?

When using the ServiceM8 Phone app without wifi, you will need at least one bar of 4G or two bars of 3G reception to receive calls. The app will display an alert on the call if connection quality is poor.

Do I need internet access?

Yes, as the ServiceM8 Phone is a VoIP service you need an internet connection to make and receive calls.

How much does it cost?

Pricing details are available at https://www.servicem8.com/phone

Can I have multiple numbers?

ServiceM8 Phone currently supports only one inbound number and one outbound Caller ID. However, you can divert as many numbers as you like to your ServiceM8 Phone inbound number.

How many lines can I have going at once?

There is no limit on the total number of calls that can be active in your account, however both the ServiceM8 Phone app and the ServiceM8 Phone Chrome Extension support a maximum of two simultaneous calls (one active and one on hold). If you add more people to your business hours call group, each additional person will be able to handle two additional calls at a time.

Can I port my number?

At this stage we do not support number porting. You will need to keep your number with your existing carrier and divert it to your ServiceM8 number

How do I divert my phone?

If you are with Telstra you can divert your phone following the steps provided here:  https://www.telstra.com.au/small-business/online-support/category/office-phones/features-setting/how-do-I-forward-my-office-phone-calls-to-another-number

I have more than one business number — can this work with ServiceM8 Phone?

If you are running your business phone from an iPhone, you can divert our number following these steps: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-turn-off-call-forwarding-on-iphone?r=AU&IR=T

You can divert more than one phone to your ServiceM8 Phone number. However, you won’t be able to tell which number the customer called when it rings through to you on ServiceM8 Phone. You will also need to maintain the phone services supporting your existing phone numbers.

Can I use ServiceM8 Phone with special service numbers, like 1800 or 1300 numbers in Australia?

To an extent. If your service supports call forwarding, you could divert incoming calls to your special service number onto your ServiceM8 Phone number, however if you are diverting more than one number to ServiceM8 Phone, you won’t be able to tell which number the customer called when it rings through to you on ServiceM8 Phone. Further, you won’t be able to set the special service number (like 1800 or 1300 numbers in Australia) as your outgoing Caller ID for your business.

This does not apply to the UK – as long as you can answer the phone when ringing your 0800, 0330, 0333 or other number, then you can set this as your outgoing Caller ID for your business.

Can I request a mobile number as my ServiceM8 Phone inbound number?

No.  ServiceM8 Phone inbound numbers are landline numbers, however you can divert any mobile number to your ServiceM8 phone number, and you can setup ServiceM8 Phone to use your mobile as your outbound Caller ID.

How does ServiceM8 Phone work with existing phone systems?

ServiceM8 Phone is a stand alone phone system and does not work together with your existing phones. You can divert your current business number to your allocated ServiceM8 number to receive incoming calls on your existing number. You can also setup ServiceM8 Phone to use your existing number as your outbound Caller ID so that customers will recognise who is calling them

Can I record my own voicemail message?

Yes, you can customise your own Voicemail and Welcome messages by uploading an audio recording in *.wav or *.mp3 format.

Do I have to have a welcome message?

No, you can leave the Welcome Message field blank if you don’t want to have a welcome message. However, if you are recording inbound calls then you may be legally required to notify callers of this depending on your local laws. In this case we recommend that you include this notice in your Welcome Message.

How do I set which staff member is on call?

In the ServiceM8 mobile app, go to More > Staff, tap on which staff member you want to be on call and select “Set on call”.

In the Dispatch Board, click the dropdown arrow next to the staff member you want to be on call and select “set on call”.

Do all staff have to receive calls?

No, only staff that you add to the business hours group will receive incoming calls.

Do my iPhone contacts get displayed in ServiceM8 Phone Contacts?

The ServiceM8 Phone app can use your iOS contacts to show the name of the caller for incoming calls, but they are not listed anywhere inside the ServiceM8 Phone app. On the contacts page of the ServiceM8 Phone app, you will only see your staff.

Can I cancel my phone plan with my current provider?

Usually not — you will need to maintain your existing phone plan for your main business number in order to divert calls to your ServiceM8 Phone inbound number. Also, you will need to keep your mobile phone plans in order to maintain internet connectivity which is required to use the ServiceM8 Phone app.

How does ServiceM8 know which job to allocate the call against?

ServiceM8 Phone will match the phone number of the person calling against the contacts in your existing Work Orders and Quotes to decide which job the call should be attached to. If multiple jobs are matched, then the most recently-edited job will be used as the default.

Can I change the job the call is allocated to?

Yes, in the call details from the app or from the call history list on the online dashboard you can change the allocated job.

What is a call summary?

A call summary is a quick sentence to summarise what the call was about. Only calls with a call summary entered are shown in the job diary by default (though you can click “show hidden items” online to view calls without a summary).

How do I set a call summary?

You can set a call summary from the call details screen on the app or the online dashboard whilst on a call or after the call has ended.

Are group/conference calls supported?

ServiceM8 Phone does not currently not support group/conference calls

Can we make internal calls?

Yes you can call any staff member that is logged in and has the ServiceM8 Phone app or ServiceM8 Phone Chrome extension installed

Can I set up an IVR?

No, at this stage we do not support IVR

Can I block staff from being able to see customers’ numbers?

No, ServiceM8 Phone will display customer numbers for inbound and outbound calls.

Can I have all my staff call out from the business number?

Yes, all outbound calls made using the ServiceM8 Phone app or Chrome Extension will use your configured Caller ID, which you can setup to be your current business number.

Will putting my phone on DND stop inbound calls from being received?

Yes, putting your phone on DND will stop inbound calls from being received

Will my phone ring if i’m not clocked on?

Your clocked on/off status in the ServiceM8 mobile app does not affect your ability to receive calls in the ServiceM8 Phone app. If you’re in the business hours call group during business hours, or you are the on call staff member after hours, or if someone makes a direct call to you, then your ServiceM8 Phone will ring.

If I log out of the ServiceM8 app, will I stop receiving calls?

Yes logging out of either ServiceM8 or ServiceM8 Phone will stop your device from ringing.

When I log out of ServiceM8 online, will I stop receiving calls?

Logging out of ServiceM8 online will stop the ServiceM8 Phone Chrome Extension from ringing. However if you have closed the ServiceM8 tab without clicking “log out”, then you can still make and receive calls using the Chrome Extension.

I use multiple ServiceM8 accounts, can I be logged into both and receive calls from both accounts?

No, you can only receive calls from one account at a time.

When will ServiceM8 Phone be available in New Zealand?

ServiceM8 are working hard to make ServiceM8 Phone available to their customers in New Zealand. They don’t have a date yet, but they’re on it and they will add support as soon as they can!

Hardware

Can I call from the online dashboard?

Yes, you can make and receive calls from the online dashboard. You will need to use Google Chrome and install the ServiceM8 Phone Chrome Extension.

Can I use my existing desk phone?

No, ServiceM8 Phone does not currently support SIP phones or desk phones.

Can I buy a desk phone to use?

No, there are currently no desk phones that work with ServiceM8 Phone. To use ServiceM8 Phone in an office environment instead of on an iPhone, you’ll need to install the ServiceM8 Phone Chrome Extension and login to the ServiceM8 online dashboard.

What do I need to do to answer calls on my computer?

To answer calls on your computer, you need to have the Chrome Extension installed and be logged into your ServiceM8 in  Google Chrome, and you will need to have speakers and a microphone. We recommend using a headset for the best call quality. Relying on your computer’s built-in speakers and microphone can result in poor audio quality and increased background noise (also, most desktop computers don’t have a built-in microphone).

What do I need to do to answer calls on my iOS device?

To answer calls on your iOS device you need to have version 9.0 or later of the ServiceM8 app installed, and the ServiceM8 Phone app installed.

Your user will need to be in the business hours call group for your device to receive inbound calls. If you are not in the business hours call group, you will still be able to make outbound calls and receive internal calls and transfers.

I want to answer calls at home/away from the office. Do I have to take my headset?

You can answer calls wherever you are using the ServiceM8 Phone app, or by logging into ServiceM8 on Google Chrome with the ServiceM8 Phone Chrome Extension installed. If you are using the Chrome Extension, you will need access to speakers and a microphone, so a headset will be required unless your computer has these built-in.

If I’m using an iPad do I have to have a SIM card?

No, you just need internet access — calls will work over wifi. However if you plan on answering calls on an iPad in the field, we recommend that you get a cellular iPad with a SIM card as wifi is not always available.

Does it work with CarPlay?

Yes, ServiceM8 Phone can be used to make and receive calls using CarPlay. However advanced features such as allocating calls to jobs and sending Booking Texts to customers are not currently supported when using CarPlay.

Will my computer ring if it’s asleep?

No, your computer needs to be awake to receive calls.

Free ServiceM8 eBook:

“7 Steps to ServiceM8 Success”

Get actionable advice to improve your business, whether you’re new to ServiceM8 or have been using it for years.

Fill in your details below and I’ll send you your free eBook immediately.

*I agree that when I sign up, I will be added to a marketing mailing list where I will receive email tips and promotional offers from Hazel Whicher. The frequency will vary, but it will never be more than weekly.

A link to download your e-book will be sent to you via email. You will also be subscribed to my mailing list.