Are you a small business owner thinking about acquiring another company? Be sure to think about your VoIP service during the negotiations and transition of your business acquisition.
I recently started working with a gentleman who owns a local insurance agency. He came to us for help when their VoIP provider failed to come through for them on a number port. Let me explain what happened. My new customer recently acquired another small insurance agency. The owner of the agency passed away, so the spouse was working to quickly sell the business. As the new owner, my customer wanted to use the phone number of the old business, as many of that agency’s customers were still trying to reach the business about their insurance policies.
The new owner was surprised to learn that the phone bills were not being paid by the widow, so the new owner had to spring into action to call the phone service provider and see if the phone numbers for the business were still available. For the purposes of this post, I will call the phone service provider, “Crocks.” Luckily, the numbers were still available. However, the new owner’s VoIP provider was unable to port the numbers from Crocks. The VoIP company refused to call Crocks and work directly with Crocks to acquire the numbers. Instead, they would just submit port requests and hope for the best. In the meantime, the new owner could not access any call data or voicemails from the numbers and had to pay Crocks for the phone service he couldn’t access. It was a disaster. The new owner was going back and forth with Crocks himself trying to get the numbers ported to his VoIP provider.
Why Your VoIP Provider of Record Matters
What happened next perfectly illustrates why RemiPBX stands out from other providers. He contacted me and within an hour of signing an agreement with RemiPBX, began getting the acquired insurance agency’s calls routed into his current agency’s phone system. My team at RemiPBX got the Crocks numbers ported within a few business days. Needless to say, our new customer was elated.
What caused all the trouble? The number he wanted was set up on the back end as a virtual number, so it wasn’t showing up on the Crocks bill, making it extremely difficult to port for a VoIP team that doesn’t have the experience, knowledge, or willingness to do hard things. My new customer was using a major VoIP provider, so I was disappointed they didn’t come through for him, though I’m not surprised. If you have under 500 employees and expect your major VoIP provider to go to bat for you to port numbers on your behalf, you will probably be disappointed.
If you are thinking about acquiring a company, ask to see the phone bills as part of due diligence. Be sure to review the bills and ensure that all phone numbers you want to acquire are listed directly on the bill. If not, you could be stuck like my new customer was.
Number porting has strict protocols for a reason – to keep your phone numbers secure. This means if you don’t have the proper documentation or follow the protocol exactly as needed, you will not get the desired result. Every phone service provider has their own way of processing these port requests, some more efficient than others. Nobody thinks about number porting until they’re losing money from a failed number port request, but these things happen and should be considered as part of an acquisition plan.
At RemiPBX, we believe that your phone system should be an asset, not a liability, during a business acquisition. A company’s phone number is often one of its most valuable customer touchpoints; it’s how people recognize and trust your business. Losing access to that number, even temporarily, can lead to lost revenue, frustrated customers, and a major headache for new owners trying to maintain continuity.
Questions to Ask About Your VoIP Service During an Acquisition
If you are acquiring a small business, don’t just assume the phone system will seamlessly transfer to you. Beyond checking phone bills, you should also ask detailed questions about the current phone provider. Is the number owned outright, or is it leased through a third party? Are there any contractual obligations that might prevent immediate porting? What’s the process for transferring ownership of the phone service? These details can mean the difference between a smooth transition and a business disruption.
Additionally, be sure to work with a VoIP provider who understands the complexities of number porting and will go the extra mile for you. At RemiPBX, we don’t just submit requests and hope for the best; we actively work with carriers to ensure your number is secured and transferred properly. If you’re planning a business acquisition, let’s talk before you finalize the deal. A little foresight can save you a lot of trouble down the road.
