Your Phone Number

Your phone number is the one part of your setup with real choices attached. Here's how it works, what your options are, and what each one means for you. We'll pick the right one together.

Your number stays yours.

Whatever we do here, your phone number belongs to you. If we move it into our system and you later decide to leave, we transfer it straight back. That's written into your agreement, not just something we're saying on a page.

WHY THIS COMES UP

Why we need to talk about it at all

The automated parts of your system — texting someone back when you miss their call, sending review requests, confirming appointments — all send text messages. For those to work, the number they send from has to be connected to our system. Your regular business line can't do that on its own.

There are three ways to sort that out. Which one is right depends on how established your current number is and what kind of line it is.

YOUR OPTIONS

Three ways to handle it

Move your number over to us

Your number transfers into our system and stays exactly the same. Nothing changes on your Google profile, your van, your business cards, or in your customers' phones. Once it's moved, everything runs off your real number — calls come in and texts go out from the number people already know you by. This is usually the best option if your number is already out there. The only cost is time, since the transfer runs on your current phone company's schedule, not ours.

We set you up with a new number

We give you a local number in your area code, and calls to it ring straight through to your existing phone. Nothing changes about how you answer. That new number becomes the one on your website, your Google profile, and anything you print from here on. Everything works from day one with no waiting. The trade-off is updating your number in a few places — your Google profile, your cards, your van if it's on there. This is the simplest option if your current number isn't printed on much yet.

Keep your number, and we forward calls to a second one

Your number stays exactly where it is and we forward calls from it into our system, so every call still gets tracked and followed up. Your automatic texts then go out from a second number rather than the one your customer called. We write those messages so they open with your business name, which is what people actually read — but it's still a different number showing up. This is the option we reach for when the first two don't fit.

MOVING YOUR NUMBER

What the transfer involves

If we go with the first option, here's what to expect.

It happens after your site is live. We never let a phone transfer hold up your launch. Your website goes live first and the number moves afterwards, so you're never sitting waiting on your phone company to see your new site.

You give us a few details. Your account number with your current provider, the PIN or passcode on that account, and a recent bill. We'll ask when it's time, and everything has to match your provider's records exactly or it gets rejected.

You sign one form. A letter authorising the transfer. We prepare it, you sign it.

It takes two to four weeks. That's your current provider's timeline rather than ours. We'll keep you updated and confirm the switchover date once it's locked in.

Your service keeps running. Calls and texts carry on as normal throughout. There's a short window on switchover day where things may be briefly interrupted, and we'll tell you when that is.

Don't cancel your old service.

Cancelling before the transfer finishes releases the number, and once it's released you can't get it back. Leave the account open until we confirm the move is complete, then close it.

Your old text history stays behind.

Moving a number brings the number, not the message history that sat with your old provider. If there are conversations you'd want to keep, save them before the switchover.

IN THE MEANTIME

What's running before your number is sorted

Your website, your chat widget, and your booking are all live from launch day regardless of which option we pick. If we're moving your number, the text-based parts of your system — automatic replies to missed calls, review requests, appointment reminders — switch on once the move completes. With the other two options, everything runs from day one. We'll tell you on your launch call exactly what's live and what's pending.

Not sure which one fits you? Message us and we'll work through it together. This is worth getting right up front rather than changing later.