15 Strange, Funny, Dumb and Outdated California Laws

Do you know of any stupid laws in your area? California has quite a few and we here at GetMoreRings put a list of them together for your enjoyment.

• Sunshine is guaranteed to the masses.
• Women may not drive in a house coat.
• No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 mph.
• Ice cream may not be eaten while standing on the sidewalk. (Carmel)
• Peacocks have the right to cross any street, including driveways. (Arcadia)
• Nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool. (Baldwin Park)
• You are not permitted to wear cowboy boots, unless you already own two cows. (Blythe)
• Bowling on the sidewalk is illegal. (Chico)
• Men who wear mustaches are forbidden from kissing women. (Eureka)
• You may not hunt moths under a street light. (Los Angeles)
• It is illegal to set metal balloons afloat in the air.  (Los Angeles County)
• It is illegal to molest butterflies. (Pacific Grove)
• Elephants are prohibited from walking down Market Street unless they are on a leash. (San Francisco)
• Persons classified as "ugly" may not walk down any street. (San Francisco)
• One must not leave sand in their own driveway. (Walnut)

So what did we learn from these laws today? Sunshine is guaranteed (even if it rains). Always stop for pedestrian peacocks, keep your elephant on a leash, and buy a flashlight so that you can hunt down those rogue moths!

Feel free to leave any laws we missed in the comments section.

How to Protect Yourself From Phone Scams

In this day and age you cannot be too cautious with protecting yourself. 

With the numerous telemarketing scams circulating around, GetMoreRings wants you to be vigilant. In this article, I will go over some of the most popular phone scams going around. If you or someone you know has been affected by a scam feel free to let us know about it in the comments so we can share your experience.

Make sure to share the information you learn with friends and family so they can be aware and forewarned.

• Caller ID Spoofing

Scams: Scammers use new technology that allows them to manipulate their Caller ID to show that they are calling from a legitimate company when they are really not any part of the organizations. They try to convince you to give them your personal information, such as credit card or Social Security Numbers. These calls can be made from mobile as well as landlines, and have also been seen through email and blogs. 

Protection: Be very cautious and and guarded about providing personal information over the phone.

• International Calls

When making an international call you most likely will need to dial 011 (the US international prefix). There are some exceptions such as places in the Caribbean that look like domestic numbers but are actually international calls with international rates. Some examples of these area codes are: 809, 876 and 284.

Scams: You receive a urgent message/text/email that advises you to contact a specific number for more information. They have also been known to have ads in papers or online saying to call them for a quote or a specific consumer item.

Protection: Be very cautious when making calls to numbers you do not know. If any area code is not familiar look it up prior to calling. Blocking 900 calling will not stop you line from dialing an international call so if necessary have your phone company block your phone from making international calls. 

• Slammimg/Cramming

Slamming is a very popular scam where your phone carrier is switched without your permission. Once this is done Cramming is usually seen on the bill as well, where you are charged for services you did not ask for or receive. 

Scams: A promotion is sent to you advising you that you won a prize and to contact a specific number. When you call this number you are automatically enrolled into some type of club or program where the charges are added to your phone bill. They have also been known to sign people up using sweepstakes forms that have enrollment acceptance in the fine print that people usually do not read. Telemarketers also call selling Long Distance services for a lower price but fail to tell you this price is only valid for a very short period of time and afterwards your rates are astronomical. 

Protection: Make sure to always read your phone bill carefully and check for any unusual charges. If you receive a bill from a company that you are not familiar with their logo or name call the company and ask for an explanation. Always request that any sales offers from telecom companies be sent to you in writing. Also if you need to check your LD provider you can call 1-700-555-4141.

• Call Forwarding

Scams: You get a call/text/email requesting that you dial two digits and * or # (for example *72) plus another number so that you can win/claim a prize that they are offering. By entering this code from your phone it hard programs your line to be forwarded to whatever number you dialed in after the code. This allows the scammers to make calls to your number and be forwarded, and you be billed for the charges.

Protection: Always ignore these types of calls. If you do answer, immediately hang up.

Why You Need a Phone System for Your Office

GetMoreRings knows communication is an essential key to the functioning of your business. If you want to add in the right alternatives to keep everyone in touch, then you can begin by adding in the right phone system. This makes a difference in your effectiveness of communication while providing you with different alternatives for the communication that is available. Today, technology has combined with communication to make sure you are able to easily keep in touch with others in the office as well as with customers that are calling about your products or services. 

The phone system that is available for companies allows you to have a variety of lines that are interconnected into a central area. There will be one system placed for the corporation. This combines with several extensions that are placed through the branches and offices while allowing each employee to connect to the central system. This gives every individual in the office a private line from a central system. The stations that are created allow private exchanges to take place between those working in the company and provide different numbers to those that are working within a company. 

Not only are numbers and private stations assigned to a central phone system. There are also programs that are added in for easier communication and to track the options that are used. For instance, you will be able to program in an option to control the calls that are coming in through the use of lighted line buttons or specialized rings. This will let you know where a call is coming from while connecting lines in alternative ways. The programming can interchange with simple connections to complex techniques that are used for different approaches to getting connected across branches, offices or between employees. 

The integrated options with a phone system also incorporate other features to assist all employees to stay in touch and to connect to others. There are additional voice mail and answering machine systems available for needed responses. It is also possible to set up caller ID, speed dialing and automatic call accounting. This will help to track and connect employees and customers easier while offering convenience with communication. If a more complex system is used, then there is also the possibility of adding in features such as remote supervision of the system. This can help to track communication while ensuring that the correct links are made with each station created.

Tying into communication at different levels with any business ensures a better working environment while meeting the needs of employees. If you want to integrate a simple and effective way of keeping in touch, then you can look at a phone system. Giving each employee a station and monitoring this through a central area with different ways to keep in touch instantly tightens the communication between individuals, offices and branches. The incorporation of specific features with this system ensures that you are able to find different ways to keep connected while allowing each individual to remain connected with simple and effective tools.

9 Tips to Effective Time Management

TIME MANAGEMENT... can be a scary word for some people. It's a skill that no one teaches you in a class but something you really need to learn.

Are you habitually late or extremely punctual? Are you able to effectively complete your work on time? Do you manage your time efficiently? Can your boss count on you to meet your deadlines?

GetMoreRings knows a lot of you answered no to some of these questions, so I put a short list of tips together to help you manage your time a little easier.

1. Keep a calendar. Using a calendar is the most essential step to time management. I like to use Google Calendar as it allows integration with my mobile phone and other devices so that I can always access my calendar on the go.

2. Create a daily agenda. Your day will run smoother if it is planned. You can do this at the end of each work day or in the morning before you start any of your tasks. Make a list and try to stick to it. 

3. Always complete your most important tasks first. Prioritize your tasks on your agenda by importance because things come up and you can't always get everything done. If you will feel less anxious at the end of the day if you know you got your priorities taken care of. 

4. Place a time limit for each daily task. Next to each task on your list right a time limit for how long it will take or what time of the day you would like to be finished. This will keep your day running smoother and keep you from dragging your feet as you complete your work. 

5. Meet your deadlines. Always make sure you know and meet all of your deadlines. Make sure to add them to your calendar and so you are always aware of when they are due. 

6. Keep focused. Multi-tasking is only good for some people. Most people get things done faster by focusing on one thing at a time. Keeping to the task at hand will make you more efficient. Try to block out any distractions such as your phone ringing, emails, and text messages so that you can concentrate. 

7. Set a schedule to check your email. It can be time consuming to check your email every time you receive one. Don't take more than a day to answer anything, but you don't drop everything you're doing immediately. 

8. Leave a few minutes in between tasks. Don't schedule your tasks too closely together. Make sure to leave 5-10 minutes between each task just in case you run over. This will help you start your next task without being rushed.

9. Clear off your desk and make your work area clean. Having a work space that is cluttered and unorganized can clutter you mind and make you work at a slower pace. Also it makes things difficult to find which will also add more time to your day.

If you have any other tips that may help people, feel free to leave them in the comments section!

Call Forwarding and Its Many Uses

Call Forwarding allows you to forward your calls to another phone number. It was invented by Ernest J. Bonanno in 1963. Let GetMoreRings break down each type for you.

Call Forwarding (Variable):  Allows you to activate and deactivate the forwarding. To do this you pick up your line and dial *72. There will be a stutter tone, then dial the number you want the line to forward to. The number you are forwarding to must be answered. To deactivate, pick up the line and press *73.

Remote Access to Call Forwarding: This feature can be added only with Call Forwarding (Variable) and allows you to activate Call Forwarding (Variable) on your land line from a remote location through an access number and security PIN.

Call Forward - Busy: Allows for your line to be forwarded to another line when your main line is busy.

Call Forward - Don't Answer: Allows for your line to be forwarded to another line when you main line is not answered after a set number of rings.

Call Forward - Select: Allows for you to forward pre-selected numbers to another line that you designate.

Hunting: A complex forwarding feature that allows numbers to be set up in a sequence and to roll over to the next one if the previous line is busy.

Find Me/Follow Me: Another complex forwarding feature that allows for you to designate specific numbers, such as your home, office, and mobile; that will ring simultaneously or in a sequence to find you.

The New Way of Doing Business - Teleconferencing

US Navy Holding a Teleconference

In the last decade, technology has made it possible for businesses to become larger and more spread out. As they spread out, more and more employees are working from home, other states, or even countries. Due to this, physical office locations and employees can often be thousands of miles apart from each other. Due to this it can be very difficult to get all of you employees in the same place to conduct training and meetings.

To remedy this problem GetMoreRings suggests teleconferencing. What is teleconferencing you ask? It is a conference in which participants communicate from different locations via telephone or video network.

With teleconfrencing, your company can conduct training, workshops, staff meetings, and demonstrations by telephone or internet instead of in person. 

Let us go over a few of the different types of teleconferencing.

• Audio Teleconference is voice-only and is usually referred to as just 'conference calling'. To use this service participants are given a designated telephone number to call into at a certain time or an assigned moderator can call each participant. Participants are connected throught a confrence bridge, which acts as a telephone and pick up multiple calls at once.

• Video Conference is a combination of audio and video and provides voice and video communictaions. It is able to dispaly anything that can be recorded by a video camera. It has an advantage of displaying moving images making participants able to see each others expressions and demeanors from remote locations.

• Computer Teleconference uses a telephone line to connect two or more computers or modems. Anything you can do on a computer can be sent over the telephone line. It is used mostly by distance learning institutions where students are required to log into a system for a set period of time and download work. They are able to download their required files, complete their assigments and then upload them onto the confrencing system. 

Businesses utilizing VoIP (Voice over IP) are able to host teleconfrencing calls themselves if their VoIP software supports it. Teleconferencing can lower the costs of your business by reducing travel, meals and lodging since your employees are able to connect to each other from remote locations.

What is Google Analytics?

Google currently offers a free service (a premium service is available for a fee) called Google Analytics (GA) that produces detailed statistics about the people that visit your website. This product is meant to help marketers instead of webmasters from where the industry first grew. With 55% of the top 10,000 sites using it, it is the widest used website statistic service.

GA has the ability to track your visitors being sent from any referrer, including pay-per-click networks, search engines, display advertising, email marketing, etc. 

Google integrated GA with Adwords, so that users are now able to analyze online sales campaigns by tracking  landing page experience and goals which may include sales, leads, viewing specific web pages, or downloading specific files. This feature allows marketers to decide which of their ads are producing and which are not, so that they can make a decision on what campaigns to keep running or to stop.

Using GA's analysis, you are able to identify poor performing pages using technology like funnel visualization, where you visitors originated from (referrers), their geographic location and how long they were on your site.

GA allows you add up to 50 site profiles. Each profile should correspond to one website. Any website that sells services or products online through a website can use GA e-commerce reporting to track sales activity. 

With GetMoreRings you are able to integrate Google Analytics into your Click-to-Call services for the highest optimization.

Benefits of Click-to-Call from GetMoreRings

GetMoreRings offers a feature rich Click-to-Call product with many benefits to help you maximize your online web traffic. 

The benefits it has for your customers:

• It gives your customers a way to contact you for free, from any location in the world.
• Your web based customers have the option to contact you instantly if they have any last minute sales questions. 
• Operates around the clock so that you do not miss any calls, if callers use click-to-call during your non-business hours it allows the option for them to schedule a call back at the best time for them.

The benefits it has for your business: 

• Stops a large percentage of shopping cart abandonment as the customer can reach you with any qualms or questions they are having.
• Gives agents a leg up on communication with your clients as system provides what page the client is calling from and what area they are located in.
• Provides analytical and management reports so that you can see what customers are calling for and what agents are handling the calls.
• Easy to Use. GetMoreRings is fully hosted, you will not need to download or write any code to use it.

Top 10 VoIP Features for Small Business

GetMoreRings list of the Top 10 VoIP features for small businesses:

1.  Automated Call Distribution helps businesses make the most of their contact center staff, by automating call distribution to the next available agent.

2.  Call Routing and Forwarding provides remote access for a mobile workforce. Features include “Find Me-Follow Me” , which forwards calls from office desk phone to mobile phones, laptops, home phones, and more.

3.  Data Integration links the softphone system with inventory, customer relationship management (CRM), and sales systems.

4.  Auto Attendant routes calls to a standard greeting, voicemail, or a self-service directory.

5.  Conferencing. VoIP business softphone systems feature instant conferencing, as well as video and Web conferencing applications.

6.  Directory Service relies on interactive voice recognition (IVR) to support automated directory access and call routing. Callers navigate the directory system by speaking a name or extension number.

7.  Voicemail. VoIP voicemail services feature unified messaging, which sends messages as an audio recording or an email. Users can access voicemail from any device, including mobile phones, laptops, and home phones.

8.  Wed-Based Administration Interface allows users to set routing and call preferences, as well as make adds, changes, and moves.

9.  Presence Management helps business employees work together across the world. The presence tool identifies who is available and the best way of contacting them (email, phone, IM).

10. Unified Communications Collaboration Tools help business workers collaborate with partners, clients, and colleagues worldwide. Features include screen sharing, document sharing, wikis, virtual whiteboarding, and business “social networking” applications.

Today’s small businesses face many logistical challenges as they compete in the global marketplace. Without the global office network of large enterprises, small businesses rely on their data networks to bridge the locational divide. VoIP services afford small businesses access to basic and advanced IP communications features, bringing together colleagues and supporting relationships with business partners and customers worldwide.

Click-to-Call Features

Click-to-Call offers your customers a seamless instantaneous web to phone conversion a the click of a button. Many studies agree that customer initiated contact will give a website a leg up in its market.

GetMoreRings offers many different features that you can fully customize to suit your business needs.

• Instant Connection: Your web-based customers are able to click a button, enter their phone number and be connected to you.
• Hosted Solution: GetMoreRings is a completely hosted solution and you will need to do is add the link to your website.
• Configuration: You will be supplied with an easy-to-use control panel, allowing you to decide where, when and how your users can contact you. 
• Customization: You will have access to fully customize your buttons or widgets to match your website in your interface.
• Statistics and History: GetMoreRings tracks all of your calls and keeps the data for you. If you receive a call during non-business hours it will not connect the call but it will save the callers number so that you can contact them when you are available. 
• Google Integration: Allows you to integrate your Google Analytic and Adwords tracking. 

GetMoreRings Explains Click-to-Call

What is Click-to-Call?

Click-to-Call, Click-to-Dial, or Click-to-Text from GetMoreRings allows your website users an instant connection to you with the click of a button. It is a from of web-based communication, where your site visitors can click on a link, widget, button, etc., and request an immediate connection to a live person at your business, either by Voice over IP (VoIP), text or telephone.

How does it work?

Your web-based clients click on a link, button, widget, etc., and enter in their phone number. Once their number is entered, GetMoreRings software calls the users telephone number. Once the user is connected, GetMoreRings then builds a connection to the GetMoreRings account holder and connects the two calls together. Once the call is ended, the call details are added to your history and analytical reports, and the call cost is added to your account. All of this data is available through your GetMoreRings control panel.

Why use Click-to-Call?

Click-to-Call allows for better cross-communications. It fuses your online presence with your in-house support. It allows for your potential clients to immediately reach you with any last minute questions and keeps your finger on the pulse of what your customers need and want.