Does anyone know if Skype phones can take incoming Skype calls? For example, if you add a Skype button to your website will clicking that button call the Skype phone at the front desk?
It seems like it would be awkward for the front desk to have to put on a Skype headset every time someone calls the hostel over Skype, but if Skype dialed into a physical phone it might work well.
15 years
we have a couple of VoIP phones - used mostly to communicate between the office, reception and bar - but yes, they take incoming calls and look/feel like a normal phone, so i see no reason why you couldnt use the live chat thingy. i also have a feeling skype can redirect to normal phones, so im quite sure you could have a skype button on a website that would redirect to the normal phone lines.
15 years
Does anyone know if Skype phones can take incoming Skype calls? For example, if you add a Skype button to your website will clicking that button call the Skype phone at the front desk?
Yes. Skype phone works with a client software which requires a Skype account. When you call this account (for example by clicking the account name on a website), it will ring the assigned Skype phone.
15 years
We have a skype phone (philips 321) which accepts both incoming regular phone line calls and skype calls. Thus far haven't used it for customers to call into on skype, although might be a good idea. I guess I'd have to set it to allow anyone to call me, and not just people on my contact list. I was fearful there might be a problem with voice spam if anyone could call or type messages. Not sure if there is any chance of that or not. I know it can be a problem on MSN messenger.
15 years
Thanks for the replies. It would be very useful if the website button would call the front desk.
15 years
Those Skype phones work fine for all incoming Skype calls including calls to a Skype In number.
I gave my Dad a Logitech Skype phone a while ago, which worked well whenever I used to call him (unfortunately it melted in a fire earlier this year). I think the Philips phones on the Skype website are nicer, though.
Those Skype phones work well. In my opinion they are much easier to get working than a regular SIP VOIP phone.
There is also the option of using a Three mobile with Skype such as the 3 Skypephone or the INQ. I think these only work only for Skype-to-Skype calls but not Skype In calls, although I may be wrong here. Also you have to be in a country with Three Mobile coverage.
Another option is an iPod Touch with the Skype app. But the problem here is that the app has to be running for it to recieve a call.
A lot of hostels list their Skype contact details on their websites and most computers in hostels seem to be set up with Skype so it is a cheap and easy way for travellers to contact you. On BUG we put a Skype "click to call" icon on each hostel's page if we know that they have a Skype name.
15 years
We have the netgear Skype phone, and although the hardware kind of sucks, we have the international plan with Skype wich allows our guests to make unlimited calls to 34 countries. It's a pretty big hit, and we get lots of people that come back and a big reason is because of the skype phone. When this one shits the bed, I'm going to try to get a different model that has better functionality than the netgear one.
We also have SkypeIn numbers for London, U.S., Germany and Australia, allowing people to make reservations via phone before they arrive in Costa Rica, as well as allowing their family members to contact them easily here if need be.
15 years
we have the international plan with Skype wich allows our guests to make unlimited calls to 34 countries. It's a pretty big hit....
That sounds like a wonderful thing to be offering, and I've thought of such a thing many times, but I wonder how do you monitor which country they are calling. If its not one of the 34, the costs could be quite high. Even a UK mobile phone would cost 23 euro cents per minute...and thats quite a possibility. A call to cuba over $1/minute. Do you dial for them, or is it as simple as not having skype credit in the account?
15 years
We have a skype phone which we allow customers to use to call any European country that is included in the £3/per month plan we have subscribed to. It's low cost for us and the customers really appreciate it. It's not a problem people using it to call any other destinations as there is no credit in the account for them to do this. I have another account with credit in it which I use myself to call countries outside Europe. It's a good idea, and one extra thing you can provide to guests at little cost to yourself.
15 years
That sounds like a wonderful thing to be offering, and I've thought of such a thing many times, but I wonder how do you monitor which country they are calling. If its not one of the 34, the costs could be quite high. Even a UK mobile phone would cost 23 euro cents per minute...and thats quite a possibility. A call to cuba over $1/minute. Do you dial for them, or is it as simple as not having skype credit in the account?
ALl you do is leave the balance for the Skype account you are using with the plan at zero. Then if they call a location that's not in the free plan, the call doesn't go through. The guests can sign into the phone with their own account if they want to make a call outside of the plan. Where we are located, most of our guests are from N. America and Europe, so its rare that they are calling an area outside of the plan. People love it.
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