As the pandemic has emphasized the need for businesses to remain flexible, number porting can be a tremendous asset. Businesses who need to support remote workforces, change locations or switch to VoIP need an efficient porting toolkit to accomplish their goals.
Phone number porting has traditionally been one of the more challenging telecom processes. At Flowroute, we strive to do the heavy lifting for our customers. Our team of porting experts provide dedicated service to fulfill port orders from our customers at every step of the port journey. Even with a step-by-step guide, there is still background knowledge that can help streamline the porting experience.
Below are a few best practices to ensure a successful and painless porting process.
Lay the Groundwork in Advance
Before diving into the porting process, it is important to be aware of a few hurdles that can cause setbacks so you can take action to prevent them. Planning and gathering the information you need at the start can go a long way. For example, a key first step in a porting plan should be to contact the existing and new service provider to request and obtain key information. One of the areas they will help determine is whether your number is verified for portability.
The former carrier or losing service provider (LSP) will need to release the number and other key details to ensure the success of the process. Having a clear line of communication with all parties will decrease the number of rejections and put your porting on the fast track to completion.
It is important to note that the Flowroute team can be an asset during the porting process. We have established porting arrangements with other carriers that gives us an inside advantage. Because we often work with smaller carriers, we are familiar with manual porting processes and have direct contact with the LSP and their team. These connections have made us well situated to secure more accurate information about a rejection and quickly correct it.
Set and Manage Expectations
In the past, we have worked with clients who want to port numbers but do not know that the carrier they are using is operating through a third party. For example, it may turn out that the carrier is using a reseller to host some of the numbers. These details are all critical to the overall success and timeliness of the process.
Working with a third party in this way can create an additional layer of complexity when our team is working to sort out the information the carrier needs. Clients who want to port their numbers should first contact their provider to confirm their intention to port and ask for a customer service record (CSR). Doing this in advance will make for a smoother transition by ensuring everyone’s expectations are set and that our carrier can give the LSP the information needed for porting.
Take Advantage of your New Support Team’s Porting Expertise
Another element of a successful porting is to understand what a support team can assist you with. In most cases, the Flowroute porting team handles tasks that pertain to porting and port orders. However, we will also assist if a client requests phone numbers that are not in our inventory. We are happy to request and obtain the desired numbers on our client’s behalf.
Flowroute’s team tackles all porting tasks to make the process as smooth as possible. Though the process might look straightforward, there is a fair amount of nuance at play under the surface. And while we do our best to make the process simple and easy, it is at risk of being derailed for unpredictable reasons. If that is the case, we may be able to intervene on your behalf if needed. If the process was derailed because of outdated account information, for example, we may be able to obtain the correct name that the number is registered to and get in touch with the current service provider to update the name on the LSP’s side.
If the number was not cancelled correctly, the process may be blocked from moving forward. In other cases, carriers may implement some of their own features that prevent port-outs. Your account may include some of these extra services as a bundle that prevents port-out, or you may be prevented from porting out until you cancel the services. These nuances tend to be carrier-specific, but the most important thing to know is that each carrier has their own stipulations, so you will want to check in with your carrier to learn what those are.
Completing the Process
Once you are in the home stretch, our team can monitor for when your numbers switch over and calls begin routing to us. Through our system, you can upload the number to your account and set up the routing and everything associated with getting the number up and running.
The routing will be set up on the morning of the port-over, and your number will be assigned to your Flowroute account. Since you have the routing already set up, it is ready to use right away.
Porting numbers can feel like a black art, but with the right support it does not have to be a mystery or headache. Flowroute is committed to providing quality customer service to customers navigating through the porting process. The ability to be transparent and provide real-time updates across all parties truly helps make the process easier and ultimately successful. As we continue to expand our domestic and international coverage, we look forward to continuing to help customers port numbers and grow their businesses.
