In a world that is quickly turning to mobile phone communication, internet, and web calls, there are still so many people that turn to their home phone in order to maintain a reliable and cheap phone service that can be used whenever they want. The home phone seems to represent a stable factor in anyone’s life, with people just not wanting to part with the technology, no matter how advanced other technologies may become. At the same time, the home phone is evolving as well, ensuring that those who rather keep their services are able to take advantage of high quality services that are able to meet their needs while remaining functional on several different reasons. These 10 home phone features everyone should have are great examples of the advances the home phone is making or has made that everyone with a home phone should definitely have with their services.
- Caller ID. Remember the days when you couldn’t tell who was calling, leaving you a victim to answering the phone blindly and having to deal with telemarketers and unwanted calls. While voice mail serves as a great way to screen calls, caller ID is just the best way to tell just who is calling in case you don’t want to talk to the caller.
- Voice Mail. Voice mail is nothing new and remains to be one of the best features of the home phone. When you can’t catch your calls, you definitely need voice mail to fill in and catch all your messages so you never miss out on an important call.
- Unlimited Long Distance. Having local calling is a must, but when it comes to long distance calling, there have been historical rates to knock your head off like you wouldn’t believe. Well, today there are unlimited long distance features that can be added to home phone plans for very little, even maintaining a bill under $40 so you don’t have to worry about going over your long distance minutes again.
- 3-way Calling. Have you ever been on the phone with your best friend and decided that a mutual friend would be perfect for the conversation? Well, with home phone 3-way calling, you can easily add that third party to the call so you aren’t relaying information and messages but including your other friend in the conversation as it is happening.
- Call Waiting. Call waiting is the best way to receive calls while you are on the phone, never having to lose calls to a busy signal. There are many home phone plans today that include this feature in the plan, allowing you to put calls on hold to see the others that may be calling.
- Call Blocking. This is one feature that is almost always included with a home phone plan and for good reason. When you get those calls that you don’t want, callers that call at all times just to sit on the phone, or disturbing calls that you shouldn’t have to answer, call blocking is extremely helpful to make sure you don’t get bothered anymore.
- Call Return. This is the caller ID for those that don’t have a caller ID device, allowing you to easily track who is calling you by dialing *67 which will tell you the last number that called your line. This is a great way to catch prank callers and to find out who may have called and hung up before you answered.
- Anonymous Caller Reject. This is a great way to block those that aren’t trying to be seen on your caller ID. Most people look at it as if you don’t want your number displayed, you shouldn’t be calling, which is why this feature is a must-have for those that don’t appreciate anonymous callers calling their phone. This can be a great feature to block out calls by those you don’t know, those trying to deceive you into answering, and those that are trying to play games on the phone.
- Enhanced 911. This is a feature that allows 911 dispatchers to see the number, address, and name of those calling, which can help you out in the case of an emergency. Just imagine someone coming into your home and how quiet you are going to want to be to ensure safety. This way, if you call and hang-up, officers can know who called and check on the scene.
- Caller ID on TV. How many times have you been watching the best movie on television with the phone in the other room and then it rang? You don’t want to go get the phone to see who is calling as you will miss out on television, but with caller ID on TV, you don’t have to budge as the number is displayed right on your television.
If you are going to retain your home phone services, you want to have the best services that ensure great phone use no matter what. From caller ID to enhanced 911, you can get these must-have features that ensure your home phone is as functional as you want it to be.
