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London Calling

Admin 18th June 2018

If one hackneyed (sorry) punk rock reference wasn’t enough, this week we’re Going Underground. WHYPAY? is making a name for itself in the Old Smoke, helping all you notoriously busy Londoners to save some Mony Mony.

If you happen to be amongst the 1.37 billion people who are estimated to use the London underground, don’t ride the Train in Vain, keep your eyes peeled for our big red posters posing the same question upon which WHYPAY? was founded: why pay for telephone conference calls? When we offer the very same thing without asking you to spend a penny, there really is no sense in forking over your hard-earned money to ours competitors. It’s time to say Bye Bye Bad Man (and woman) and let them know you Won’t Get Fooled Again.

Wait, what? I don’t have to pay?

So for those of you who have found your way here after spotting one of the posters splashed across all the main interchange stations on the underground, let us explain a little bit about how it works, and why free teleconferencing really isn’t too good to be true.

Not paying for your conference calls might sound like some form of Anarchy in the UK (too much already?), but it’s totally legitimate and completely true. WHYPAY? is a genuinely free phone conferencing bridge which works by providing virtual conference rooms accessed via 03 phone numbers. That last bit is key, because thanks to changes in Ofcom’s regulations back in 2007 any calls to 03 numbers must be charged the same as calls to standard landlines, and must be included within any available bundled minutes – from landlines and mobiles.

What does that mean? That if you are dialling into a WHYPAY? teleconference and you have a phone contract which offers a certain amount of minutes of inclusive calls (most do), then your participation in a WHYPAY? conference call won’t cost a penny. It will simply be counted as part of those included minutes.

If you’ve used all your bundled minutes allowance at the time of the call, it will cost exactly the same as a call to a geographic number – that’s 01 or 02 numbers.

As for the rest of the charges often associated with teleconferencing – WHYPAY? doesn’t have any. In fact, we don’t even have a means to bill you! There’s no sign-up, no subscription charge, no membership fee, no cost to join the call. Absolutely nothing. Whether you are just participating or setting up your own conference call, we won’t charge you a thing. In fact, you don’t even need to give away any of your personal details. You simply click the button on our homepage, agree to our terms and your private, secure conference call room is created! And if you want to find out a bit more about how and why we can offer this service (it isn’t purely out of the goodness of our hearts), you can find out here.

Neat Neat Neat

It really is as straightforward as it sounds, and we strongly believe that we can save a lot of people a lot of time and money. That’s why we’ve invested in spreading the word, so that we can continue to develop the service, introduce new features and ensure it remains free of charge.

If you ever conference call (and if you don’t, you really should be), switch to WHYPAY? and you’ll quickly have a lot more communications budget left at the end of each month – we saved our customers over £860,000 in May! And none of them feel they’re compromising on quality in favour of cost. We really feel like we can keep even the Choosiest Susie a Happy Jack. You don’t need to take our word for it either. Our Trustpilot scores and reviews speak for themselves. People think We’re So Nice (OK that’s the last one!).

Next time you’re looking to teleconference, Whether you’re working remotely, prepping for a big game, teaching a study group, trying to do your bit for the environment, just chatting with friends or family (or the myriad other reasons there are for having a group call!), ask yourself: Why pay?

Should you hold conference calls or a video calls?

Admin 12th March 2021

A lot of us often wonder about whether to choose conference calls or video calls. There are big benefits on both sides, and some shared across the two. After all, there’s no doubt that advancements in call technology have paved the way for new communication methods at work. They allow us to host keynote presentations from across the world, offering inclusivity to those with accessibility needs. Any type of group phone call also provides a sense of connection when teammates are working apart – something particularly valuable through COVID-related lockdowns and social distancing.

But while jumping on a video call has become a knee-jerk reaction for many, it’s not without its drawbacks. Video brings some complications that traditional conference calls simply don’t have. If you’re wondering whether to organise a conference call or video call, don’t forget that sometimes just picking up the phone is the better option.

Business Conference Calls, Remote Working

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How to encourage conference call participation

Admin 2nd March 2021

With telecommuting become part and parcel of daily life, the need to encourage conference call participation is on all our radars. Whether you are a developer, manager, director or client, you will probably understand the challenges that conference call participation can pose. Meeting dynamics often solidify rather quickly, as extraverted participants take centre stage and readily express their opinions. Bolder characters may be excellent for producing new ideas. Unfortunately, though, it can cause participants who are more reserved to fade into the background. If you want to enhance your team’s productivity and unity, implementing some of the following solutions can work wonders. After all, we all want to learn how to have more effective conference calls.

Both the call’s leader and its participants can make a huge difference in encouraging conference call participation. Read on to discover some tips and tactics to improve your team’s conference call participation.

Business Conference Calls, Business Tips and Advice, Conference Call Tips, Remote Working

How to improve unspoken communication on a conference call

Admin 3rd February 2021

Verbal signals are an important part of all communication. But conference call communication depends on verbal and non-verbal signalling. In the age of teleconferencing (and seemingly its glory year!), they’re vital signs into how successful an interaction is. You may be pitching to a prospective client, it may be your weekly team catch up, or you may be a director presenting to an entire department. No matter the purpose of the call, if you are trying to deliver an engaging conference call, getting clued up on non-verbal and verbal signals is crucial. They can indicate that somebody is losing interest. Picking up on these feelings gives you the chance to try and improve things.

Read through our guide about some of the ways to improve communication on a conference call, by reading signals that call participants aren’t invested. We’ll also advise on what to do to turn things around.

Business Conference Calls, Business Tips and Advice, Conference Call Tips