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Fonality

Fonality Verified Reviews & Ratings

Founded in 2004, Plano, Texas-based Fonality is a pioneer in VoIP business communications. They offer small and medium sized...
2004
Year Founded
72%
Recommend It
36
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Sarah N.'s review forFonality

Working with Fonality is a nightmare….

Working with Fonality is a nightmare. I’ll admit, there are very few outages with the system, but trying to handle any issues with them is almost impossible. When you call in to get assistance, the agents sound as if you just woke them up from a nap, literally yawning into the phone, slow speech, lots of “ums” and “I thinks”. I feel like the agents don’t understand urgency or concerns in general. Their responses to your questions makes it sound like they’re guessing the entire time. Customer service aside, their system is outdated. The HUD needs Java 6 to run… and if you have any newer version it wont download. The admin dashboard looks and runs as if it hasn’t been updated since 2005. Getting any kind of real, useful reporting is a pain and requires you to do a lot of the leg work through spreadsheets. Overall, I would not recommend this company. They may have been a legitimate contender in the early days of the internet, but they need to update their system and educate their staff so they can actually answer customer questions.

Working with Fonality is a nightmare. I’ll admit, there are very few outages with the system, but trying to handle any issues with them is almost impossible.

When you call in to get assistance, the agents sound as if you just woke them up from a nap, literally yawning into the phone, slow speech, lots of “ums” and “I thinks”. I feel like the agents don’t understand urgency or concerns in general. Their responses to your questions makes it sound like they’re guessing the entire time.

Customer service aside, their system is outdated. The HUD needs Java 6 to run… and if you have any newer version it wont download. The admin dashboard looks and runs as if it hasn’t been updated since 2005. Getting any kind of real, useful reporting is a pain and requires you to do a lot of the leg work through spreadsheets.

Overall, I would not recommend this company. They may have been a legitimate contender in the early days of the internet, but they need to update their system and educate their staff so they can actually answer customer questions.

Would Recommend: No

Big promises up front from this…

Big promises up front from this company, but they failed to deliver and it’s been impossible to get anywhere with customer service. First of all, they couldn’t port my main business number to their system, so I’ve been paying an extra $100 per month for 3 years to keep my landline forwarded to their phone system. I changed my main number on vehicles and business cards to a number they provided to me so that someday I could disconnect my old number completely. A few months later, they mistakenly disconnected that number that they gave me! I had to call them to get it put back on to my account. And since that time, they have charged me an extra $5 per month for that ‘requested’ local line. I reached out to my salesman and their customer service, but got nowhere and they refused to refund me for this charge and are still charging me for it to this day. When they incorrectly disconnected that number, I had to forward my calls to one of the other lines on my account (I have 6 total lines with them). Big surprise when I got my phone bill and found out that the other numbers they gave me were not local, so I recieved several hundred dollars of long distance charges from my land line provider. Again, they refused to offer any refund for these charges. To top it off, the phone service was terrible. The phones would ring all the time with phantom calls, to the point that we would have to unplug all but one phone at times this last year. I can’t believe we put up with them for so long. Now when I called to cancel my service, they want to charge me for an 3 extra months because even though I signed a one-year contract, they automatically renew it for another year on each anniversary date. Unbelievable. I could almost understand this charge if they had actually held up their portion of the contract by providing a phone system that worked, with local numbers. This company needs to rethink their entire business model, especailly the ineptitude of their customer service staff. Very dissatisfied with the company’s complete disregard for their customer’s experiences with them. I’m now very happy with Verizon. They ported my number that Fonality couldn’t figure out, the phones work without making phantom calls all the time, and the price is basically the same.

Big promises up front from this company, but they failed to deliver and it’s been impossible to get anywhere with customer service. First of all, they couldn’t port my main business number to their system, so I’ve been paying an extra $100 per month for 3 years to keep my landline forwarded to their phone system. I changed my main number on vehicles and business cards to a number they provided to me so that someday I could disconnect my old number completely. A few months later, they mistakenly disconnected that number that they gave me! I had to call them to get it put back on to my account. And since that time, they have charged me an extra $5 per month for that ‘requested’ local line. I reached out to my salesman and their customer service, but got nowhere and they refused to refund me for this charge and are still charging me for it to this day. When they incorrectly disconnected that number, I had to forward my calls to one of the other lines on my account (I have 6 total lines with them). Big surprise when I got my phone bill and found out that the other numbers they gave me were not local, so I recieved several hundred dollars of long distance charges from my land line provider. Again, they refused to offer any refund for these charges. To top it off, the phone service was terrible. The phones would ring all the time with phantom calls, to the point that we would have to unplug all but one phone at times this last year. I can’t believe we put up with them for so long. Now when I called to cancel my service, they want to charge me for an 3 extra months because even though I signed a one-year contract, they automatically renew it for another year on each anniversary date. Unbelievable. I could almost understand this charge if they had actually held up their portion of the contract by providing a phone system that worked, with local numbers. This company needs to rethink their entire business model, especailly the ineptitude of their customer service staff. Very dissatisfied with the company’s complete disregard for their customer’s experiences with them. I’m now very happy with Verizon. They ported my number that Fonality couldn’t figure out, the phones work without making phantom calls all the time, and the price is basically the same.

Would Recommend: No

We’ve been a re-seller of their system…

We’ve been a re-seller of their system and really like their on-boarding but service issues and support have gotten to the point where we had to leave. When we did leave the customers we sold this system to were unable to dial us and they have not been able to resolve. They don’t have their procedures and policies together well enough to support customers and it feels like the talent and anyone who cared jumped ship a few years ago

We’ve been a re-seller of their system and really like their on-boarding but service issues and support have gotten to the point where we had to leave. When we did leave the customers we sold this system to were unable to dial us and they have not been able to resolve. They don’t have their procedures and policies together well enough to support customers and it feels like the talent and anyone who cared jumped ship a few years ago

Pros: On-boarding.
Cons: Support time through the roof, procedures not well established.
Would Recommend: No
Adam p.'s review forFonality

I cancelled my service before my…

I cancelled my service before my renewal and they are claiming I didn’t cancel it far enough in advance and have sued me for $11,000 for the next year’s service. Please stay away from this company. There are many companies that don’t have contracts.

I cancelled my service before my renewal and they are claiming I didn’t cancel it far enough in advance and have sued me for $11,000 for the next year’s service. Please stay away from this company. There are many companies that don’t have contracts.

Pros: basic phone service.
Cons: unethical business practices.
Would Recommend: No

I have currently had Fonality for…

I have currently had Fonality for 3 years. The phone quality is ok. The reliability was ok too. Only down a few times in 3 years. My big issue with them is the automatic renewing contract and terminating the service. i have been trying for 2 months to get the service dropped. First they tell me is going to be $854 to drop the service. So I drop phone lines and drop it to the lowest possible level of service. Now they can not tell me how much my bill is going to be after several weeks and several phone calls. they still have not given me the address to send back my phones. Their customer service is a nightmare. My other issue is I can tell how many phone calls my reps are making daily. With my new phone system, I can tell immediately who made what phone calls during the day, week, and month. I have already saved thousands by getting rid of non productive employees who are just not doing their jobs.

I have currently had Fonality for 3 years. The phone quality is ok. The reliability was ok too. Only down a few times in 3 years. My big issue with them is the automatic renewing contract and terminating the service. i have been trying for 2 months to get the service dropped. First they tell me is going to be $854 to drop the service. So I drop phone lines and drop it to the lowest possible level of service. Now they can not tell me how much my bill is going to be after several weeks and several phone calls. they still have not given me the address to send back my phones. Their customer service is a nightmare. My other issue is I can tell how many phone calls my reps are making daily. With my new phone system, I can tell immediately who made what phone calls during the day, week, and month. I have already saved thousands by getting rid of non productive employees who are just not doing their jobs.

Pros: none.
Cons: contract.
Would Recommend: No

This company deserves a 0 star review…

This company deserves a 0 star review. The service is terrible, and the customer service is worse. I would avoid the company at all cost. I was never notified of my renewal. I contacted them to cancel; the process to over a week, at which point Fonality threatened me with a $5600 termination fee – which is more than 10 times the annual cost of service excluding taxes. Now the company as auto-renewed my service for another year, and when I tried contacting the customer service/billing department I was directed to a voicemail. DO NOT USE FONALITY!

This company deserves a 0 star review. The service is terrible, and the customer service is worse. I would avoid the company at all cost. I was never notified of my renewal. I contacted them to cancel; the process to over a week, at which point Fonality threatened me with a $5600 termination fee – which is more than 10 times the annual cost of service excluding taxes. Now the company as auto-renewed my service for another year, and when I tried contacting the customer service/billing department I was directed to a voicemail.

DO NOT USE FONALITY!

Pros: None.
Cons: Service, mobile service and technology, customer service.
Would Recommend: No

Fonality service and features are…

Fonality service and features are hard to match by any competitor in it’s field and price range. The service is very reliable IF your network and internet connection is good. If it’s not – it is your responsibility to fix it, as they will provide you with limited network support (it’s not their responsibility to fix your network after-all). When all is set and done – the system performs amazing for the price you pay. Totally worth the bang for the buck.If your internet/network is poor – your Fonality experience (and any VoIP experience) will also be poor.Most folks that complain about the call quality don’t understand/realize the network’s importance, and role it plays in their phone calls.HUD it self is amazing! Nobody else provides a replacement that I’ve been able to find (there are some that are close like SwitchVox and iSymphony, but no cigar!).

Fonality service and features are hard to match by any competitor in it’s field and price range. The service is very reliable IF your network and internet connection is good. If it’s not – it is your responsibility to fix it, as they will provide you with limited network support (it’s not their responsibility to fix your network after-all). When all is set and done – the system performs amazing for the price you pay. Totally worth the bang for the buck.If your internet/network is poor – your Fonality experience (and any VoIP experience) will also be poor.Most folks that complain about the call quality don’t understand/realize the network’s importance, and role it plays in their phone calls.HUD it self is amazing! Nobody else provides a replacement that I’ve been able to find (there are some that are close like SwitchVox and iSymphony, but no cigar!).

Pros: HUD, Features, Reliability.
Cons: None.
Would Recommend: No

Used Fonality for about 18 months…

We used Fonality for about 18 months and found it extremely unreliable. Calls were frequently dropped and call quality was poor. Our shortest customer service hold time was 25 minutes and we had calls of over 3 hours trying to resolve issues. When we cancelled the account, Finality had extremely dubious billing practices; effectively continuing to charge us for services not delivered. This system is not viable for use in a business environment.

We used Fonality for about 18 months and found it extremely unreliable. Calls were frequently dropped and call quality was poor. Our shortest customer service hold time was 25 minutes and we had calls of over 3 hours trying to resolve issues. When we cancelled the account, Finality had extremely dubious billing practices; effectively continuing to charge us for services not delivered. This system is not viable for use in a business environment.

Pros: On paper the system looks really good.
Cons: In practice, the system is extremely unreliable.
Would Recommend: Yes

Service is fantastic

The service is fantastic and the price is cost effective as well. Customer service unmatched

The service is fantastic and the price is cost effective as well. Customer service unmatched

Pros: very good service at a very good price.
Cons: None.
Would Recommend: Yes

Great company

Getting started was very easy. The sales rep, Brian Flood, walked me through the phone styles and features needed to run my office. Nash from the install dept was really patient and got everything up and running. Would definitely recommend Fonality.

Getting started was very easy. The sales rep, Brian Flood, walked me through the phone styles and features needed to run my office. Nash from the install dept was really patient and got everything up and running. Would definitely recommend Fonality.

Would Recommend: Yes
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Provider Overview

Founded in 2004, Plano, Texas-based Fonality is a pioneer in VoIP business communications. They offer small and medium sized businesses the same features normally associated with Fortune 500 companies. They offer cloud-based and hybrid-hosted solutions at a fraction of the cost of legacy PBX systems. They market to growing small and medium sized businesses, emphasizing how much time and money users will save compared to older, legacy systems.

They recently celebrated their contract with Airline Wifi provider GoGo Inc. by having a paper plane contest for all their employees.

 

Fonality Pricing and Services

 

Most Popular Plan – Fonality Hosted PBX:
Fonality offers several plans in their Hosted and Hybrid Hosted PBX. In a hosted solution, Fonality hosts the PBX within their own data center. This is the more popular of the two solutions, as the costs associated with installing, maintaining, and upgrading equipment are moot (due to the absence of on-site equipment). Fonality enterprise call solutions are geared towards small-to-medium businesses, not concerned with usage, and include unlimited calling to the US & Canada (check long distance rates). The monthly price for each extension is $29.99, with promotional deals that leased IP phones for users if desired, in exchange for contract agreements.

Both Plans offer these free features: Advanced Call Hunting, Auto Attendant, Call Recording, Call Rules, Call Transfer, Intercom, Desktop Integration, Dial-By-Name Directory, Paperless Fax, Enhanced Voice Mail, Find Me/Follow Me, Holiday/Custom Scheduling, Intercom, Music, Remote Access, Speed Dial, Virtual Extensions, Web Portal

Exclusive Options:
Fonality HUD: The flagship benefit to subscribing with Fonality. Fonality’s HUD (Heads Up Display) is an intuitive way to take the office with you, streamline business communications to one central location. As a Unified Communications solution, Fonality’s Heads Up Display stands alone in delivering a smart interface that can increase productivity and organization significantly – via unprecedented presence options and more. New updates are constantly being made, and with the interface finding a home on the web, users will always open up to the latest and greatest version of the client. HUD Mobile equips and empowers the mobile workforce with cloud-based VoIP communications and contact center capabilities in a single-view, secure, easy to utilize interface via Apple’s iOS or Android platform.

Fonality Screen Share: Fonality Screen Share is fully integrated with the Fonality phone system, as well as the HUD, and Fonality Web Client.  Users may launch Fonality Screen Share from the dashboard, and begin to share and interact on the go, recording audio if desired through integration with their Fonality phone system. Employee productivity and mobility are also improved through the new feature, allowing businesses to stay connected and able to collaborate at an advanced level.

Fonality Awards:
2011-12 INTERNET TELEPHONY Product of the Year
2011 UC Excellence Award
– 2011 TMC Labs Innovation Award

 

Editor’s Bottom Line of Fonality 

 

An ideal solution for SMBs needing to frequently work collaboratively and/or remotely, using their exclusive Fonality HUD. Included IP phones with contracted subscriptions are a nice perk, plus a more than complete feature set with either their Hosted or Hybrid Hosted PBX solutions. Slightly behind the curve in terms of customer support and system management portal design.

Screenshots
  • Call Center Queues
    Call Center Queues
  • Contact Summary
    Contact Summary
  • Andoid Mobile App
    Andoid Mobile App

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