Grandparents Day: Give them a gift they won’t want to return

Whether you call them Gramma and Grampy, Abuela and Abuelo or Mémère and Pépère, make sure to call them the Sunday after Labor Day to wish them a happy Grandparents Day.

Better yet, bring the couple who held your hand when you were a tot a gift that will help keep them safe–the Ooma Senior Phone Bundle. But be prepared to do the hand-holding this time to convince them this is one gift they won’t want to return.

Here are a few things they may say, along with ways to prove this gift is a keeper:

“You spent too much.”

The Senior Phone Bundle has a one-time MSRP cost of $149.99, but gently remind them it’s impolite to ask the price of a gift. If they want to talk money, point out that their monthly phone should be a lot lower by switching to Ooma. They’ll get unlimited calling throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Their monthly phone service will cost just $14.99, plus taxes and fees that run around $6 to $9 a month depending on where they live. Check their taxes and fees with our handy tool.

“We like the phones we already have.”

The Senior Phone Bundle includes three cordless handsets with some really great accessibility features:

• Large buttons and display
• Extra-loud ringer (up to 90dB)
• Sound boosting (temporarily increase volume up to 50dB and enhanced sound frequencies)
• Visual ringing
• TIA-1083 compliance for reduced noise and interference when used with most T-coil equipped hearing aids and cochlear implants

This bundle also includes an Ooma Linx adapter, so your grandparents can continue to use their favorite traditional home phone if they really want to. You have to admit, aa trusty old traditional home phone with an earpiece and separate keypad comes in handy when you’re on a call and have to enter a long prescription refill number.

“We’ve had this phone number for decades.”

No problem—they can keep their number. Just transfer, or “port,” it from their current phone service provider to Ooma for free. Learn how to transfer a number.

“We want 911 to work.”

It will. Ooma forwards your grandparents’ address to 911 dispatchers who use an Enhanced 911 system. In this respect, Ooma service is similar to a traditional home phone. If you call 911 from an Ooma home phone, emergency medical service providers and fire fighters on an Enhanced 911 system will see your grandparents’ home address pop up on their display, which may not always be the case with mobile phones. E911 is useful if they’re unable to speak. Just remind your grandparents to update their address if they decide to move.

A cool feature, not available on a traditional landline phone, is that you can set up 911 alerts so that up to three people will automatically be sent a text or email when 911 is called from the Ooma home phone. You can even create a custom 911 alert message with special medical information that you want anyone receiving your alerts to share with emergency personnel.

“We’re not tech-savvy.”

There’s no need to be. The Ooma Senior Phone Bundle uses the Ooma Concierge phone service plan, which includes a dedicated Ooma Concierge white-glove support phone number that provides 24/7 assistance with Ooma service and feature setup and ongoing support. The main phone unit has a large Ooma Concierge button to press for help.

Ooma home phones are so easy to set up that most people can start making calls in less than 15 minutes. If your grandparents do run into trouble, they can call the Ooma Concierge phone number, listed on the Senior Phone Bundle Starter Card, or call their techy grandchild with mad internet skills. Doesn’t every family have at least one?

“We don’t want tinny or crackling phone calls.”

Ooma Telo’s PureVoice technology makes sure your audio quality is crystal clear. It automatically monitors how your voice data is transmitted over the internet. If we detect any data is dropped, known as packet loss, we’ll automatically transmit redundant packets so that the transmission remains complete. We also prioritize phone calls so they receive all of the network attention they need.

“We don’t want to lose our bundle discount.”

It’s true that if they stop bundled phone service from an internet or cable TV provider, they’ll probably be charged more for other services. But chances are good that the money saved by switching their phone service to Ooma will more than make up for that increase. If not, you can teach them how to stream entertainment and local TV channels so they can get rid of their cable TV, too.

Enjoy Grandparents Day! If you decide to give yours an Ooma Telo LTE with Battery Backup, we hope they think of you fondly every time they use it.