A cloud phone system, also called a hosted PBX, provides business telephony as an internet service instead of an on-site phone exchange. Calls travel over the internet using VoIP, and the provider hosts the call-handling, voicemail and routing features.
Staff use desk phones, computers or mobile apps, and each store can keep a local number. Admins set up auto-attendants ("press 1 for orders"), ring groups, after-hours messages and call forwarding through a web portal. Voice quality depends on the internet connection, so calls should be prioritised over other traffic.
Multi-site retailers use it to give every store a local number while routing overflow calls to head office. Restaurants and venues use it for bookings and takeaway orders, with call forwarding to a mobile when the premises are closed. Features such as call recording, voicemail to email and queue messages can help busy venues handle peak call times without tying up front-of-house staff.
Check internet capacity and failover, how emergency calls to 000 are handled and located, number porting, contract terms and call quality. Power cuts and internet outages can stop calls unless a backup such as mobile forwarding is set up. Rules around legacy phone lines are changing, so check current arrangements.
It reduces on-site hardware and makes it easier to manage phones across many locations.