Business Phone: get started and use it well
Your company number, extensions, ring groups and menus: what to prepare, how to set it up with us and how to get the most from it.
Business Phone gives your company one or more numbers, with an extension for each person. Calls can ring desk phones, a softphone on a computer, a mobile app, or a staff member's own mobile number.
What to prepare
Send us these and we set everything up for you:
- The people who take calls, and how each one wants to answer: computer, mobile app, desk phone or their own mobile.
- Your number, if you want to keep it, or the area you want a new number in.
- What callers should hear first, and which teams they should reach (for example sales and support).
- Your opening hours and what should happen outside them.
How your calls can be set up
| Option | Good for |
|---|---|
| Extension | One person with their own phone or app |
| Ring group | A team: several phones ring together or one after another |
| Menu (IVR) | "Press 1 for sales, 2 for support" |
| Direct to a mobile | Staff who are out of the office |
| Voicemail | After hours, or when nobody answers |
Connect your phones
- Set up MicroSIP on Windows
- Set up Zoiper on your mobile
- Ring your mobile from the office number
- Choose where your number rings
Best practice
- Keep the first menu short. Three or four options is enough; most callers want a person quickly.
- Always plan the "nobody answered" path. Send those calls to voicemail, another team or the AI receptionist so no caller is lost.
- Use a ring group for teams, not one person's extension. Holidays and sick days then need no changes.
- Use an app with a mobile backup for staff on the move. The app rings first; if it is offline, their mobile number rings.
- Use a good connection. A softphone needs a stable internet connection; a headset gives far better sound than a laptop microphone.
Advanced options
Ask us about any of these:
- Call recording for quality or training. Tell callers they are being recorded where the law requires it.
- Business hours with a different route at night and on holidays.
- Extra numbers for each branch or campaign, so you can see which one brings calls.
- Caller ID name prefix, so staff see which number was called before they answer.
- Calls forwarded to a mobile go out as outgoing calls and use your balance.
See your calls
Your customer portal shows your numbers, call history, invoices and balance.
Common questions
A phone shows "not registered". Check the extension number and password, then the internet connection, and restart the app.
Calls ring but there is no sound. This is usually the local network or firewall. Try another network (for example mobile data) to confirm, then contact us.
A mobile does not ring. Check that the number is correct with its country code, and that your balance is enough for the forwarded call.