Whether it’s trips to the beach or discovering a new town, gift shops are a holiday staple. If you own or manage a gift shop, the last thing you need to be worrying about is missing calls from customers or suppliers. Enter VoIP digital phone systems: an innovative technology that can offer plenty of benefits for gift shops, saving money, giving a more professional look and improving customer service. Let’s take a look.
What Is VoIP?
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, which is just another way of saying that your phone calls are made over the internet instead of traditional landlines. This technology has been around for some years now and has become increasingly popular due to its flexibility, cost savings and advanced features.
The Benefits of VoIP for Gift Shops
Here are some more advantages for owners of gift shops:
No Worries About the Landline Shutdown
From the end of 2026 UK landlines will be shut down permanently. Everyone will be affected, including businesses and households. By switching to VoIP as early as possible, you’ll no longer need to worry about the landline shutdown or any last minute rush.
We’ve put together a wealth of information about this on our landline shutdown page.
The Chance to Save Money
A big advantage of VoIP digital phones is the potential for cost savings. Traditional phone lines can be expensive, especially when it comes to calling abroad. With VoIP, you pay a fixed monthly price for a package that often has calls included, which can save some serious cash.
Advanced Features
VoIP systems come with lots of advanced features (more than 45 of them in our case!) that can really make a difference to your communications. These include call forwarding, voicemail, access to call analytics data and hold music.
Flexibility and Mobility
VoIP phones aren’t tied to one geographical location. This means that if you have more than one gift shop, you can easily manage communications across all of them from one system. If you’re on the go, you can also take calls on your mobile phone or tablet, meaning you never miss an important call, whether you’re in the shop or out on errands.
Scalability
As your business grows, so too can your VoIP system. Whether you’re moving to more locations or adding more lines for increased call traffic, VoIP can easily scale up or down depending on what you need. It’s simply a case of adding a new user to your online dashboard and you’re sorted – no more forking out for costly additional phone lines!
Integration with Other Systems
VoIP can integrate with other business systems like point of sale (POS) software, customer relationship management (CRM) tools and even security systems. This integration can streamline your operations, making it easier to manage everything from inventory to customer interactions.
Improved Customer Service
With features like call forwarding and setting holiday opening hours, you can provide better customer service. Rather than missing calls during busy periods, you can route them to another employee or take messages that can be followed up on promptly. This leads to happier customers who appreciate the extra responsiveness.
How Do I Get A VoIP Digital Phone For My Gift Shop?
Getting a VoIP phone for your gift shop is really easy! First, work out how many lines you need and what features would be most useful for your business, like unlimited minutes or international calling. Next, choose a reliable VoIP provider that fits your budget and needs (it’s worth doing your homework!)
Make sure your internet connection is up to speed too, as VoIP relies on a strong connection. Once you’ve decided a provider, setting up the system is usually straightforward and you can always get professional help if needed. With us, everything is done within 2 minutes completely online, with no techie knowledge needed by you and no engineer visits either.
Lastly, train any staff on how to use your VoIP system, test everything out – and you’re all set!
Give Us A Go For Free
Choosing a new digital phone system can be daunting, which is why at bOnline we make it really simple.
Why not sign up for a totally free 7-day trial so you can test out all of the 45+ VoIP features that can help you run your gift shop better. From call menus and hold music, to voicemail and access to call analytics data, there’s something for every business need.
There’s also no obligation to continue once your trial has finished and we don’t ask for your credit card details either.
There’s nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain!
