Make Your Phone
System Work For You
GROW A BUSINESS WITH A VIRTUAL
PHONE SYSTEM
Hey there…
Are you a small business owner who needs to get organized and simplify your
life? Between running errands, convincing customers you’re the right choice,
testing out ad strategies, and wading through emails, there’s a lot to do.
Before you run away from your business as fast as you can, think about some
simple solutions. Like, what if your phone system could help you out?
We usually think of phone systems as another “must-have” business thing,
but if you set one up just right, you could simplify your life, instantly sound
professional, and improve the way you do business.
Whether you’ve got an existing phone system that’s draining your bank
account, need an upgrade from Google Voice, or want to start a brand new
business on the right foot, you should consider a virtual phone system.
Grasshopper provides 800, local, and vanity numbers, as well as an autoattendant and voicemail transcription—and it can all work with your existing
phone line.
We’ve got your solution, and we’ll show you how to use it.
Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: What the Heck Is a Virtual Phone System?
Chapter 2: The Biggest Benefits of Virtual Phone Systems
Chapter 3: Problems Grasshopper Solves (With Real-life
Examples)
Chapter 4: Set up Your Virtual Phone System Today
Chapter 5: Creative Uses of Grasshopper
Chapter 6: Phone System Suggestions By Industry
Chapter 7: Grasshopper Phone System Integrations and
Alternatives
Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
1
What the Heck is a
Virtual Phone System?
The terms virtual phone system, virtual PBX, and cloud-hosted phone are
confusing. You just want a phone system that works.
Thankfully, you don’t need an engineering degree to choose a system.
In fact, Grasshopper is made for people who aren’t technical. Instead of
tangling yourself in wires and spending hours reading up on Virtual PBX, you
can set it, forget it, and get back to business.
Here’s how a virtual phone system works:
1. Callers call your toll free or local number
2. Callers are greeted with a custom main greeting
3. Calls go straight to your cell wherever you are
If you don’t answer ….
• Calls can go to another extension where you’ve got another employee
waiting
• Calls go to voicemail. These voicemails get transcribed by humans and
emailed to you.
1 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
There are a ton of other features that can be added to enhance your system to
make it even better, but this gives you a decent starting point.
Grasshopper works atop your existing cell or land line plan—it doesn’t
replace it. It’s a way to have a fancy-sounding business phone system using
existing lines.
Is a Virtual Phone System Right For You? A Checklist
Virtual systems are great, but they’re not a perfect fit for all businesses. A
virtual phone system is a scalable, low-cost solution that gives your company a
professional communications infrastructure while you’re small.
Here’s a checklist to help you decide. If you check four or more boxes, you’ll
benefit from a system like Grasshopper:
☐☐ My business has 1 to 15 people.
☐☐ I am currently using my cell phone or Google Voice to manage business
calls.
☐☐ My business is relatively small, but I hope it will grow.
☐☐ I don’t want to hire a receptionist.
2 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
☐☐ I would like the flexibility of using my cell phone as a business line.
☐☐ I am paying a lot of money for a phone system, but I don’t need all of its
functionality.
☐☐ I have a business number already that I’d like to keep.
☐☐ I work from a home office, co-working space, or other untraditional
arrangement.
☐☐ I am often on-the-go.
Grasshopper is not a good fit if you have over 15 employees. We are best
suited to small businesses that intend to grow. If you are looking for additional
functionality besides a phone system, there may be better options. If you want
to be able to provide each employee with hardware and office phones at their
desks, we may not be the best option. We’re best for Bring-Your-Own-Devices
(BYOD) situations in less traditional office settings.
3 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
2
The Biggest Benefits
of a Virtual Phone
System
Are you wondering why you should choose a virtual phone system? Here are
some benefits.
Don’t Sit by the Phone
Does someone at your office sit at a desk and spend their whole day
answering the phone? Wouldn’t you rather have that person be running
errands too?
A lot of small business owners answer the phone themselves or hire a
receptionist to do it, but this a huge waste of your time and money.
If you have Grasshopper, you (and anyone you work with) can easily leave their
desks behind to complete other tasks. Calls can be forwarded to a cell phone
if no one answers at the front desk, or you can forego traditional landlines
altogether and just use cell phones.
Missing a call isn’t a big deal either since you can read transcribed voicemails
via email.
4 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Set Your Hours for a Better Work/Life Balance
Susie Miller answers calls when she’s in the shower, out to lunch, and while
she’s trying to cart her kids around afterschool.
The Chicago-based small business owner and mother of two recently hired
Kevin, a part-time assistant, but still finds herself answering every single
support call for KidzyShades, her online shop that sells children’s sunglasses.
Here’s Susie’s situation:
• KidzyShades offers customer support via phone between 9:00 am and
5:00 pm on Monday–Saturday.
• Both Susie and Kevin are capable of providing customer support.
• Susie has to pick her kids up from school and drive them to their
activities from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays.
• Susie wants to have her weekends clear so she can take some trips to
Lake Michigan, where her family has a cottage.
5 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Grasshopper can help Susie by allowing her to set up a support schedule that
works for both her and Kevin.
Now, her “support” extension forwards to her cell when she’s available, and
Kevin’s cell when she’s not. On Sundays, all support calls go straight to a
voicemail message that clearly states KidzyShade’s support hours.
SUSIE
KEVIN
MONDAY
9:00am–3:00pm
3:00pm–5:00pm
TUESDAY
9:00am–5:00pm
Day Off
WEDNESDAY
9:00am–3:00pm
3:00pm–5:00pm
THURSDAY
9:00am–5:00pm
Day Off
FRIDAY
9:00am–3:00pm
3:00pm–5:00pm
SATURDAY
Day Off
9:00am–5:00pm
SUNDAY
Day Off
Day Off
Here’s what this looks like in a Grasshopper account:
6 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Of course, you probably have different needs than Susie, but you can still
configure your phone system to get coverage where you need it and get your
work/life balance in tip-top shape.
Sound Polished and Professional
Business owners use virtual phone systems because they’re tired of using the
same line for their friends and for business. They answer the phone by saying
“Hey, What’s Up?.”
Um… not very professional!
Instead of answering “Hello?” while your kids scream for candy in the
background, hire a voice talent to record a custom greeting that welcomes in
all of your callers.
A local or vanity number can enhance your appearance, too. An official
number like 1-800-FLWRGRL shows that you’re professional and legitimate,
even if you’re actually at the gym with Chloe.
7 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Improve Your Branding
You’ve got a Facebook page, Twitter account, and custom domain name, but
do you have a branded phone number?
Vanity numbers (numbers with letters like 1-800-CONTACTS) allow you to put
your brand name in more locations. What’s easier to remember, 1-855-EMMAWRITES or 1-855-366-2973?
Vanity numbers are easy to remember and are perfect for:
• Business cards
• Radio ads
• Billboards
• Websites
• Storefronts
• Direct mailings
• Other marketing materials
8 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Get a toll free vanity number or use a local area code like Manhattan Mini
Storage, a business that takes advantage of New York City’s 212 area code:
Source: Cezzie901 via flickr
Work from Anywhere
Carla owns a bustling real estate agency with three agents, but has trouble
staying in the loop when she’s not in the San Diego office.
This wasn’t an issue when Carla started the agency, but now her mother is
sick—and Mom lives in Long Beach.
9 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Carla now needs a business phone that:
• Helps her reach employees when they’re out showing properties
• Allows her to take calls in Long Beach, as well as San Diego and
anywhere in between
• Makes her seem professional, even when she’s holding a cold compress
to Mom’s head
Grasshopper can help Carla by providing a system that works with her office
landline and her cell phone. Now, when customers call, they’re greeted with an
auto-attendant that automatically gets them to the right person.
• When they press 1, they get the office line where Carla’s agents can take
care of things.
• When they press 2, calls go to Carla’s cell phone.
10 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Save Some Money
How much is a standard business phone system?
Bob’s been Googling it for days, but he’s still having trouble coming up with an
answer. There’s a range in how much phone systems cost, especially with the
rise of Virtual PBX and cloud systems.
So we did Bob a favor and called up a number of providers in the Boston area.
We asked for a phone service that had:
• A toll free number
• Nationwide calling
• Three business users
Here’s what Bob would pay for these features in Boston, Massachusetts*:
Price for three standard business lines with one toll
free number and nationwide calling
Verizon
$275.85 per month
Comcast VoiceEdge
Business
$29.95 one-time setup fee + $104.84 per month
($34.95 per line).
Grasshopper
$12 Per Month + 6 cents per minute + your standard
cell phone or land line rates.
ShoreTel Sky
$37 per user, $200 per month for 5 users (minimum
5 users).
Ooma
$19.95 per month + $199.99 Ooma Office setup fee
+ your standard internet costs
* These costs are estimated based on research conducted in September 2014.
11 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Because of these high costs and the fact that Bob has a few remote
employees, Bob is considering buying cell phones for each employee, but this
gets expensive, too.
Most cell phone plans cost at least $100 per month, depending on provider.
Even with a family plan, Bob’s better off allowing his employees to use the cell
phones they already have.
But how to do this?
With Grasshopper, Bob can route all his calls to existing landlines and cell
phones. It works atop what the standard business line and cell phones he’s
already got, making it extremely affordable.
Bob also considered either Verizon or ATT’s bundled small business phone
systems. For $69.99 per month, Verizon customers get two phone lines
and internet. However, Verizon is inflexible, making it difficult to add new
employees.
The Grasshopper phone system works well on top of these types of bundled
systems, but Bob has decided to go with Grasshopper and existing cell
phones to save some money.
12 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
It’s Do-it-Yourself
You’ve probably got a lot to do, making it hard to devote the time and energy
to managing a complicated process. Hiring people to do it for you can get
costly.
Why bother when you can do it yourself?
Grasshopper is super easy to use. You can log in and access our online portal
to change your settings. If you run into any trouble, you can reach our 24/7
support team. You don’t need any technical skills—just a computer.
Go Mobile
You don’t need a desktop computer, laptop, or fancy device to use
Grasshopper. With our mobile app, you can do everything from your iOS or
Android device.
The app allows you to do business from wherever you are, even if that’s
beside the pool in Miami Beach.
13 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Go completely mobile. Listen to voicemails, view faxes, save your favorite
numbers, and sign PDF and fax attachments with your fingers.
Make Your Customers Trust You
People feel more comfortable with brands that they can put a face behind.
Even though a customer might purchase a product exclusively online, having a
phone number on your site and the ability to talk to a real person (who cares)
makes them feel more comfortable taking out their wallet (or recommending)
for your brand.
In fact, phone numbers on websites actually increase conversion rates.
A few years ago, we partnered with KISSmetrics to test home pages with
and without phone numbers, to prove our theory.
14 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
TEST CONDITIONS
• Test Duration: From September 9, 2011 to October 24, 2011. (approx. 6
weeks)
• Test Item: Website home page of Flowr vs. home page variation.
• Test Type: A/B Test (only difference between variation was a phone
number and associated call-to-action).
• Test Goal: Increase software sign ups from home page.
RESULTS
• 53.96% of sign-ups originated from the home page variation with the
phone number.
• 46.04% of sign-ups originated from the original home page without a
phone number.
• Conversion Increase: +.5% (half of a percent increase)
At the end of the test, we’d discovered that having a home page on your
website increases customer trust.
Give a National or Local Presence
Where do your customers live?
Are they clustered in Phoenix or are they spread out across the entire country?
If you’re running a business that serves Arizona, you can easily get a Phoenix
area code, even if you’re actually working in Ohio. Because Grasshopper
works from your cell phone, you can manage business from wherever you are.
15 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
If you want to appear bigger than you are and promote a national presence,
you can get 1-800 or toll free number. These are perfect for online businesses
that serve the entire country. These numbers show that you serve a national
audience and can increase authority and customer trust.
Use It for Marketing Materials and Campaigns
What do you do for marketing?
You probably use a host of different strategies—from word of mouth, to online
marketing, to billboards. Even your personal business cards are a form of
advertising.
To optimize your marketing, make sure you plaster your phone number all over
your materials and campaigns.
You can even use multiple phone numbers to track the return on investment
(ROI) of certain campaigns. For example, if you use the same number on your
Pay-Per-Click ads but use a different one on your billboards, you’ll always
know how someone found out about you.
16 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Here are a few tips on using multiple phone numbers to track ROI:
• Place a phone number on your website that is found no here else. This
will allow you to track conversions from people visiting the site and then
picking up the phone and buying. You can even create use separate
numbers for your pay-per-click ads.
• Use a specific phone number in your television or print ad. This can be
as easy as creating a new extension for your toll free number or using a
completely separate phone number. Perhaps you want a local number
for your television ad but an 800 number for your print ad since it will be
less geo-targeted.
Get the Phone Number You Want
If you have a business number you love, keep it. You can port your number
over to Grasshopper. If you want a certain phone number, get it! We have
thousands of numbers to choose from.
When you sign up, you’ll be able to choose from vanity, toll free, and local
numbers. Whatever is a fit for your business, we’ve got it. You can get as many
numbers as you want.
Local numbers are great for businesses that cater to certain areas, while toll
free numbers suit businesses that sell nationwide. We carry numbers for the
U.S. and Canada.
17 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
3
Problems Grasshopper
Solves (With Real-life
Examples)
Stop Sitting By The Phone — “I had to answer each and
every phone call that came in.”
Ever look out the window and wish you could sit in the sun for just a few
minutes? Ever feel like you had to stay inside because you needed to be near
your business line? Maybe you have an assistant or receptionist, but they only
work a few days per week.
We totally get it—you can’t leave callers hanging, especially if they’re an
important customer, partner, or investor.
18 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
With Grasshopper, you can
• Forward each and every call to your cell AND office line at the same
time.
• Forward calls to your employees’ cell phones if you haven’t answered.
• Send calls to your cell if no one answers at the office.
• Set up informational extensions to answer common questions. For
example, you might record your hours or directions to your business on
an extension.
You don’t have to spend your days inside waiting for a call. Grasshopper’s
virtual phone system allows you to work from wherever you are.
FEATURES USED TO STOP SITTING BY THE PHONE:
• Custom Main Greeting
• Call Forwarding
• Informational Extensions
19 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Get Your Business Better Organized — “Before
Grasshopper, I had no way of organizing callers and
messages.”
Have you ever woken up to a mountain of voicemails full of questions about
ten different topics? When all of your callers have to leave messages in the
same place, it can get messy really quickly. And when you’re the one fielding
all of those inquiries, it can be time consuming and frustrating.
Messages that come to your voicemail can be pretty hard to keep organized,
but Grasshopper allows you to route callers to different extensions based
on what they need. Now you can address your callers by category and even
delegate certain topics to be dealt with by other employees.
Amber of Bambu Earth says, “I can access customer service calls, wholesale
inquiries, and vendor calls separately, saving me a lot of time.” She loves
the ease of organizing calls that Grasshopper affords her. “I can even assign
specific voicemail boxes to different team members,” Amber says.
Let’s face it, callers leaving voicemails want to hear back from you as soon as
possible. Organizing your messages and routing voicemail boxes to the best
person to deal with that subject is the best way for you to get your business
organized, get back to customers, and save yourself a lot of extra stress.
FEATURES USED TO GET ORGANIZED:
• Custom Main Greeting
• Unlimited Extensions and Call Routing Extensions
• Informational Extensions
20 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Keep Tabs on Employees Wherever They Are — “We
know how long that employee has been there so we
can be assured good quality has been executed.”
Are your employees always in the office when they’re working? In today’s
world, probably not. When you have work getting done at different times from
various locations, it can be tough to keep track of employees and tasks.
360clean is a janitorial company, so their employees are usually on location
at clients’ offices. Brent Bodiford of the company says they love being able to
“timestamp” employees.
They use their voicemail to allow employees to clock in and out from the
client’s location. “This allows us to hear the employee’s voice, and we know
how long that employee has been there, so we can be assured a good quality
of clean has been executed,” Brent said.
Whether you want to monitor employees’ progress, keep track of their
location, or just be able to communicate with employees from anywhere,
Grasshopper’s system has the features you need to keep in touch and
oversee your employees.
FEATURES USED TO TRACK EMPLOYEES:
• Voicemail & Fax to Email
• Unlimited Extensions
• Call Routing Extensions
21 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Get Some Privacy — “I didn’t want to give out my
personal cell phone number.”
As a small business owner, you’re pretty important to your company. That
usually means that your work isn’t confined to just when you’re sitting at
your desk. You want to be available to customers, employees, and partners
whenever they need you. But does that mean you have to hand out your
personal cell number?
Not with Grasshopper. From Call Forwarding to Unlimited Extensions, we’re all
about helping you maintain privacy while staying connected to your business.
Jason Potter of VidTime Online has a standard extension for his office phone,
but he also designated another extension that he doesn’t advertise. It forwards
directly to his cell phone and he can share it at his discretion. “I didn’t want to
give out my personal cell phone number,” Jason said.
Whether you set up your toll-free or local number to ring straight to your cell
phone or just have your calls forwarded after hours, Grasshopper’s phone
system has all the tools you need to get some privacy where you want it.
FEATURES USED FOR ENHANCED PRIVACY:
• Unlimited Extensions
• Call Forwarding
• Call Screening & Announce
22 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Claim Back Your Time — “Every time I answered the
phone, I wasted my time, I answered stupid questions.”
How many times have you been hard at work and been forced to answer the
phone? Then when you answer, the caller is looking for someone else. Maybe
people call over and over again with the same questions. It happens all the
time.
Grasshopper’s Custom Main Greeting, Unlimited Extensions, and Informational
Extensions eliminate this problem. “Grasshopper has helped me manage my
time much better,” says Andrew Armitage, VintageChauffering. “It routes calls
to the people who need to get them without someone needing to stop and
answer the phone and then transfer the calls.”
If you’re answering the same questions over and over again, you can set up
informational extensions. People often record directions to their brick-andmortar locations and directions to their location with these extensions. That
way when someone calls asking how to get to you, you don’t have to stop
what you’re doing to explain.
FEATURES USED TO CLAIM BACK YOUR TIME:
• Custom Main Greeting
• Unlimited Extensions and Call Routing Extensions
• Informational Extensions
23 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Take a Vacation — “More vacations are now definitely in
our future!”
When you’re a small business, there aren’t many people around who can pick
up the slack when you wanna head to the beach. But as an entrepreneur,
taking the occasional vacation is super important to ensuring that you are your
best, most focused self.
Imagine if you could answer all of your calls from that beach? Grasshopper’s
Call Forwarding and Voicemail & Fax to Email allow you to be accessible from
pretty much any vacation spot you choose. Our Call Routing Extensions help
make sure you’re only dealing with the most important of issues while you’re
relaxing.
Annie of SkinOwl tells us, “We’re able to be more mobile because of
Grasshopper. We can answer calls on the go and not have to be in our office.”
That makes her pretty excited. “More vacations are definitely in our future!”
she says.
Whether you want to work from the beach or completely unplug from your
business, Grasshopper has the tools to help you. With our system in place,
you can come back refreshed, renewed, and up to date on everything your
business needs.
FEATURES USED TO TAKE A VACATION:
• Call Forwarding
• Voicemail & Fax to Email
• Call Routing Extensions
24 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Have a Disaster Plan — “Standard phone networks went
off the grid…for months.”
No one likes to think about crises, but that doesn’t stop them from happening.
When disaster does strike, you absolutely need to be able to communicate
and get information out.
Often times, these disasters can have an effect on traditional phone lines.
Land lines can be destroyed by natural disasters and cell networks can be
overloaded with traffic leading to limited service. But Grasshopper’s phone
system prevails!
Following Hurricane Katrina, serial entrepreneur Scott Wolfe—currently of
Wolfe Law Group—was able to use Grasshopper to stay in touch with a team
of 50. “Standard phone networks went off the grid…for months,” Scott said.
Being able to communicate in the wake of the storm allowed them to get
organized and start restoring the community.
You can also get information out 24/7 by using Grasshopper’s informational
extensions. Callers can receive your message whether you can answer or not,
and you can update the information as often as you need to.
FEATURES USED TO HAVE A DISASTER PLAN:
• Informational Extensions
• Unlimited Call Handling
• Call Forwarding
25 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Answer Calls On-the-Go — “We really value the
flexibility to be able to forward numbers.”
There’s really no underestimating the freedom and flexibility that being able to
answer calls on-the-go offers you. Have to run an errand in the middle of the
day? Pick up the kids from summer camp at 2?
Grasshopper allows you to easily leave the office whenever you need to
without worrying about missing calls or being inaccessible. The same benefits
are available to your employees, too. “When our team members travel for
business, their numbers can easily travel with them,” said Sophie of Globalme.
“This is a big advantage for us.”
Anywhere you can take your cell phone, you can answer calls from your
business line. That means you can be flexible while still catering to customers,
partners, and investors who need to contact you. Be responsive and stay
professional; Grasshopper allows you to do both. Callers will still hear your
custom main greeting, and they’ll never know you’re on a cell phone!
FEATURES USED TO ANSWER CALLS ON-THE-GO:
• Call Forwarding
• Voicemail & Fax to Email
• Read Your Voicemail
26 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Unite a Distributed Team — “It was difficult to organize
calls and keep my distributed team on the same page.”
Technology allows us to work from anywhere, and that means many new
companies employ people from all corners of the country. Remote teams are
great, but sometimes people can’t stay on the same page and have trouble
keeping track of calls and emails.
Grasshopper can forward calls anywhere, which means that an employee in
St. Louis can easily be connected to another in Oklahoma City, just by using
their cell phones.
The Wildlife Hotline uses this strategy to cope with a call center that’s spread
between Missouri and Illinois. “When a call comes in to our main queue, it
rings everyone who is scheduled at that moment – which might be 10 different
people across two states. It works perfectly and we love it,” says Angela
Wintrode.
Grasshopper can also help companies expand who they hire. Dr. Robert
D Carmichael, founder of UVUIT Technologies, wants the right people, no
matter where they live. “With 15 new hires expected in the next six months,
Grasshopper has eliminated the geographic restrictions we’d normally use to
filter candidates,” he says.
FEATURES USED TO UNITED A DISTRIBUTED TEAM:
• Custom Main Greeting
• Call Routing Extensions
• Unlimited Extensions
27 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Get through Your Mountain of Voicemails — “Before
Grasshopper I had no way of organizing callers and
messages.”
When you sit down at your desk in the morning, have you ever been afraid to
check your voicemail? Do you get overwhelmed by all of the messages and
find yourself unsure of how to handle them all?
Amber Hawthorne of Bambu Earth knows exactly how that is. “Before
Grasshopper,” she said, “I had no way of organizing callers and messages.
Now I can access customer service calls, wholesale inquiries, and vendor calls
separately, saving me a lot of time.”
Amber loves that she can have separate voicemail boxes for different types of
calls and that she can even assign each box to a specific team member.
Grasshopper offers many features that can help you sift through that mountain
of voicemails. Attending to messages is quick, easy, and pain-free!
FEATURES USED TO TACKLE VOICEMAILS:
• Unlimited Extensions
• Call Routing Extensions
• Name Directory
28 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Sound Professional, No Matter What — “To callers, it
seems like they’re calling a company office and landline,
but all of the calls get directed to my cell.”
When you’re a small company, it can be hard to compete with the big guys. But
with Grasshopper, your callers will never be able to tell the difference. Whether
you’re working from a 12-story office building or a couch in your home, your
phone system will sound just as professional.
Bambu Earth’s Amber wanted her cell phone to sound as professional as a
million dollar company. “Many times before Grasshopper, customers would
leave messages unsure if they’d actually reached Bambu Earth. Now, to
callers, it seems like they’re calling a company office landline,” she said.
No matter the size of your company, customers are going to expect big
business service. Grasshopper allows you to look, sound, and feel just like
you’re sitting in a big, corporate office. Your callers won’t even notice a
difference.
FEATURES USED TO SOUND PROFESSIONAL:
• Toll Free Numbers
• Custom Main Greeting
• Call Forwarding
29 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Look and Feel Bigger — “The toll free number,
automated messages, and extensions have made us
look much larger.”
Being a small business doesn’t mean your products and services aren’t better
than the big players in your industry. But customers often prefer to do business
with bigger companies, finding them more capable and reliable. Grasshopper’s
phone system allows you to look and feel just like one of the big guys!
Tim Grassin of Stinson Design knows a thing or two about being little. Stinson
Design is a small design firm, but they work with big name brands like Under
Armour and Redbull. “Grasshopper has helped us secure many of the clients
we currently work with,” Tim said. “The toll free number, automated messages,
and extensions have made us look much larger.”
For some reason, big business is usually associated with professionalism
and legitimacy. So it’s important to be able to communicate these qualities to
potential customers regardless of your actual size. That’s what Grasshopper is
designed for, so many of our features will help you do just that!
FEATURES USED TO SEEM BIGGER:
• Toll Free Numbers
• Unlimited Extensions
• Voice Studio
30 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Never Miss a Call — “I love that we can patch calls in
multiple directions to multiple people.”
Does it drive you crazy to find missed calls on your business line? When it
comes to your business, a missed call can mean anything from an unhappy
customer to losing out on a new sale. So it’s no wonder so many small
business owners hate missing a phone call.
Bryan Marriott of P1 Learning feels the same, and he’s not coy about it. “I
hate missing a phone call,” he said. “I love that we can patch calls in multiple
directions to multiple people.”
His Grasshopper system is set up so that if customer support doesn’t
answer the call, it rings everyone else in the company, until it gets answered.
Eventually, even the CEO’s phone will ring!
Whether you’re running errands, on vacation, or just away from your desk,
it’s important that your callers always have someone to talk to. When your
business phone gets answered, you project a brand that’s reliable, cares
about customers, and works hard to be there for them. And that’s powerful.
FEATURES USED TO NEVER MISS A CALL:
• Custom Main Greeting
• Call Forwarding
31 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
4
Set Up Your Virtual
Phone System Today
Grasshopper doesn’t take years to set up. In fact, it’s easy to set up your virtual
phone system in 30 minutes. Yep, that’s right—less time than most scuba
dives!
Follow these steps to get your business phone system set up and completed
today.
Step 1: Sign Up
Visit our signup page. You’ll start by choosing one of our plans (MAX, GROW,
RAMP, and PAY AS YOU GROW). Then, you’ll choose a phone number
(Custom Toll Free, Toll Free, or Local).
If you need help, call (800) 279-1455 and our support team will sign you up
over the phone.
After you sign up, you’ll receive an email with your username and PIN. You’ll
need to create a password. Once you’re logged in, our system will walk you
through set up, making it easy to forward your calls to any cell or landline.
32 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Step 2: Record a Main Greeting
Once you’ve signed up with a plan and phone number, you can record a main
greeting. This message will be the first thing customers hear when they contact
your place of business, so make sure the message is well-versed and professional.
Choose a team member with a polite tone and follow the prompts to set your
recording (we do offer a professional voice studio feature for those interested).
Step 3: Add Extensions
Unlimited extensions allow you to set up individual extensions for employees and
departments at no extra cost.
When someone calls, they will be given the option to dial a specific extension to
reach a specific person or department. You can set your extensions up in any way
you please! For example, you might send one extension to yourself, another to your
business partner, and a third to your assistant.
33 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Step 4: Start Receiving Calls (You’re Done!)
Once you have selected a phone number, set up a custom message, and
assigned extensions, you are ready to receive calls, voicemails, and faxes.
You can manage your phone calls and voicemails online or directly from your
phone.
Setting up your virtual system has never been easier. No more waiting for a
tech to come and install your systems!
34 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Visit Our Knowledgebase to Learn More about Setting
Up
We’ve explained how to set up and get going today, but it doesn’t have to stop
here. We have tons of other features that you may want to consider. Visit our
Knowledgebase to learn more:
• Getting Started Guide
• How do I put a call on hold or transfer a call?
• How will I know when someone is calling my Grasshopper line?
• What if I want my Grasshopper calls to go to my phone’s voicemail?
• …And much more
35 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
5
Creative Uses of
Grasshopper
Creatively Routing Calls
Most often, businesses go with the standard main greeting that sounds
something like, “Press 1 for Sales, 2 for Customer Service, or 3 to talk to a
representative.” But this set up may not be the best option for every business.
Angel Wintrode of Bi-State Wildlife Hotline says they take a different
approach that better suits them. They have a designated extension for each
type of animal. She says that because their employees are specialists on one
species, their Grasshopper system helps them “direct calls to the person most
experienced.”
There’s no one way of routing calls that works well for every business in every
industry. Grasshopper affords you the flexibility and customizability to make
your system work for you.
36 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Lead Generation Systems
Your phone system can do more work than you think. Just ask the real estate
agents who are using theirs as lead generation systems.
Here’s how it works:
1. Record a voice message on Grasshopper.
2. Distribute your message’s phone number to your prospects.
3. Capture lead information from prospects who call before they listen to
your message.
Realtors frequently use these messages to record information about their
current properties for sale. In their messages, these sales powerhouses
include a lot more descriptive information about their listings than they can in
print. The good ones even provide educational advice in the message—all in
an effort to capture the caller’s details at the end.
With Grasshopper’s unlimited extensions, you could use a different extension
for every listing, that way your prospects won’t have to waste time listening to
messages they don’t care about and it’s a lot easier for them to remember an
extension over another phone number.
37 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Employee Time Card System
One neat feature of Grasshopper’s phone system is that all voicemails are
automatically time-stamped. Our customers love that the timestamp helps
them keep their voicemail organized.
But 360clean uses this feature in a totally unique way. When an employee
gets to a client’s location, he calls in and leaves a voicemail. Since the
message is time-stamped, it serves as a way for the employee to “clock-in.”
When the job is done, he calls in again to “clock out.” Brent Bodiford of
360clean says it helps them to keep track of employees and accounts and
ensure a good quality clean.
VIP Lines and Hidden Extensions
Many of our customers say their favorite thing about Grasshopper is being
able to answer business calls on their cell phone. It’s a great feature, for sure.
But what if you only want the really urgent calls to come to your cell phone?
It can be hard to address the important issues without interfering with your
fragile work-life balance. And turning off call forwarding after 5 might mean you
miss something crucial.
Jason Potter of VidTime Online has found a solution by using his Grasshopper
system in a unique way. “I have a hidden extension that rings to my cell
phone,” Jason says. His “VIP line” isn’t listed in the company’s greeting or the
directory. Jason only gives it out to super important people. It helps him to be
accessible when critical things pop up without having to give out his personal
cell number or have all of his calls forwarded to it.
Using a secret, hidden extension is a great way to use Grasshopper to
maintain your privacy, keep a healthy work-life balance, and be accessible
when you’re truly needed.
38 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Turn Your Smartphone into Your Business Line
When it comes to convenience and communication, there’s nothing like
using your cell phone for business calls. But with only standard cell service,
your business can sound unprofessional and your messages might become
unmanageable.
Amber Hawthorne of Bambu Earth was using her cell phone for business.
Grasshopper helped her make it sound like an office landline. “When
someone is calling my Grasshopper number, the call gets forwarded to my
cell. There’s no confusion for people now. They get an automated system that
introduces our company and gives them options.”
Experiential Marketing
Ever read a book and wished you didn’t have to leave the world it brought you
to? Ideally, that’s how you want customers to feel about your brand. When it
comes to marketing, just like a good story, you can’t beat total immersion.
That’s the rationale author R.L. Akers used when he decided to create a reallife business mirroring the fictional company in his books, the Gryphens Saga.
He created the Orbital Defense Corps and set up a website that looks like an
actual branch of the military, even including a press packet and information on
how to enlist.
“I wanted to include a phone number,” R.L. said, “like a real military
website would have.” He uses his Toll Free Number, Custom Greeting, and
Informational Extensions from Grasshopper to make callers feel like they’re
really living in his story.
Branding your business through more than one medium is a great way to
create a true experience for your customers. “Transmedia storytelling,” as R.L.
calls it, allows you to emulate much bigger brands with a much smaller budget.
39 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Be Bilingual
In today’s world, there’s a good chance your customers may not all speak
English, so being able to provide support in multiple languages is huge.
EspanolSeguros.com uses their Grasshopper system to cater to both English
and Spanish-speaking clientele. Using Voice Studio, they’re able to customize
their greeting to read in both English and Spanish.
Since their service is designed to help Spanish-speaking customers attain
insurance, it’s absolutely vital that their phone system is able to cater to these
consumers. Grasshopper’s customizability means that you can record your
own greeting in as many languages as you need.
Track RSVPs for an Event
Event planning is a head ache. Between finding the best caterer, decorating,
and getting everyone on the same page, you’re likely to stress.
So, let Grasshopper track who is going to show up.
If you need an accurate head count, you want to track who’s coming as easily
as possible. That’s why Grasshopper customers set up a special extensions or
phone numbers for counting RSVPs.
40 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
You can give invitees your special number or extensions and ask them to
leave a message with their name and number. Then, Grasshopper’s Voicemail
Transcription service will write out and send your voicemails straight into your
inbox.
That way, you’ll know exactly how many people are coming to your party
without having to answer the phone every single time.
Track Marketing Efforts with Multiple Phone Numbers
It’s hard to track exactly where new customers come from: Television,
billboards, radio, web, partners, etc. While analytics have certainly made it
easier to track web traffic, offline efforts aren’t as clear cut.
A great way to track offline marketing efforts and determine ROI is to use
multiple phone numbers. Using separate phone numbers for separate
campaigns can help you track where your visitors come from and give you
insight into which campaigns are working best.
USING MULTIPLE PHONE NUMBERS TO TRACK ROI:
• Place a phone number on your website that is found nowhere else. This
will allow you to track conversions from people visiting the site and then
picking up the phone and buying. You can even create use separate
numbers for your pay-per-click ads.
• Use a specific phone number in your television or print ad. This can be
as easy as creating a new extension for your toll free number or using a
completely separate phone number. Perhaps you want a local number
for your television ad but an 800 number for your print ad since it will be
less geo-targeted.
The more accurately you track marketing efforts, the more efficient you’ll be
and the more money you’ll save.
41 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Manage Your Side Project
Many businesses start out as business ideas you tinker on when you have a
few spare moments.
But with a regular day job, these side projects can be hard to manage.
Whether you’re freelancing, consulting, or creating the next greatest web app,
Grasshopper can help you manage your time, as well as your customers. You’ll
be able to answer calls from clients in a timely manner while keeping your
boss happy!
With call scheduling, voicemail transcriptions, call forwarding, and other
features, you’ll excel at both your day job and your project.
Inbound Fax on Demand
Grasshopper isn’t just a phone system—it’s also a fax. In fact, your phone
number can double as a fax line, so you can receive faxes without an actual
fax machine. Incoming faxes are automatically converted to a digital image that
you can access online, have forwarded to a fax machine anywhere, or even
have delivered via email as a PDF.
If you need documents from your clients, employees, or partners, you can use
the inbound fax feature. You don’t even need a separate fax number.
42 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Emergency Updates, Scheduling Changes, and
Announcements
If something is out of the ordinary, how will you let your community know?
Grasshopper makes it easy to program emergency updates, scheduling
changes, and other announcements into your main greetings.
Alex Hoffman, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Dormestics, shared
a great example. Dormestics was a college storage business in Nashville,
Tennessee servicing Vanderbilt University.
In May 2010, just as students were moving out for the summer, Nashville was
inundated with a flood, causing serious disruptions to deliveries and pick-ups.
Alex used his main greeting to give information to students and their parents
about the company’s current status so he could focus on making things right,
rather than answering every call.
Up Your Privacy
Lots of entrepreneurs give out their cell numbers, especially when they’re first
starting out. This is ok for a little while, but if your business is going to grow,
you’ll need a private business line.
Not only do you want to make it clear to your customers that you represent a
business, but you also want boundaries.
43 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
It doesn’t make sense to call up your cell phone provider and get a whole
new phone. Why not just buy a phone number that forwards to the phone you
already have? Grasshopper allows you to port your existing number or get a
local or toll free number. With a spankin’ new number that forwards to your
current phone, you’ll up your privacy inexpensively.
Having a Local Presence, No Matter Where You Are
If you start a business in Texas, but spend most of your time in California, then
you’re in a jam. You want to cater to the Texans, even though you’re super far
away.
Not a problem with Grasshopper. Just buy a local number for the Texas area
code, and answer calls in California, Hawaii, or anywhere in between.
If you’re doing business far away from where you’re physically located, then
simply buy a local number that matches your business location. This will put
customers at ease, as they’ll be sure they’re speaking to a local, not some
strange “out of town” number.
44 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
6
Phone System
Suggestions By
Industry
When you’re figuring out how to set up a phone system, it’s hard to know
where to start. It’s helpful to understand how others in your industry are
leveraging their systems for success.
In this section of the guide, we’ve come up with examples for a wide array of
industries, from freelancers to franchises and everything in between. We’ve
included scripts for Main Greetings, examples of extensions, suggestions for
voices, and recorded demos.
Freelancers and Sole Proprietors
John Jensen is a full-service photographer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He
runs John Jensen Photography by himself, occasionally employing Stella, a
second photographer for larger projects. John works from a cluttered home
office, but wants to seem as professional as possible. He’s extremely busy, so
he doesn’t want to answer calls unless they’re pressing.
Number of Employees: One (plus an occasional contractor)
Number of Extensions: Five (Four regular extensions + one VIP line)
45 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Phone Hours: John takes calls from 12:00–6:30pm 7 days per week. During
off hours, calls go directly to voicemail. John’s VIP extension goes to his cell
phone 24/7.
MAIN GREETING SCRIPT EXAMPLE:
Hi, you’ve reached John Jensen Photography. We can’t wait to take your
photo! If you’re a current client, press 1. If you’re a new customer and want to
hire us, press 2. If you’re calling to work with us on another project, Press 3. If
none of the above apply to you, press 4.
• Extension 1 goes directly to John’s cell phone.
• Extension 2 goes directly to John’s voicemail.
• Extension 3 goes directly to John’s cell phone.
• Extension 4 goes directly to John’s voicemail.
• Extension 5 is a secret extension that goes to John’s cell phone. If John
doesn’t answer, it rings his home phone. If he still doesn’t answer, it rings
Stella’s cell phone, going to John’s voicemail if Stella does not answer.
John gives this number to friends and family so they can always reach
him. If John is photographing a wedding, he gives the secret extension
to the bride and groom.
Voice Used: Jon – English
MOST HELPFUL FEATURES
• Unlimited Extensions
• Auto-attendant
• Local Numbers
46 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
COMMON PROBLEMS SOLVED
• Answering every call solved with auto-attendant and extensions
• Unprofessionalism solved with custom greeting
• Communication issues between part time workers solved with
extensions
HAPPY CUSTOMERS WHO ARE FREELANCERS AND SOLE PROPRIETORS
• Carolyn M. Appleton, Inc
Startups and Growing Tech Companies
Chris Maes recently founded ParkME, a tech startup in Seattle, Washington.
The startup helps people manage and pay their parking tickets. Chris has
three employees—two engineers (Carla and Steve) and one support agent
(Samantha). Chris and his employees are super busy, so they want a phone
system that helps them manage their time. ParkME is based in a co-working
space, and sometimes the employees work from home.
Number of Employees: Four
Number of Extensions: Four
Phone Hours: ParkME takes calls from 9:00am–5:30pm PST 5 days per week.
During off hours, calls go directly to a main voicemail.
MAIN GREETING SCRIPT EXAMPLE:
Hi, you’ve reached ParkME, the ultimate solution for parking tickets. We’re
able to take your call from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm Pacific Time. If you’re a new
customer, press 1. If you’re an existing customer and need support, press 2.
If you’re calling to work with us on another project, Press 3. If you have press
inquiries, press 4.
47 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
• Extension 1 goes directly to Samantha’s cell phone. If Samantha does not
answer, calls go to Chris, Steve, and Carla at the same time.
• Extension 2 goes directly to Samantha’s cell phone. If Samantha does
not answer, calls go to Chris, Steve, and Carla’s cell phones at the same
time.
• Extension 3 goes directly to Chris’s cell phone. If Chris doesn’t answer,
calls go to Steve’s cell phone.
• Extension 4 goes directly to Chris’s cell phone. If Chris doesn’t answer,
calls go to Samantha’s cell phone.
Voice Used: Lori – English
MOST HELPFUL FEATURES
• Call Forwarding
• Voicemail Transcription
• Local Numbers
COMMON PROBLEMS SOLVED
• Call forwarding insures that someone will answer a call, even though the
team is distributed
• Voicemails transcribed via email help the team prioritize
HAPPY CUSTOMERS WHO ARE STARTUPS AND GROWING TECH COMPANIES
• Help Scout
• BatchBlue Software
• Archon Systems, Inc.
48 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Service Companies (Such as Contracting, Plumbing,
Seal-Coating, Cleaning, and Landscaping)
Don Miller has been running DonLawn Landscaping in Portland, Oregon for
15 years. He got Grasshopper so he could communicate with his employees
while they’re on the road servicing clients. He still has an office landline,
manned by Terrill, his wife and receptionist. He has four employees who do
the landscaping. Don has an “on the road” extension so that he can get in
touch with landscapers when they are out at a project.
Number of Employees: Six
Number of Extensions: Five
Phone Hours: 7:00am–5:00pm PST Monday–Saturday.
MAIN GREETING SCRIPT EXAMPLE:
Hi, you’ve reached DonLawn Landscaping, your neighborhood landscaping
solution. If you’re expecting services today, Press 1. If you’d like to schedule
services, Press 2. If you want a list of what services we provide, Press 3. If
you’re wondering about what areas we service in the Greater Portland Area,
Press 4. If you’re calling with other inquiries, Press 5.
• Extension 1 goes directly to the landscapers who are on duty that day.
This is the “on the road” extension. It rings all of their cell phones at the
same time.
• Extension 2 goes directly to the office line, where Terrill is waiting. She
manages new customers and scheduling.
• Extension 3 goes to an informational extension which lists all of
DonLawn’s services.
• Extension 4 goes to an informational extension which lists all the
49 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
cities and towns that DonLawn services, complete with a few off-limits
locations.
• Extension 5 goes directly to Don’s cell phone.
Voice Used: Marc – English
MOST HELPFUL FEATURES
• Call Forwarding
• Local numbers
COMMON PROBLEMS SOLVED
• Communicating when employees are on the road
• Before Grasshopper, it was difficult to expand to new areas and take on
more clients. Now that communication is flawless, it’s easy for DonLawn
to take on more.
HAPPY CUSTOMERS WHO ARE SERVICE COMPANIES:
• Denver’s Moving Boxes
• Fresh Paint, Inc.
• Superior Seal-Coating
50 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Franchises
Abby Sparks owns a BatBurger franchise, one of seven in the Dayton, Ohio
area. It’s a relatively small franchise, but Abby is always getting inquiries from
those looking for other locations, ones that she doesn’t run. Her callers always
have the same questions, so she’s set up a bunch of informational extensions
to answer common questions.
Number of Employees: 15
Number of Extensions: 5
Phone Hours: 7:00am–9:00pm CT, Monday–Sunday
MAIN GREETING SCRIPT EXAMPLE:
Hi Burger Lovers! You’ve reached BatBurger on 2918 North Gettysburg
Avenue in Dayton. If you want to know our hours, Press 1. If you’re looking
for other BatBurger locations in the Dayton, Ohio area, Press 2. If you need
directions, Press 3. If you’re looking to partner with BatBurger for a fundraiser
or event, Press 4. If you have a question, comment, or complaint, press 5. If
you’re looking for nutritional information, please visit BatBurger.com. To hear
this message in Spanish, Press 6.
• Extension 1 goes directly to an informational extension.
• Extension 2 goes directly to an informational extension.
• Extension 3 goes directly to an informational extension.
• Extension 4 goes directly to Abby’s cell phone.
• Extension 5 goes directly to the store’s line, where it will be answered by
the manager who is on duty.
• Extension 6 goes to an alternate main greeting that repeats this
message in Spanish.
51 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Voices Used: Ryan – English, Ruben – Spanish
MOST HELPFUL FEATURES
• Local numbers
• Call forwarding
• Bilingual capabilities
• Informational extensions
COMMON PROBLEMS SOLVED
• Before it was hard to get in touch with Abby, the owner, but now it’s easy
• It was difficult to communicate with Spanish speaking customers, but this
is no longer the case
• Before the staff was constantly answering the phone to answer the same
questions. Now informational extensions take care of many of them.
HAPPY CUSTOMERS WHO ARE FRANCHISES:
• 360clean
Brick-and-Mortar Businesses
Ted Simms is a certified architect who runs an architecture and interior
design firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ted has a brick-and-mortar office near the
University campus. He has 10 employees—made up of one receptionist, four
architects, three interior designers, 1 marketer, and 1 landscape architect. The
architects and designers are often out and about at project sites, but Ted still
wants them to be reachable by clients.
Number of Employees: 11
Number of Extensions: 5 (extensions off of the main greeting) + a Dial by
Name Directory with Extensions for 11 Employees
52 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Phone Hours: 9:00am–5:30pm CT Monday–Friday.
MAIN GREETING SCRIPT EXAMPLE:
Hi, you’ve reached Simms Architects and Planners. If you know your party’s
extension, please enter it now. For our dial by name directory, Press 1. For
new projects, Press 2. For current projects, Press 3. For directions to our office,
Press 4. For press inquiries, Press 5. For other inquiries, Press 6.
• The dial by name directory lists each employee so clients can get to the
person they need, no matter where they are. Each extension forwards to
the employee’s cell phone.
• Extension 2 goes directly to Ted’s cell where he can talk to potential
clients about new projects.
• Extension 3 goes directly to the office landline where the receptionist
can get callers to the right person.
• Extension 4 goes to an informational extension which explains how to
get to the office.
• Extension 5 goes to the marketing employee.
• Extension 6 goes to the office landline where the receptionist can get
callers to the right person.
Voice Used: Lori – English
MOST HELPFUL FEATURES
• Dial-by-name directory
• Informational extensions
• Local numbers
• Auto-attendant
53 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
COMMON PROBLEMS SOLVED
• Before call forwarding and a dial-by-name directory, it was hard to get in
touch with employees. They carried their personal cell phones, but they
did not want to give them out.
• Informational extensions answer common questions that previously took
a long time to answer.
• Previously, it was difficult to get calls to get to the right place. The autoattendant automatically routes these calls and frees up time for Ted and
his employees.
HAPPY CUSTOMERS WHO RUN BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES
• Hobbit Holes by Wooden Wonders
• Alan’s Factory Outlet
eCommerce Companies
Candace Jacobs owns FloralDesigns, an eCommerce shop that sells highquality faux flowers and arrangements. She wants to provide the best support
possible, even though it’s just her and Rachel, her support agent. Between
running the website, taking orders, and preparing shipments, Candace and
Rachel have a hard time answering calls as quickly as they want to, which is
affecting the business. They need an organized system.
Number of Employees: 2
Number of Extensions: 4
Phone Hours: 9:00am–5:00pm EST Monday–Friday
54 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
MAIN GREETING SCRIPT EXAMPLE:
Hi, you’ve reached FloralDesigns.com, your destination for the world’s best
faux flowers and arrangements. To place, update or cancel an order, Press 1.
To check on the status of an existing order, Press 2. If you’re calling to work
with us on another project, Press 3. For hours and other information about
FloralDesigns, Press 4.
• Extension 1 and 2 goes directly to Rachel’s cell phone. Rachel manages
all orders. If Rachel does not answer, both extensions ring Candace’s
phone.
• Extension 3 goes directly to Candace’s cell phone. If Candace is not
available, callers go directly to voicemail.
• Extension 4 goes to an informational extension that explains
FloralDesigns hours, as well as how to find more information on the
website.
Voice Used: Wendy – English
MOST HELPFUL FEATURES
• Auto-attendant
• Informational extensions
• Toll free numbers
COMMON PROBLEMS SOLVED
• The team used to miss calls, but they don’t anymore.
• Calls are distributed to different team members depending on who is in,
making the calling process seamless.
55 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
HAPPY CUSTOMERS WHO RUN ECOMMERCE SHOPS:
• The Blissful Dog
• Bambu Earth
• Kimberfire, Inc.
Realtors and Real Estate Agents
Tom McNally runs a real estate agency that services the Raleigh-Durham
area in North Carolina. He has five agents that are often showing properties,
though they often check in at the office, which serves as a home base.
Despite having a home base, Tom doesn’t employ a receptionist. He relies on
Grasshopper to route his calls where they need to go.
Number of Employees: 6
Number of Extensions: 5 + a Dial by Name Directory with extensions for each
employee.
Phone Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00am–5:30pm. Saturday and Sunday 11am–
5:30pm.
MAIN GREETING SCRIPT EXAMPLE:
Hi, you’ve reached Tom’s Real Estate in Raleigh-Durham. For our dial by
name directory, Press 1. If you’d like helping finding your dream home, Press
2. If you’re looking to put your house on the market, Press 3. If you want
information about 37 James Street, 7890 Cleaver Avenue, or 54 Sadie Lane,
please Press 4 and leave a message with your name and number. For all
other inquiries, please Press 5.
• Extension 1 goes directly to the company’s dial by name directory where
callers can find the agent they’re looking for.
• Extension 2 goes directly to Tom’s cell phone.
56 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
• Extension 3 goes directly to Claire’s cell phone. Claire manages this type
of inquiry.
• Extension 4 goes to an informational extension which gives information
about these properties. It asks callers to leave a message with their
name and number. These properties get switched out as needed.
• Extension 5 goes directly to Tom’s cell phone.
Voice Used: Jon – English
MOST HELPFUL FEATURES
• Unlimited extensions
• Informational extensions
• Call forwarding
COMMON PROBLEMS SOLVED
• The team doesn’t want to hire a receptionist. With Grasshopper, they
don’t have to.
• Employees are easy to reach when they’re out and about, which was
difficult before.
HAPPY CUSTOMERS WHO RUN REAL ESTATE BUSINESSES:
• H&H Real Estate Media
• HomeStars
57 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Healthcare Companies and Doctor Offices
Dr. Deluca runs NurseHere, an outbound care center in Salem, New
Hampshire. He contracts a number of nurses, who can are out and about
visiting patients every day. Dr. Deluca has an operations manager, a marketer,
and an in-office receptionist who also acts as bookkeeper, as well as 10
contract nurses. These nurses have set schedules—usually there are five
nurses on duty at once, while the others have time off.
Number of Employees: 13
Number of Extensions: 8 (One per each employee)
Phone Hours: 24/7
58 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
MAIN GREETING SCRIPT EXAMPLE:
Hi, you’ve reached NurseHere in Salem, New Hampshire. If you’re a new
patient, please Press 1. If you’re calling to change an existing appointment or
cancel, Press 2. If you have questions or concerns about yourself or a loved
one, please Press 3. For our dial-by-nurse directory, Please Press 4.
Voice Used: Wendy – English
• Extension 1 goes to the office landline (the receptionist answers and
schedules visits).
• Extension 2 goes to the office landline (the receptionist answers and
schedules visits).
• Extension 3 goes to Dr. Deluca.
• Extension 4 goes to a Dial by Name Directory where patients can get in
touch with their respective nurses.
MOST HELPFUL FEATURES
• Call forwarding
• Auto-attendant
• Dial-by-Name Directory
COMMON PROBLEMS SOLVED
• Before Grasshopper, it was difficult for patients to get in touch with their
respective nurses. Now the name directory makes it easy.
• Customers that have serious questions and concerns get forwarded
directly to Dr. Deluca, so they feel better connected to NurseHere.
59 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
HAPPY CUSTOMERS WHO RUN HEALTHCARE COMPANIES AND DOCTOR
OFFICES
• Health Kismet
• Ovation Health and Life Services
• Kevin Teal, M.D.
Non-Profits and Religious Centers
Mike Johnson is the pastor at St. Mary’s Church in Waco, Texas. Mike and
other church leaders coordinate a number of programs, such as volunteer
events, youth groups, mission trips, and more. The church leaders (Susan,
Betsy, Carlos, and John) sometimes work out of the church, but they also
work out of their own homes, and they work when they’re on the road, too.
The church has a landline, but often there’s no one around to man it, and the
voicemail inbox quickly gets clogged. That’s why the team got Grasshopper,
as it allows them to forward church calls to whoever is best suited to answer
questions. Mike also wants to be able to talk to people in emergencies. In
total, the church has 5 leaders, including Mike.
Number of Employees: 5
Number of Extensions: 5
Phone Hours: 24/7
MAIN GREETING SCRIPT EXAMPLE:
Hi there! You’ve reached St. Mary’s in Waco, Texas. For information about
Sunday services, please press 1. For wedding, baptism, and funeral service
questions, press 2. For inquiries about our youth groups, please press 3. For
all other inquiries, please press 4. If you need to speak with Pastor Mike about
an urgent matter, please press 4.
60 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Voice Used: Ryan – English
• Extension 1 goes to an informational extension that gives details about
the time, date, and location of upcoming services.
• Extension 2 rings Susan and Betsy’s cell phones simultaneously, so that
one of them can answer and schedule an in-person appointment.
• Extension 3 rings Carlos’ cell phone, as he is the youth group director.
• Extension 4 goes to the church landline. If no one answers, call gets
forwarded to Susan and Betsy.
• Extension 5 goes directly to Mike’s cell phone.
MOST HELPFUL FEATURES
• Call forwarding
• Local numbers (for Waco, Texas)
• Call blasting (simultaneous call forwarding)
COMMON PROBLEMS SOLVED
• Multiple people manning the phone can all be reached
• People can get in touch with the pastor, no matter the time of day
HAPPY CUSTOMERS WHO RUN NON-PROFITS AND RELIGIOUS CENTERS:
• Trinity Family Counseling Center
• Carolyn M. Appleton, Inc.
61 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Marketing and Advertising Agencies
Carol runs SharpMarket, a small digital marketing agency with 6 departments
and 10 employees. Each employee has their own extension, as does each
department, which gets forwarded to the first available caller within that
department. Before Grasshopper, the company considered a phone system
with hardware, but it was prohibitively expensive to the growing agency.
Number of Employees: 10
Number of Extensions: 16 (one per each employee plus one per department).
Phone Hours: 24/7
MAIN GREETING SCRIPT EXAMPLE:
Hi, you’ve reached SharpMarket. To schedule a consultation, please press 1.
If you know your party’s extension, you may dial it now. For a dial-by-name
directory, please press 2. For a dial-by-department directory, please press 3.
For all other inquiries, please press zero.
• Extension 1 goes to the Sales and Accounts department, where the first
available representative will answer.
• Extension 2 goes to a Dial by Name Directory which allows the caller to
choose their preferred SharpMarket employee.
• Extension 3 goes to a Dial by Department Directory which allows the
caller to search people by their department.
• Extension 0 goes to the office landline (the receptionist answers and can
direct their call). If the receptionist does not answer, the caller can leave
a general voicemail.
Voice Used: Wendy – English
62 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
MOST HELPFUL FEATURES
• Unlimited Extensions
• Department Extensions
COMMON PROBLEMS SOLVED
• Before Grasshopper, the receptionist would have to answer and
manually forward all incoming calls. Now the dial-by-name directory puts
the control in the hands of the callers.
• Department extensions allow callers to more easily search a
SharpMarket representative in case they only know their title and not
their name.
HAPPY CUSTOMERS WHO RUN MARKETING, WEB DESIGN, AND ADVERTISING
AGENCIES:
• Titan PPC
• Hire Writers
• Fresh Tilled Soil
Consulting Companies (Lawyers, Accountants, Financial
Consultants, Business Coaches, etc.)
Mary DuPont is a financial consultant in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her business,
Dupont Financial Consultants, caters to local clients and has three employees.
A few times a week, Mary visits corporate offices and speaks at events, so
she’s often out of the office. Even still, she wants to be easily reachable by
her customers. In the past, Mary has returned to the office with a mountain of
voicemails that are impossible to get through. The company also hosts their
own events—people are often calling with questions.
Number of Employees: 4
63 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Number of Extensions: 8
Phone Hours: 8:30am–5:30pm
MAIN GREETING SCRIPT EXAMPLE:
Hi, you’ve reached Dupont Financial Consultants. Our consultants are
available from 8:30 to 5:30 on Monday through Friday. If you’re an existing
client and know your consultant’s extension, you may enter it now. For our
dial-by-name directory, press 1. For new clients, press 2. For information on our
next financial planning event, press 3. For additional inquiries, press 4.
Voice Used: Wendy – English
• Each employee has an extension that they give out to their clients.
• Extension 1 goes to the dial-by-name directory if clients know who they
want to speak with.
• Extension 2 goes directly to Mary’s cell phone.
• Extension 3 goes to an informational extension about the company’s
events.
• Extension 4 goes directly to Mary’s voicemail inbox.
MOST HELPFUL FEATURES
• Dial-by-name Directory
• Employee Extensions
• Voicemail transcription
COMMON PROBLEMS SOLVED
• Mary used to return to her office with a mountain of voicemails, but now
that her voicemails are transcribed and emailed to her, she is better able
to get through them and prioritize.
64 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
• The company used to have one landline for everyone, which was
impossible. Now each employee is able to deal with their own clients on
their cell phones.
HAPPY CUSTOMERS WHO RUN CONSULTING COMPANIES:
• Biquitous
• Foguth Financial Group
• Write On – Creative Writing Services
65 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
7
Grasshopper Phone
System Integrations
and Alternatives
The Grasshopper Phone System works atop existing mobile and landlines, but
what else does it integrate with? How does it fit into other systems? What are
alternatives?
In this section, we explain not only how Grasshopper integrates with existing
technologies, but also how it works as an alternative to larger, hardware
systems and multiple cell phones.
Google Voice
Search giant Google has its own virtual phone service, and it’s called Google
Voice. Google Voice is available to anyone who has a Google account. It gives
users a local number that can be forwarded to another number.
Note: There is a lot of speculation in the VoIP and cloud phone sphere that
Google Voice will be shut down. Google originally planned to discontinue the
service on May 15, 2014, but it has yet to happen. It’s rumored that when Voice
comes to an end, some of its functionality will be folded into Hangouts.
66 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
WHAT FEATURES DOES GOOGLE VOICE HAVE?
Google Voice has voicemail, voicemail transcription, call screening, call
blocking, call history, conference with Hangouts, greetings, international
calling, and SMS to email.
HOW IS GRASSHOPPER DIFFERENT THAN GOOGLE VOICE?
Google Voice is for individual consumers. Google Voice is for any individual
consumer, while Grasshopper is designed for small businesses and
entrepreneurs.
• Features — Grasshopper has many more features than Google Voice. It
has unlimited extensions, multiple numbers, customer greetings, human
voicemail transcription, auto attendant and more.
• Toll Free numbers — Grasshopper offers toll free numbers beginning
with 800, 888, 877, 866, and 855, allowing customers to call your
business easily. We also offer local numbers. Google Voice only gives a
local number.
• Own your number — When you sign up for Grasshopper, you own the
rights to your toll free or local number. If you decide to change service
providers you can take the phone number with you. For a business, this
is extremely important as the majority of marketing materials (business
cards, website, etc) contain a business phone number. With Google
Voice, the number is not yours. If you wish to change numbers, there is a
fee.
• Customer support — If something isn’t working correctly what do you
do? Grasshopper offers free 24/7 support and can always be reached
via Twitter or Facebook. Google Voice currently offers support via their
forums.
67 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
HOW MUCH DOES GOOGLE VOICE COST?
Google Voice offers free local numbers to any U.S resident. Domestic and
outbound calls to the US (including Alaska and Hawaii) and Canada are
currently free of charge while international calls are billed according to a
schedule posted on the Google Voice website.
There is a fee to change your Google Voice number however Google Voice
recently announced the ability to port numbers for $20. Porting is currently
limited to cell phone numbers.
USING GRASSHOPPER WITH GOOGLE VOICE
If you want to take advantage of Google Voice but need the features that
Grasshopper offers, you can have your Grasshopper number forwarded to
your Google Voice account. The services can be used together.
Using Skype With Grasshopper
First let us just say, we love Skype! It’s a great tool and we want to help you
understand how you can use it with Grasshopper to create a powerful (and
inexpensive) professional image for your business.
Skype and Grasshopper can be used together in perfect harmony. You
can combine your Grasshopper and Skype systems for both inbound and
outbound calling.
To use Skype for inbound calling, you simply forward your Grasshopper
number to your SkypeIn or online number.
• A SkypeIn number runs around $2.99 a month. Check out their rates &
subscription page for more info.
• Note: You can NOT use your Skype user name, i.e “ambassadorbuzz”,
you need an actual Skype number to forward your calls to.
68 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
TO MAKE OUTBOUND CALLS:
• Dial out with your Skype account directly (Caller ID will show your Skype
number).
• Note: If you want to call out directly from Skype, you will not be able to
show the outbound number as your Grasshopper number since you
have to confirm your number with an SMS message.
The nice thing about Skype is it that when used with Grasshopper, it can help
your business stay connected and sound professional at a low cost. Wins for
all.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SKYPE AND
GRASSHOPPER?
• Inbound vs Outbound Calling — Skype is great for outbound calling
while Grasshopper focuses on inbound calls. Skype can help a
company save money on outbound calls, especially on international
calls. Grasshopper focuses on giving businesses the ability to sound
professional when taking inbound calls from prospective or current
customers.
• VoIP-based — While Skype is internet-based (VOIP), Grasshopper is
based on actual phone networks. VoIP requires you to have a strong
internet connection to use the phone service.
• Phone numbers — Skype currently offers SkypeIn numbers, allowing
you to get inbound calls through Skype. SkypeIn numbers are local
numbers and include voicemail and call forwarding. Grasshopper allows
you to have toll free or local numbers for your business and includes
features like auto-attendant, voicemail extensions, after-hours settings
and more.
69 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Your Cell Phone
When people start businesses, often they opt to use their personal cell
phones. This can work at first, but quickly gets complicated. What if you add
an employee and want calls to go to them? What if you get confused between
business and personal calls? What would you even record for a voicemail
message? How would you answer the phone?
Here are the benefits of using Grasshopper instead of your cell phone:
• A business phone number (local or toll free) that’s just for professional
use.
• Enhanced privacy—no giving out your personal number.
• Main greeting and voicemail messages that are customized for your
business.
• Ability to add extensions as you hire and add employees.
• You’ll always be prepared. Know who is calling from with Grasshopper’s
Call and Announce feature
Grasshopper works atop your existing cell phone or land line, so that you can
do business with the cell phone you already have. If you hire employees, you
can simply add extensions to their cell phones. That way, everyone can use
what they’ve already got.
GRASSHOPPER MOBILE APPS
If you have a smartphone, simply download our iOS and Android mobile app
and make calls from wherever you are. Our apps are free with your account.
Our apps allow you to keep your mobile phone number private and appear
as though you’re always in the office. You can call clients and customers using
your smartphone, but show your Grasshopper caller ID. If you have multiple
Grasshopper numbers, you can choose which ones people see.
70 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
From your smartphone, you can:
• Make calls showing your Grasshopper caller ID
• Check voicemails, faxes and call history
• Set up push notifications for missed calls and messages
• Sign & email faxes and PDFs
• Easily call extensions on your Grasshopper account
Your Landline
Many cable providers offer business landlines. These systems are great,
but only if you’re in the office all the time, which isn’t the case for most small
business owners and entrepreneurs.
If you rely on a landline, you’re chained to your desk. With Grasshopper, you
can forward calls to your landline when you’re in the office, and your cell
phone when you’re not. You can set up your system in ways that work for you.
71 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Grasshopper allows freedom and flexibility that landline office phones can’t.
Thankfully, if you like using a landline, you can do so with Grasshopper. You
can easily forward any Grasshopper calls to a landline system.
Let’s face it—landlines are going out of style. Yes, they are functional in many
circumstances, but we’ve been given a taste of freedom with our personal cell
phones, a freedom that’s difficult to give up.
A Larger System with Hardware
Grasshopper is a great option if you’re not sure whether or not you need the
functionality of office phone hardware. Traditional phone systems (where
every employee has a standard phone on their desk) are expensive. Plus,
they’re inflexible.
A virtual phone system is easy to use—you don’t need any equipment
besides cell phones. All your employees can bring their cell phones to work
and do business from their own devices.
Grasshopper may not be your best option if you’ve already splurged on a
hardware system and are looking for a provider. We work best on top of
existing systems, such as an existing cell plan or land line.
Don’t tangle yourself in wires if you don’t have to-- opt for a virtual phone
system instead.
72 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
Alternative to Multiple Cell Phones
Traditional phone systems don’t make sense for everyone. So, business
owners provide their employees with “work only” cell phones. This makes
sense in theory, but it’s inconvenient for employees and expensive for
businesses. It’s also hard to keep track of everyone’s number.
Rather than buying expensive smartphones and plans for each employee, why
not take advantage of the phones they’re already using?
Here’s how Grasshopper allows employees to user their existing cell phones
for business calls:
• Each employee gets a personal extension, which rings their cell phone
when needed.
• Employees can transfer calls to each other as needed.
• You can leverage the Dial-by-Name Directory to bypass a receptionist.
• Employees can do business wherever they are (in the car, at a project
site, at home), connected by one business number.
Multiple cell phones are disjointed, while Grasshopper unifies employees
under one number.
73 Make Your Phone System Work For You
A Grasshopper Guide
The Entrepreneur’s Phone System
Running a business doesn’t have to be a pain.
We’ve got resources. Let us help.
Sign up for our free newsletter to get even more
tips and tricks on running your business.
Sign up now!
SHARE THIS GUIDE
@GRASSHOPPER