Frontdesk is the best phone system for retail businesses that actually want their calls answered, because it picks up calls and texts 24/7, books appointments, and runs every location on one flat free-per-month plan. Most retail phone systems just route calls. The problem on a busy floor isn't routing, it's that nobody is free to pick up, so the call dies in a queue.
This guide is for store owners and multi-location operators choosing between traditional VoIP phone systems and answering-first platforms. We weighed call quality, multi-location support, pricing models, and whether the system answers calls or only routes them.
How we picked#
- Does it answer, or only route and queue.
- Multi-location support without a separate bill per store.
- Voice plus text on one number.
- Pricing model: flat versus per-seat versus per-minute.
- Setup time for non-technical owners.
Comparison at a glance#
| Tool | Pricing model | Channels | 24/7 | Setup | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontdesk | Free | Calls, texts, email | Yes | <30 min | A line that answers, books, and texts across every location |
| RingCentral | Per-seat | Calls, messaging, video | Yes (routing) | Days | Chains wanting an enterprise phone platform |
| Nextiva | Per-seat | Calls, texts | Yes (routing) | Days | Mid-sized retailers wanting calling plus CX tools |
| Ooma Office | Per-seat | Calls | Yes (routing) | Hours | Small shops wanting affordable VoIP |
| Grasshopper | Per-number | Calls | Yes (forwarding) | Hours | Solo owners wanting a virtual number |
| 8x8 | Per-seat | Calls, messaging | Yes (routing) | Days | Multi-region chains needing global calling |
| Dialpad | Per-seat | Calls, texts | Yes (routing) | Days | Retailers wanting AI inside their phone system |
| Vonage | Per-line | Calls, SMS, APIs | Yes (routing) | Days | Technical teams wanting customizable comms |
1. Frontdesk#
Frontdesk works as your storefront line and answers it for you when the floor is busy or closed. Callers get real answers about hours, stock, and reservations, and the system books consultations and pickups instead of dumping them to voicemail. When a rush hits and the queue would normally fill with hold music, Frontdesk answers in parallel, and after close it still takes the call a competitor's voicemail would have lost. Texts and calls share one customer timeline, staff can hop into any thread, and everything syncs to your CRM. Free to start, it covers unlimited seats and all locations, so adding a store doesn't multiply the bill.
Best for: Retailers who want a phone line that answers, books, and texts across every location.
- Pros: 24/7 answering and booking, flat pricing, two-way SMS, 30-minute setup, free porting.
- Cons: Not a full PBX with desk-phone hardware; pairs best as the answering layer.
2. RingCentral#
RingCentral is a full-featured cloud phone system with calling, messaging, and video for businesses of all sizes. Larger retail chains often standardize on it for centralized admin across stores and reliable call quality. It routes calls between locations and staff well. The gap for a busy floor is that routing only moves the call, so when no associate is free during a rush it still rings out, and per-seat pricing climbs with every store and employee.
Best for: Chains wanting an all-in-one enterprise phone platform.
- Pros: Robust features, reliable, integrations.
- Cons: Per-seat pricing adds up; routes calls but staff still answer.
3. Nextiva#
Nextiva offers cloud calling, texting, and customer-experience tools. It's popular with small and mid-sized retailers for its bundled feature set and dependable service. A mid-sized store gets calling plus CX features in one subscription. As with any routing-first system, the call still needs a free associate to pick up, so peak-hour overflow lands in voicemail, and per-user pricing grows as you add staff and locations.
Best for: Mid-sized retailers wanting calling plus CX tools.
- Pros: Reliable VoIP, good support reputation.
- Cons: Per-user pricing; answering still falls on staff.
4. Ooma Office#
Ooma Office is a budget-friendly VoIP system aimed at small businesses, with virtual receptionist routing and mobile apps. Single stores like its lower cost and quick setup. The auto-attendant greets callers and routes them by menu, which works for a small shop with simple needs. It routes rather than converses, so a shopper asking whether an item is in stock hears menu options instead of an answer, and per-user fees apply.
Best for: Small shops wanting affordable VoIP.
- Pros: Low cost, easy setup, auto-attendant.
- Cons: Per-user fees; auto-attendant routes but doesn't converse.
5. Grasshopper#
Grasshopper provides a virtual phone number with extensions and call forwarding, designed for very small businesses. It's a simple option for solo owners who want a dedicated business line on their cell. Calls forward to wherever you are. The limit is that it is forwarding and voicemail only, so when you can't pick up during a rush or after hours the caller still hits voicemail rather than a system that answers and books.
Best for: Solo or single-location owners wanting a virtual number.
- Pros: Simple, mobile-friendly, low entry price.
- Cons: Forwarding and voicemail only; no active answering.
6. 8x8#
8x8 offers cloud phone, contact-center, and messaging tools with global reach. Retailers with international locations may value its footprint and contact-center options for higher call volumes. It routes across regions reliably. For a typical store the contact-center depth is more than needed, per-seat pricing scales with headcount, and calls still depend on staff being free to answer.
Best for: Multi-region chains needing global calling.
- Pros: Global coverage, contact-center options.
- Cons: Per-seat pricing; complexity beyond a typical store's needs.
7. Dialpad#
Dialpad is an AI-powered business phone system with transcription and analytics. Tech-forward retailers like its built-in AI features, including searchable transcripts of every call across stores. It modernizes the phone layer for chains that review call data. The AI assists rather than answers, so during a rush an associate still has to pick up, and per-seat pricing grows with staff and locations.
Best for: Retailers wanting AI features inside their phone system.
- Pros: AI transcription, modern interface.
- Cons: Per-seat pricing; answering still requires staff.
8. Vonage#
Vonage delivers cloud communications with voice, SMS, and APIs. Stores with developers can customize call flows extensively, building exactly the routing and messaging logic they want. The API flexibility suits a chain with technical staff. That same flexibility means setup and customization take real effort, per-line pricing applies, and out of the box it routes rather than answers store questions on its own.
Best for: Retailers with technical teams wanting customizable comms.
- Pros: Flexible APIs, voice and SMS.
- Cons: Per-line pricing; setup and customization take effort.
How to choose#
The key question is whether the call gets answered, rather than routed. Traditional VoIP systems excel at moving calls between people, but on a busy retail floor the problem is that nobody is free to pick up, so the call dies in a queue regardless of how good the routing is. If your phones drop calls during rushes or after close, pair a routing system with an answering layer, or choose a tool that answers directly. Then weigh per-seat pricing against a flat plan once you add up your staff and store count.
Frequently asked questions#
What's the difference between a phone system and an answering service? A phone system routes calls between lines and people. An answering service (or Frontdesk) actually picks up and handles the call when no one is free, so the difference shows up most on busy days.
Do retail phone systems handle texting? Many add SMS as a separate feature. Frontdesk treats calls and texts as one conversation per customer, which matches how shoppers actually reach out.
How are retail phone systems priced? Most VoIP systems charge per seat or per line, so cost grows with staff and locations. Frontdesk is free to start with unlimited seats across all stores.
Can one system cover multiple store locations? Yes. Frontdesk runs every location on one plan with a unified customer timeline, while most per-seat systems bill each store separately.
Try Frontdesk for your store#
Frontdesk gives your store a line that answers calls and texts around the clock, books consultations, and logs every customer to your CRM. It goes live in under 30 minutes with free number porting and costs free to start with unlimited seats across all locations. Book a demo and turn your phone line into one that actually answers.