Business Phone
A business phone system connected to your customers and enquiries.
Keep your existing number or add a new one. Calls ring your team in the order you choose, and anything unanswered goes to your AI receptionist instead of voicemail, so the enquiry is captured rather than lost.
What a cloud business phone system is
A cloud business phone system, also called business VoIP, a hosted phone system or a cloud PBX, carries your calls over the internet instead of a traditional copper line. Your business number lives in the cloud rather than in a box on the wall, which means calls can ring on mobiles, desktops and desk phones anywhere with a connection, and features like ring groups, voicemail to email and call recording are settings rather than hardware.
For UK businesses this is no longer optional. The traditional analogue phone network is being retired and every business still on a landline will need to move to an internet-based service. Moving on your own timetable means you choose the provider and the features instead of taking whatever your current supplier offers at the deadline.
What makes Step Into AI different from a standalone VoIP provider is that the phone is part of the same platform as your CRM, AI receptionist and follow-up. Every call is logged against the customer, missed calls become tasks, and the receptionist picks up when your team cannot. The phone system stops being a utility and becomes the front door of your customer process.
The problem
The phone is the front door of your business. Most are still on the latch.
One landline, one desk
Calls ring in an empty office while the people who could answer are out on jobs.
Personal mobiles for business
Customers have your engineer's number, not the company's. When they leave, so do the calls.
The analogue switch-off
Traditional UK phone lines are being retired. Every business needs a plan for what replaces them.
No record of the conversation
Who called, what was agreed, who was meant to ring back. None of it is written down anywhere useful.
How it works
One number, every device, every call recorded against the customer
The phone system is the foundation of the platform. Start here at £29.99 a month and add the receptionist, CRM and follow-up when you are ready.
- Your numberSetupPort your existing number or choose a new local one
- Manchester, London or any UK area code, or a national 03 number
- Ring groupsSetupCalls ring the right people in the right order
- Office first, then mobiles, then the AI receptionist
- Never voicemailAutoUnanswered calls go to your AI receptionist, not a machine
- The caller is helped, the details are captured, you get the full conversation
- Call capturedAutoReceptionist calls recorded and transcribed
- Who called, what they needed, and the enquiry it created
- You stay informedAutoEvery captured call lands with your team straight away
- By email and in the platform, with the recording to hand
Capabilities
Phone system features
Keep or choose your number
Port your existing landline or mobile number, or choose a new local or national number. Multiple numbers can point at one business.
Ring groups and routing
Office first, then mobiles, then the AI receptionist. Different rules for opening hours, evenings and holidays.
Caller recognised
Known customers appear with their history before you answer: last job, open quote, booked visit.
Every call logged
Inbound, outbound and missed calls saved against the customer record. Missed calls create a callback task automatically.
Voicemail to inbox
Messages transcribed and emailed, so you read them in seconds rather than dialling in.
Mobile and desktop apps
Make and take business calls on the phones and computers you already own. Desk phones available if you want them.
Call recording
Optional recording with the notices you need, useful for disputes and training.
AI receptionist built in
Add answering for the calls nobody picks up without a second supplier or a second bill.
Call reporting
Answered, missed, by hour and by person. Know your missed call rate and watch it fall.
What you get
Outcomes, not features.
- Customers always call the company number, not a personal mobile
- Unanswered calls are answered and captured instead of lost to voicemail
- Ready for the retirement of traditional analogue phone lines
- Grows into the AI receptionist and CRM without changing number again
You stay in control
Set opening hours, greetings, ring order and what happens to unanswered calls. We configure it with you and change it whenever you ask.
How we handle your data is set out on our security and data processing pages.
How approval settings workWho it is for
- Small businesses still on a traditional landline that needs replacing before the analogue switch-off
- Trades whose customers currently ring personal mobiles, and who want one company number that stays with the business
- Businesses with a small office plus people out on the road who all need to answer the same number
- Anyone who wants calls, customers and follow-up in one system rather than a phone bill and a separate CRM
Worth knowing before you decide
- Calls depend on your internet connection. Normal broadband or 4G is more than enough, but if your connection fails, calls fail over to mobiles or the receptionist rather than ringing a desk. We test your connection before you commit.
- A VoIP line is not a substitute for a traditional line for emergency calls during a power cut. Keep a charged mobile available.
- Number porting depends on your current provider and usually takes a few weeks. Your old line keeps working until the switch happens.
- Some bundled broadband and phone contracts tie the number to the broadband. Check your contract before porting so you do not lose the connection.
Examples
In practice
Short examples of how businesses use it. Illustrations of the configured workflow, not customer case studies.
Replacing the office landline
A property maintenance firm moves its 0161 number to Step Into AI. The office answers on desktop, engineers answer on the app, and after hours the receptionist takes over. Nothing changed for tenants and landlords except that someone now answers.
One number for a growing team
An electrical contractor with three vans replaces three personal mobiles with one business number and a ring group. When an electrician leaves, the number and the customer history stay with the business.
Knowing the missed call rate
A kitchen showroom discovers from the call report that a third of Saturday calls were missed. It adds the receptionist for Saturdays only.
Connected
Works with the rest of the platform
Each part is useful on its own. Together they own the whole customer journey.
Industries
How it applies in your industry
Plumbers & Heating
Answer emergency calls mid-job, book visits, chase quotes and remind customers about annual services.
See the workflowElectricians
Capture enquiries on site, qualify the job, book the visit and chase the quote.
See the workflowProperty Services
Handle tenant, landlord and agent calls, log every job and keep everyone updated automatically.
See the workflowRoofers
Answer enquiries while you are on a roof, qualify the job, track every quote and follow up automatically.
See the workflowQuestions about Business Phone
Can I keep my existing number?
Yes. Most UK landline and mobile numbers can be ported. We handle the paperwork and the old line stays live until the port completes, so there is no gap.
Do I need special phones?
No. The mobile and desktop apps work on the phones and computers you already have. If you want desk phones for an office we can supply compatible handsets.
What about call quality?
Calls run over your internet connection. A normal broadband or 4G connection is more than enough for clear calls. We can test your connection before you commit.
Is this related to the analogue switch-off?
Yes. Traditional phone lines in the UK are being retired in favour of internet-based calling. Moving to a cloud phone system now means you choose the timing rather than having it chosen for you.
Resources
Related guides
Can I keep my business number when moving to VoIP?
Yes, almost always. How number porting works in the UK, how long it takes, what can go wrong, and why the analogue switch-off makes this worth sorting now.
Business phoneAI receptionist vs voicemail: what actually happens to the call
Voicemail is free and most callers hang up on it. An AI receptionist answers every time. A plain comparison of what each one does with a real enquiry.
Lead conversionHow many enquiries does a UK trade business lose to missed calls?
Nobody knows their own number until they measure it. Here is a simple way to work out what missed calls are costing your business, and what to do about it.
See what happens to your next enquiry.
A short demo, built around your business, showing how Business Phone would work for you.