How to pick a phone company that actually helps your business

If you run a business with 10–200 staff, the choice of a phone company matters. It affects daily operations, customer experience and, quietly but importantly, your credibility. Get it wrong and you spend weeks firefighting missed calls and billing headaches. Get it right and you barely notice the tech — your team just works and customers get through.

Start with the outcomes, not the features

Businesses have a habit of buying on specs: number of simultaneous calls, codecs, porting windows. That’s sensible for telecoms teams, but for most business owners the checklist is different. Ask: what outcome do I need? Common answers are:

• Reliable incoming calls for sales and support so we don’t lose revenue.
• Simple call handling so reception and teams aren’t wasting time transferring calls.
• Predictable costs for budgeting and avoiding surprise invoices.
• Minimal downtime during a switch so customers don’t notice the change.

If a prospective phone company can’t explain how they deliver those outcomes in plain English, they’re not for you.

Practical criteria UK businesses care about

Here are the decision points that actually affect operations and the bottom line.

1. Reliability and resilience

Downtime hits revenue and reputation. Ask about real-world uptime, how the supplier handles outages and whether there are contingency routes for inbound calls. Providers who talk about automatic rerouting and clear incident processes are the ones that reduce stress when things go wrong.

2. Clear, predictable pricing

Look beyond headline prices. Check call bundles, mobile rates, international dialling and any per-user licence fees. Avoid providers who rely on obscure line items to make low headline prices work; your finance director will find them later.

3. Porting numbers and migration support

Keeping existing numbers is often non-negotiable for credibility. Ask how long number porting takes, who manages it, and what happens to voicemail and outbound caller ID during the move. A competent phone company will own the process and minimise disruption.

4. Support and SLAs that mean something

Support hours, response times and escalation processes should be explicit. If you’re office-based 9–5, make sure you get support outside those hours if you’re customer-facing. For many SMEs, a named contact and quick phone response are worth more than elaborate self-service portals.

5. Flexibility and scaling

As headcount moves between 10 and 200, your communications need to flex. Check how easy it is to add or remove users, change call routing or expand numbers as you grow. Avoid contracts that lock you into large minimums.

6. Integration with the tools you already use

Integrations with CRM, calendars and helpdesks save time. You don’t need a full API if simple click-to-dial and screen-pop features work with your sales tools — but make sure the phone company supports whatever your teams actually use.

Questions to ask a prospective phone company

• How do you handle outages and what’s your average time to resolve incidents?
• What does onboarding look like, and who manages number porting?
• What’s included in standard support and what costs extra?
• Are there minimum contract terms or exit fees?
• Can I trial the service on a small group before committing?

Red flags — walk away or ask for specifics

• Vague answers about outages or resilience.
• Complex, opaque billing where your monthly cost depends on a dozen variables.
• Sales pressure to sign long contracts without a proof of concept.
• No clear process for porting numbers or migrating users.

Contracts, commitments and exit planning

Contracts should protect both sides. Reasonable notice periods, clear SLAs and a defined exit process are sensible. Check whether the supplier will release your numbers at the end of the contract without excessive delay or charge. In negotiations, focus on minimising downtime and bill shock rather than getting the absolute cheapest monthly rate.

Real-world considerations for UK businesses

From small regional companies in Cornwall to multi-site firms in Greater London, the practicalities are similar: good local support, transparent bills and a smooth migration matter. Locality shows up in unexpected ways — if your main office is in a rural area, check mobile coverage and inbound routing options. If you have multiple sites across the UK, ask how the phone company manages geographic numbers and centralised administration.

How to trial without risk

Ask for a pilot with a handful of users. Use it to test call quality during peak times, support responsiveness and whether call handling matches your business processes. Pilots are the least risky way to find out whether a phone company delivers what they promise.

Decision checklist

Before signing up, tick off:

• Clear outcomes agreed in writing (uptime, response times, migration dates).
• Transparent pricing and an example invoice.
• A named onboarding manager and migration plan.
• Exit terms that protect your numbers and data.

FAQ

How quickly can we move to a new phone company?

It depends on number porting and your current setup. Simple migrations for a single site can take a few days; multi-site moves or complex integrations might take several weeks. A good phone company will give you a clear timeline and stick to it.

Will call quality be worse if we move to an internet-based service?

Not if it’s configured correctly. The important parts are sufficient internet bandwidth, good local network configuration and sensible routing. Ask your prospective phone company how they monitor and manage call quality in real time.

Can we keep our existing phone numbers?

Yes, usually. Number porting is standard, but it needs to be managed carefully to avoid downtime. Make sure the phone company handles the porting process end-to-end and provides a fallback for inbound calls during the switch.

What should I budget for ongoing costs?

Budget for per-user licences, call costs (especially mobiles and international), and any optional features such as call recording or CRM integration. Ask for a modelled monthly invoice based on your current usage to avoid surprises.

How important is local support in the UK?

Local support can be useful, particularly if you need on-site visits or quick regional responses. That said, many UK businesses get excellent support from remote teams. Focus on response times and escalation processes rather than the supplier’s office location.

Final thought

Choosing a phone company is less about the latest features and more about steady, predictable performance that keeps customers talking and teams productive. Spend your time on clear outcomes, measurable SLAs and a migration plan that keeps the lights on.

If you want fewer billing headaches, fewer missed calls and a calmer IT calendar, start by asking potential suppliers for a trial, a plain-English migration plan and a sample invoice. Those three things separate the competent from the costly — and save you time, money and needless stress.