Unified Communications in the Retail Sector: How to Keep Customers Coming Back
Retail runs on timing and coordination. Whether it’s a customer calling to check product availability or a staff member needing input from the stockroom, even a single missed call or delayed message can mean a lost sale. Multiply that by dozens of interactions a day, and communication breakdowns start to impact revenue and reputation.
Zendesk reports that 60% of customers say long hold times or dropped calls frustrate them enough to shop elsewhere. Retailers can’t afford that kind of risk—especially when those experiences turn into negative reviews or lost loyalty.
A unified communications (UC) system provides retail teams a faster, more dependable way to stay connected across sales floors, stockrooms, service counters, and multiple locations.
Key Takeaways
- Unified communications in retail eliminate delays and confusion across in-store and online teams.
- Staff can instantly connect with teammates, departments, or locations—no more chasing down information.
- Customers get faster, more consistent service—whether they call, visit, or message your store.
- Integration with CRM and inventory systems enables truly personalized customer experiences.
- Sangoma’s UC solutions scale with your business—ideal for growing brands and multi-location retailers.
Common Friction Points in Retail Communication
Retail teams deal with nonstop pressure: impatient customers, high transaction volume, and constant shifts between online and in-store activity. But when communication tools aren’t built for that pace, the impact is immediate and expensive.
- Missed calls pile up fast—especially when you’re short-staffed or juggling in-store customers. Without proper routing or alerts, those calls sit in voicemail limbo while someone else gets the sale.
- No easy line to the stockroom or a manager. Staff end up leaving the floor just to track down an answer.
- Too many disconnected tools. Chat in one app, phones in another, inventory in a third, nothing talks to each other, and people waste time chasing details.
- Online and in-store aren’t in sync. Customers get different answers depending on who they talk to—and stop trusting either one.
And it all adds up—to slower service, burned-out teams, and lost trust.
What Unified Communications Actually Fixes in Retail
Unified Communications (UC) brings together every way your team communicates—voice, video, SMS, messaging, conferencing, and file sharing—into one platform. This means no more bouncing between apps or guessing who’s available.
By deploying UC, you:
- Merge communication channels like voice, SMS, email, chat, and video
- Centralize team collaboration, customer interactions, and supervisor visibility
- Ensure everyone from sales staff to warehouse managers is connected in real time
This is how Sangoma supports retail communications.
Answer Calls, Every Time
UC systems ensure that your customers always get through, no matter how busy your store is. Smart call routing sends calls to the right person, voicemail-to-email ensures follow-ups, and SMS capabilities give customers a quick way to reach you or confirm details.
Keep Your Team in Sync
Disjointed teams are more prone to delays and mistakes. Using TeamHub or similar tools that your UC provider can offer, your staff will be able to chat, video call, and share files instantly. They don’t have to switch between apps or devices. Whether someone is on the sales floor, in the back office, or working remotely, they’re always in the loop.
Deliver Personalized Service at Scale—Online and In-Store
When communication and customer data live in the same system, your staff can serve customers with confidence. UC systems that integrate with your CRM let associates instantly access purchase history, preferences, and past issues—making service feel personal and thoughtful.
That kind of contextual support makes a huge impact in retail—and Sangoma makes it easy with CRM integration and multichannel contact center.
For more on how UCaaS is helping retailers connect the dots between digital and in-store service, check out how it’s closing the communication gap across channels.
Support Retailers Facing Staffing Shortages
Retailers are increasingly expected to do more with less. During peak seasons like Christmas, Black Friday, or back-to-school, teams are stretched thin and new seasonal hires need quick onboarding. Sangoma’s mobile apps, TeamHub, and Sangoma Meet allow associates to ask questions, escalate issues, or access resources without leaving the sales floor.
Supervisors can monitor multiple locations remotely, offer guidance in real-time, and jump in where needed—all without being physically present.
The result is a smoother, more responsive operation, even when your staff is at its limit.
Reduce Burnout with Smarter Internal Communication
Retail teams already juggle enough and tech shouldn’t slow them down. When systems don’t talk to each other, people end up doing the extra work. When basic tasks take too many steps or require switching between clunky systems, stress builds fast.
UC features like presence indicators let staff see who’s available in real time. Softphones make it easy to take or return calls from any device, and centralized messaging reduces time wasted switching between platforms.
A unified communications system won’t fix the rush. But it does make the day less chaotic.
Contact Center Tools Built for Retail Realities
Today’s shoppers don’t just call, they email, text, and chat, and they expect fast service on all channels. Sangoma’s retail-ready, affordable CCaaS solution is built to handle it all, even with a small team.
With voice, SMS, chat, and email in one view, your staff can respond faster and avoid duplicating work. Smart call queues, IVR, and automated routing ensure customers connect to the right person quickly. Supervisors can listen in, whisper tips, or take over calls in real time—perfect for training and support.
And now, Sangoma AI is infused into the contact center to multiply your team’s effectiveness:
- AI-powered chatbots help customers check product availability, place orders, and get quick answers—freeing up staff to assist in-store shoppers and close sales.
- AI Assist enables agents to respond to customer questions with fast, professional replies, even during high-volume seasons.
This matters more than ever: 70% of retail purchases now involve online interactions, and customers expect service to match.
Pick a UC Setup That Fits Your Retail Business
Every retailer is different, and Sangoma offers flexible deployment models to match your setup—whether you have one store or 100.
Cloud UCaaS
Great for multi-location retailers who want fast deployment and centralized control. Perfect for remote teams and online-heavy operations. In-house IT support and maintenance is not necessary when you have a cloud UCaaS system in place.
On-Prem UC
Ideal for stores that already have on-site IT resources and want more control over their infrastructure. On-premises unified communications systems can help reduce monthly costs and reuse existing hardware.
Hybrid UC
Combines cloud flexibility with the reliability of on-prem. A hybrid unified communications system is especially useful for high-volume stores or locations with unreliable internet. With 99.999% uptime and on-site survivability, your operations stay uninterrupted even during connectivity issues.
What Retailers Gain With Sangoma Unified Communications Systems
When you unify your communications with Sangoma, you unlock convenience, improve service, sales, and team morale.
- All channels—calls, SMS, video, messaging—on one platform
- Less app-switching, more face time with customers
- Mobile-ready tools help staff assist customers anywhere in the store
- Effortless scalability—easily add new stores or users as you grow
- Deep integrations with CRM and inventory systems for smarter service
Real Retail Results with Sangoma’s Phone Systems
Keeping Legacy Systems Running Without Breaking the Bank
A century-old grocery chain with over 2,500 locations faced a critical challenge: their inventory system relied on T1 connections and aging router appliances that were being discontinued. Replacing the entire infrastructure with fiber wasn’t just costly, it was a logistical nightmare.
Instead of overhauling everything, they turned to Sangoma to repurpose existing servers to handle raw data transmission over T1 lines. This solution allowed them to maintain real-time inventory updates without the need for a complete system replacement.
Properly Queued Calls in the Beauty Shop
The Fragrance Shop runs over 200 stores across the UK—and before Sangoma, their phone system wasn’t keeping up. Missed calls, no queueing, no CRM integration. When the team couldn’t get through to the right person or see who the customer was, it slowed everything down.
They switched to Sangoma’s cloud-based Switchvox system. The difference was immediate.
Now, calls are queued properly. Customer history shows up automatically thanks to Zendesk integration. Staff use softphones across devices, check visual voicemails, and handle calls without bouncing between tools. Managers get full visibility with detailed reporting.
Don’t Let Communication Kill the Experience
Most customers won’t tell you when something’s off. If they’re left waiting, get passed around, or hear conflicting answers, they just don’t come back.
Most of the time, the breakdown isn’t people. It’s the tools. One system for phones, another for chat, a third for internal updates—none of them in sync. So your team wastes time chasing info instead of helping the customer in front of them.
Sangoma’s unified communications platform gives your staff one place to handle calls, messages, stock questions, and team updates. That kind of visibility changes how the day runs. Managers don’t get blindsided, staff don’t have to chase each other down for answers, and customers stop feeling like they’re the ones connecting the dots.
Ready to unify your retail communication?
Learn how Sangoma’s flexible UC options—cloud (UCaaS), hybrid, or on-prem—can help you improve service, keep teams aligned, and grow without friction.