Grasshopper Review

Save up to $75!

• Get $75 off annual plans of the best phone system for small businesses

Unlike many other providers, Grasshopper’s pricing packages include multiple users rather than costing them per user.  There are four tiers available, the Solo plan, for a single number and and one extension, the Solo Plus plan, for a single number and three internal extensions, the Partner plan for three numbers and six internal extensions, and the Small Business plan for five numbers and unlimited internal extensions.

Grasshopper does not require any contracts as customers pay month to month and you can cancel at any time.  However, you have the option of paying annually with a savings of 10% for every plan.  The company offers a free 7-day trial.

For a single user, the Solo plan is comparable in cost to other providers, but as the plans get larger, the cost per user becomes quite competitive.  Also, keep in mind that there are no hardware costs involved, as all telephone calls terminate on your desktop or mobile app.

It’s important to note that none of the plans require anything more than a 1-month commitment, and all offer free activation and unlimited extensions.

Since Grasshopper’s focus is on small businesses, its resource materials are aptly named “Resources for Entrepreneurs”. As such, they contain rich content that not only deals with virtual telephony systems, but also shows how to optimally leverage them. It also includes more general information about starting, running, and marketing your business. Additional customer support: How To Section A good “How To” section that shows step-by-step instructions to accomplish common configurations. Troubleshooting The website includes a comprehensive troubleshooting section to deal with the most regular problems. Blog A company blog addresses many of the most common issues faced by small businesses today.

Grasshopper is a completely virtual service. As such, all configuration is done through a personalized online portal. Setting it up is a simple series of steps including picking your number and plan, downloading the apps, and configuring settings. You can be up and running in literally several minutes. Once configured each user can access the portal and set all of their own configuration parameters. Parameterization is also possible via the mobile app or desktop software for the particular extensions that they are configured for. The Grasshopper mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices and can thus easily be implemented by smartphone users. The desktop app is available for desktop or laptop computers.

With a large user base of over 350,000 customers, its services have matured and developed to the point where features are actually useful to the end user and are not just for show.  Some of the most useful advanced features include:

• Automatic voicemail transcription, which allows you to read your messages without having to listen to them
• Customized greetings to make your callers feel welcome and at ease
• Comprehensive and advanced incoming call control
• Business texting services including instant response messages to callers when you can’t answer their calls
• Virtual fax services saving faxes as PDFs eliminating the needless use of paper

Compatible with a variety of communication devices.

The features that really set Grasshopper apart from the rest of the pack are the Ruby Receptionist service and Grasshopper’s Voice Studio.

The Ruby Receptionist services provides you with real live US-based receptionists that can work for you.  These receptionists can answer calls to your Grasshopper number according to your instructions and needs, whenever you cannot.  This not only makes your business look more professional, it also frees you up from answering calls whenever you need this assistance.  You can enable the service at any time from the app.

In a similarly innovative service, Grasshopper’s Voice Studio offers you the option of writing out your greeting script and having a professional voice actor record it for a very reasonable fee.  This customized message can then be used to greet all callers before they are forwarded to your phone, or can be set up to be heard only if you can’t answer the phone at that time.  Such a feature really increases your professionalism in the eyes of your customers.

Grasshopper is specifically geared toward single-person businesses, or small businesses with several employees. It centralizes many features and services, allows you to organize yourself more effectively and makes you appear larger than life to your callers. The service delivered at the prices offered is extremely attractive. This makes Grasshopper an overall excellent choice for any small to medium-sized business.