Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, and attracts nature lovers from across the region and beyond. The garden has 120 employees and more than 450 volunteers, many of whom work outdoors and away from a desk, so keeping everyone in the loop is essential. The garden thrives on community engagement and hosts special events such as its Dia De Los Muertos celebration.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden thrives on community engagement, but its old-school phone system had become more of a burden than a tool. The system required employees to be at their desks to answer calls, which caused delays and inefficiencies for a workforce that spends much of its time out in the garden.

Staff in the field could not easily connect with vendors, leading to unnecessary back-and-forth and lost productivity. Adding new lines or moving employees required extensive cabling and infrastructure changes. Callers, meanwhile, faced a complex auto attendant that frustrated visitors who simply wanted quick, human interaction.

Ken Meyers, Vice President of Facilities, recognized the need for something more flexible and modern and turned to Simplicity VoIP. Midway through the transition, lightning struck and completely fried the old system, leaving the garden with no way to receive calls beyond a basic phone put in place as a stopgap.

Simplicity VoIP, working with its local partner Epitome Networks, provided a cloud-based VoIP system designed around how the garden's staff actually work.

Call queues and ring groups route calls automatically so that someone is always available to help instead of calls going to voicemail. A softphone and mobile app let employees in the field answer calls on their mobile devices, reducing missed connections. Wireless VoIP phones removed the need to run new cables, so staff can move freely within the garden while staying connected. An intuitive online portal lets Lewis Ginter staff make real-time adjustments themselves instead of relying on outside support.

When lightning destroyed the old system mid-transition, the garden asked its providers to accelerate the installation. Simplicity VoIP and Epitome Networks responded quickly, and the new phone system was up and running in short order. Because Epitome is local, the garden can call for on-site support and have someone there within an hour.

• More visitor calls answered live, giving guests immediate help instead of voicemail
• Staff connect instantly with vendors and coworkers, cutting delays and speeding up problem-solving
• System managed internally, eliminating costly service calls and simplifying seasonal staff changes
• Field staff handle calls and voicemail from mobile devices without returning to their desks
• Accelerated installation restored phone service after lightning destroyed the old system
• Local partner provides on-site support within an hour when needed