Most SA franchise and retail networks are running on inconsistent phone systems that damage the brand
If any of these sound familiar, your current phone setup is costing your franchise network customers, consistency and control.
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Every location on a different phone system
No shared IVR, no transfers between branches, no visibility. Customers calling any location have a completely different — and inconsistent — experience.
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Head office has no visibility into what’s being answered
The franchisor has no way of knowing how many calls each location receives, how many go unanswered, or how customers are being spoken to.
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New location takes weeks to get a phone system
Hardware orders, Telkom line installations, PBX setup — a new franchisee or retail store opening can wait weeks before their phone system is functional.
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Calls between locations cost money every time
Franchisees calling head office, calling other branches, calling the warehouse — charged as standard calls because there’s no shared system with free internal calling.
FEATURES FOR FRANCHISE BUSINESSES
Every feature your franchise or retail network needs — built for scale
From the first outlet to a national network — Othos is built around how SA franchise and retail businesses actually operate.
Multi-location on one system — free calls between all
Every franchise location is connected to the same Cloud PBX. Calls between any two locations — head office, warehouse, any branch — are always free. Staff transfer customers between branches instantly.
Head office dashboard — full network visibility
See call volumes, answer rates and call recordings from every franchise location in one dashboard. Know which locations are busy, which are missing calls, and which need attention — without visiting any of them.
IVR — consistent customer experience across every location
One professional greeting, one call routing structure, one brand experience — regardless of which franchise location the customer calls. Every caller is handled identically and professionally.
Mobile app — staff reachable anywhere on the brand number
Franchise managers and staff take business calls on their own mobile devices with the brand number showing. Works during deliveries, site visits and off-site meetings — always on-brand, never personal.
Call recording — protect the brand across every location
Record all customer calls at every franchise location automatically. Head office can review how customers are being spoken to, resolve complaints with recordings, and ensure brand standards are maintained.
Scales instantly — new location live in one day
Opening a new franchise? We add a new location to the system in hours. The franchisee's team downloads the app, logs in and is operational. No hardware, no engineer, no Telkom installation. Just live on day one.
REAL FRANCHISE & RETAIL SCENARIOS
How Othos works across your franchise or retail network day-to-day
These are the exact situations South African franchise and retail businesses face — and how Othos handles each one.
NEW OPENING
New franchisee opens their doors next week
While competitors wait weeks for Telkom installations and hardware deliveries, the franchisee’s Othos system is configured in hours. Their team downloads the app on their own phones, logs in, and is taking calls professionally on their local number from day one. No hardware, no installation, no delay.
BRAND CONSISTENCY
Franchisor wants every location to sound identical
Othos deploys the same IVR menu, the same professional greeting and the same call routing structure to every franchise or retail location. A customer calling the Cape Town branch has exactly the same experience as calling the Sandton branch. The brand is protected across every location.
HEAD OFFICE OVERSIGHT
Franchisor wants to know which locations are missing customer calls
From the head office dashboard, the franchisor can see call volumes, answer rates and missed calls at every location — in real time. If a location is missing 30% of calls, head office knows before it becomes a customer service crisis.
CUSTOMER TRANSFER
Customer calls wrong branch — needs to be transferred
Because all locations are on the same Othos system, transferring a customer to the correct branch takes two seconds and costs nothing. No “please call this other number.” Just a smooth, professional transfer — exactly what the brand promises.
STAFF TURNOVER
Store manager leaves — takes nothing with them
All customer calls come in on the location’s business number — not any personal mobile. The departing manager takes no customer relationships. Their extension is reassigned in minutes. Customers call the same number and reach the new manager without any disruption.
COMPLIANCE
Customer complains about how they were treated on a call
With call recording active at every location, head office retrieves the exact call in seconds. The conversation is reviewed, the situation is resolved with facts — not competing accounts — and the staff member gets coaching based on the actual call rather than a vague complaint.
TYPES OF FRANCHISES & RETAIL WE SERVE
From QSR to retail chains — any multi-location business benefits
South Africa's franchise and retail sector is one of the most active in Africa — with over 850 franchise systems and thousands of independent retail chains. Any multi-location business where phone communication matters benefits from Othos Telecom.
Quick service restaurants & food
QSR franchises like RocoMamas run their SA locations on Othos. Customer calls, delivery queries and supplier coordination — all managed through one consistent system across every location.
Retail chains & franchise networks
Multi-location retailers and retail franchises — from clothing to hardware to pharmacy — need all stores on one phone system. Shared IVR, inter-store transfers and head office call visibility. Cash Crusaders runs on Othos.
Service franchises
Cleaning, maintenance, beauty, fitness and professional services franchises need their franchisees on a consistent, professional phone system that head office can monitor and manage without interfering with individual operators.
Healthcare & wellness franchises
Franchise networks in optometry, pharmacy, dental or wellness — where patient and customer communication is critical — need consistent professional call handling, call recording for compliance and reliable routing at every location.
Automotive franchise groups
Service centres, car rental, tyre and fitment and automotive retail franchises need all locations on one phone system with shared call reporting, free inter-location calls and professional routing for bookings and parts queries.
Education & training franchises
Tutoring, early childhood development, driving schools and skills training franchise networks need professional phone presence at every centre, with call recording for compliance and a system that new franchisees can use from day one.
WHY OTHOS
How Othos compares to what most SA franchise and retail networks use
Most franchise and retail networks run on separate Telkom lines at each location — disconnected systems with no visibility, no consistency and no brand control.
All locations on one shared system
Free calls between all franchise locations
Head office dashboard — full network visibility
Consistent IVR across every location
Call recording — POPIA compliant
New location live in one day — no hardware
Mobile app for all franchise staff
Scales to unlimited locations instantly
No hardware at any location
GETTING STARTED
Your entire franchise or retail network live — starting with one call
1
Book a network demo
Tell us about your network — how many locations, how many staff per location, and what your current phone setup looks like. We’ll design the right structure for your specific franchise or retail model.
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We set up the whole network
Our team configures the shared IVR, each location’s ring group, call recording, head office dashboard access and all extensions. Existing numbers are ported from Telkom if needed. No hardware required anywhere.
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Each location is live in one day
Each team downloads the Othos app, logs in and starts taking calls. New locations added as your network grows — in hours, not weeks. Head office has full visibility from day one.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Everything your franchise network needs in one plan
One monthly fee per location. No setup costs, no hardware, no hidden extras. Everything below is available from day one at every franchise location.
All locations on one Cloud PBX
Shared IVR — consistent across every location
Free inter-location calls — always
Head office dashboard — full network visibility
Call recording — POPIA compliant, per location
Mobile app — iOS & Android for all staff
Ring groups — per location, per department
Time conditions — business hours per location
Voicemail to email — per location
Number porting — we handle every location
New locations added in hours — no hardware
SA-based support team — not a call centre
WHAT SA BUSINESSES SAY ABOUT OTHOS
SA businesses that made the switch — and never looked back
Real feedback from real South African businesses on Google.
FAQ
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How quickly can a new franchisee be set up on Othos?
A new franchisee location is typically live within one business day. Our team creates the new location on the network, sets up the ring group and extensions, and configures the IVR. The franchisee's team downloads the Othos app on their own phones, logs in, and is operational. No hardware to order, no Telkom installation to wait for, no engineer visit required.
Can head office see call data for all franchise locations?
Yes. The franchisor has access to a network-wide dashboard showing call volumes, answer rates, missed calls and call recordings from every franchise location. You can drill into any individual location or view network-wide reporting. This gives head office visibility into which locations are performing well and which need attention — without visiting any of them.
Are calls between franchise locations free?
Yes. All calls between any two extensions on the same Othos Cloud PBX are free — always. That includes calls between any franchise location and head office, between any two franchise locations, and between any staff member's mobile app and the office. Only calls to external numbers (customers, suppliers) are billed at standard rates.
What happens when a franchisee manager leaves and takes their mobile number?
Because all customer-facing calls come in on the franchise location's business number — not any personal mobile — the departing manager takes no customer relationships with them. Their extension is reassigned in minutes. The location's number, call history and recordings remain with the franchise. Customers call the same number and reach the new manager without any disruption.
Can the franchisor mandate Othos as the phone system for all franchisees?
Yes, and many franchisors do exactly this. Othos works directly with franchisors to create a standardised phone system setup that can be rolled out to each new franchisee as part of their onboarding. Each franchisee gets their own account and their own local number, but all operate under the same IVR structure and brand standards set by the franchisor. We can discuss franchise-wide agreements and volume pricing directly with the franchisor.
One system. Every location. Full head office visibility. RocoMamas and Cash Crusaders already run on Othos — your network can too.
EXPLORE OTHOS CLOUD PBX FEATURES
