Spruce VoIP desk phone service (available on the Communicator plan) lets practices use physical desk phones that register to their Spruce account. Compatible hardware includes supported Yealink models. Desk phones use your existing Spruce phone numbers and require no separate phone system. Hardware is a one-time purchase billed separately from the monthly plan.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Introduction to VoIP Phones
A VoIP phone uses Voice over Internet Protocol (IP) technologies for placing and transmitting telephone calls over the Internet. This is in contrast to a standard phone which uses the traditional public switched telephone network.
You can reduce or replace your phone bill altogether by utilizing the Spruce voice calling with desk phones. Like any landline, you can make and receive calls from your VoIP phone, but like all voice calls on Spruce, voicemails will be captured in the Spruce app for you to listen to and easily share with other members of the team. All calls you make from the desk phone will automatically be logged in the appropriate patient conversation in Spruce, giving you context for who called which patient and when. Please note that the VoIP phone interface will only display the phone number of the caller, not the name of the caller; a log will populate in the Spruce interface after the call has ended with their name or number.
If you have any questions about the Spruce VoIP system, review the VoIP FAQ article here, or reach out to the Spruce support team.
Purchasing VoIP Phones
Spruce is compatible with Yealink phones, which is best if purchased directly from Spruce. To purchase desk phones, log into Spruce on your computer, then go to Settings > Phone System > VoIP Desk Phones.
When you place your device order, you'll have the opportunity to share your preferences for how each device should be labeled and incorporated into your off environment. We will configure and ship the phones to you so that all you have to do is connect them to the internet.
VoIP phones are part of our Communicator-level plan. You can upgrade here.
Here are the options we offer with links to their data sheets; please order directly in your Spruce Settings.
- Yealink T44W $139 - (Built-in WiFi, Bluetooth enabled)
- Yealink T31G $88 - (Entry-level phone, no WiFi support)
- Yealink W73P $161 - (Cordless phone, no WiFi support)
Please note: you may only use 2 VoIP phones for each user in your Spruce organization.
To ensure the highest call quality, we strongly recommend using your Spruce VoIP phone with a hard-wired internet connection (ethernet.) However, if WiFi compatibility is needed, the Yealink T44W has built-in WiFi.
Need more help picking the right phone(s) for your practice? Check out this helpful guide.
Using your existing VoIP phones
Spruce currently only supports select Yealink devices. While it may be possible to utilize desk phones not purchased through Spruce with the platform, we cannot guarantee compatibility. For specific inquiries regarding your existing devices, please reach out to the Spruce Support team for assistance.
Connecting your Spruce VoIP Phone
Once your phone arrives from Spruce, you should be able to plug in the phone to power + internet, and the phone will pull down the appropriate configuration from the Spruce platform. In other words, the phone should already be configured and ready to go without needing any manual configuration or setup. Once activated and connected properly, you can make an outbound call to test. Please note that cordless phones will not have a dial tone.
Connecting a Yealink Device
If you have a Yealink device that you'd like to connect, please navigate here to view the setup guide.
Connecting a Polycom Device
We recommend connecting your VoIP phone via a wired connection. This video shows the process of setting up your phone with a wired connection.
Connecting via WiFi requires a WiFi adaptor, which should have been purchased along with your phones if needed and will be in the same box. To connect your phone to WiFi, go into the settings option → then go to “WiFi” → choose the “Scan” option → locate the network you’d like to join → select “Connect” → scroll down to the password and enter it in → select “Save” → then “Connect.”
This video shows you the steps to connect your VoIP phone over a WiFi connection.
Lastly, your desk phone’s extension should be listed on the desk phone itself. For example, you might see 101 Phone 1. The extension is 101. If you need additional assistance connecting your VoIP phone, please reach out to us via the Spruce Support connections in-app or email us at support@sprucehealth.com.
Receiving inbound calls on VoIP Phones
To start receiving inbound calls on your VoIP phone, ensure the following:
- You have the appropriate Call Flows (Phone Tree) set up to ensure that calls are being routed to the correct individuals or teams.
- Your phone number’s call handling is set to follow a schedule for after-hours and business hours.
- Your VoIP phones have been added to the appropriate Saved Ring Lists or Numbers to Ring list if your phone number’s call handling is not managed by a call flow.
Caller ID
Incoming Calls
When you receive an incoming call on your Spruce Yealink phone:
- If the caller's number is saved in your Spruce contacts, the name you've entered will be displayed.
- If the number isn’t saved in your Spruce contacts, only the phone number will appear.
- Spruce does not pull caller information from generic national caller ID databases.
- If there are multiple contacts with the same phone number, the phone will display only the number, not the name.
- Polycom VoIP phones will only show the phone number and not the Spruce contact
- To turn this off contact Team Spruce.
Outgoing Calls
For outgoing calls, you can customize which of your Spruce phone numbers is shown to your patients as the caller ID.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us in the Team Spruce thread in your Spruce app, or email us at support@sprucehealth.com