Notcutts Enhances Communication Across 19 Garden Centres with Convergence Communications and Wildix Solutions
Since 1897, Notcutts has helped bring gardens and homes to life with fresh ideas, generations of expertise and friendly advice. The company is 100% family owned, with 19 garden centres across the UK. Notcutts has an exciting, clear strategy for growth and innovation: delivering brilliant customer experiences, investing in people culture, leading on environmental, sustainability and biodiversity agendas and developing and expanding garden centres and restaurants creating a destination customer experience that also includes a thriving website.
Notcutts, a prominent garden centre retailer, decided to transform its communication platform and adopt Wildix. The decision was driven by a strategic objective to modernise and unify their telephony infrastructure across 19 geographically diverse sites. Motivated by BT Openreach’s “Big Switch Off” and the necessity to phase out ageing copper network-dependent systems, Notcutts seized the opportunity to consolidate 19 disparate, legacy phone systems into a single, centralised, cloud-based solution with the help of Wildix Gold Partner, Convergence Communications.
We didn't just upgrade our communication system; we transformed it. Integrating our Tannoy system into Wildix opened up new possibilities, like making public announcements directly from our phones. And with the rollout of softphones, we bridged the gap between all our centres and the hybrid work environment of our support office. It's brought us closer together, something we hadn't achieved since before the pandemic.
Andy King
Head of Information Technology at Notcutts
“Having robust hardware is absolutely critical in an environment like Notcutts. We rely heavily on DECT cordless handsets, and maintaining good voice quality throughout the site, no matter where a colleague is, was crucial. Our old phone system struggled with maintaining call quality when transitioning between DECT aerials. This was an opportunity for us to reassess coverage needs at each site and ensure they were met by the new system. The reliability and robustness of the new equipment have made a significant difference in ensuring seamless communication.” — commented Andy.
The Wildix platform provided a unified communication estate, enabling centralised management, integration with existing systems.
Andy added: “Whilst the capability was there, we had no intention of replacing Teams — we’ve relied on it for years for our conferencing and internal chat. Moving from 19 separate phone systems to a unified, interconnected solution was transformative, giving us a global directory across all sites and streamlining internal communication. Wildix didn’t compete with Teams; it complemented it perfectly.”
This move not only ensured compliance with technological advancements but also addressed critical challenges such as the need for seamless call quality, improved site coverage, and streamlined management. Ultimately, this transformation allowed Notcutts to future-proof their communication capabilities while enhancing operational efficiency and delivering a more connected and resilient infrastructure for their business.
The implementation process, managed by Convergence Communications, ensured minimal disruption to Notcutts’ retail operations. “As a retail organisation, it was essential that the migration happened with minimal downtime. Convergence managed the process excellently, keeping both on‑site management and our central project team informed. The team at Convergence has been a cornerstone of our technological success over the past 20 years. Their approachable and supportive nature, regardless of the platform — be it NEC (our previous communication system) or Wildix — has made them an invaluable partner. They consistently go above and beyond, whether it’s during project implementation or providing general support. It’s this dedication and reliability that set them apart, and we’re proud to have them by our side.” said King.
The results of this strategic upgrade were twofold: Notcutts successfully avoided the risks associated with the BT switch‑off and experienced a notable improvement in call quality. The adoption of the Wildix platform has future-proofed Notcutts’ communication infrastructure, aligning it with the demands of a hybrid workforce.
Andy strongly endorses both Wildix and Convergence Communications as reliable communication solutions providers, he confidently asserts that organisations, particularly in the retail industry, can depend on both to deliver a communications platform tailored to their needs and business objectives.
Requirements
- Seamless Communication
- Centralised Management
- Enhanced Call Quality
- Hybrid Working Support
- Integration with Existing Systems
- Future-proofing Communication
Value Gained
- Unified Communication Platform
- Improved Call Quality
- Efficient Internal Communication
- Accessibility for Hybrid Workers
- Streamlined Operations
- Compatibility with Existing Tools
- Future Readiness
The solution has been provided by the Wildix Partner
- Convergence Communications
- Hall Barn Road Business Park, Isleham, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 5RJ
- info@convergencecomms.com
- +44 1638 783620
- www.convergencecomms.com
