A “Practical” Solution for the Transportation Service Provider hpSun
hpSun AG, based in Steffisburg in the canton of Bern, provides a transportation service for students at the Thun Region Special Education School (HPS) and Sunneschyn Steffisburg. The company was founded in 2016, currently employs around 50 people, and transports 250 children daily.
hpSun AG has been using peoplefone for its phone service since July 2024. Why were you looking for a new phone provider?
Our company has grown steadily over the past eight years. My co-CEO, Martin Stricker, ran hpSun on his own for a long time. When I joined the company in May of this year, we quickly realized that we needed a new, practical solution for our phone system. Our old solution was complicated and offered little flexibility. With peoplefone HOSTED, for example, we can now pre-program call forwarding so that all calls go to either Martin or me—depending on who is on duty that day.
How did you first hear about peoplefone?
The installation company Vogt Elektro AG recommended peoplefone to us because they work closely with them. After meeting with the people in charge and comparing it with other providers, we decided on peoplefone. Here at our headquarters in Steffisburg, we use peoplefone HOSTED for our calls, and our drivers use peoplefone MOBILE.
What convinced you about peoplefone’s offering?
On the one hand, certainly the fact that with peoplefone we can make both business and personal calls using just one device. I used to always carry two cell phones with me. This also includes the ability to make calls from anywhere, which is especially important for our drivers. It’s also more convenient for external contacts now: the parents and teachers of the students we transport now have just one number they can call when needed. On the other hand, price was also a key factor—peoplefone was more affordable than other providers we’d looked into.
How did the transition go?
It was a simple process. Our contact at Vogt Elektro stopped by one afternoon during the summer school break to set everything up. He explained the key features that we can configure ourselves. After that, the new system was up and running.
Were there any reactions from the employees?
Not much has changed for our drivers. They simply had to insert the new SIM card into their cell phones. José Jiménez from peoplefone had done a great job preparing the porting of the phone numbers in advance. In the meantime, we’ve already applied for a few additional mobile plans, with the last two digits of each phone number matching the number on our vehicles. This is especially convenient because we use one cell phone per vehicle.
How would you rate the collaboration with the installation company Vogt Elektro and peoplefone?
When it came to the installation partner, it was important to us to choose someone from the region. We’re very satisfied with how the transition went, even though the initial effort came at a cost. With peoplefone, we appreciate the support and the short lines of communication. With José Jiménez, we always have the same point of contact—and he always responds quickly and competently to our questions.
Is there anything else you’d like to see from your partners?
It would be great if we could always view our current phone costs in a customer portal. As far as I know, however, such a feature is already in the works for the peoplefone portal.
Interview with Michel Joss, Co-Managing Director at hpSun AG.
December 6, 2024, by Alexia Zufferey