Business phone system for barber shops in Tennessee

Barber shops in Tennessee by the numbers

The Census Bureau counted 115 barber shops in Tennessee in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 812111). They employed 642 people in mid-March and reported $23.5 million in annual payroll. That is the 21st highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Barber shops make up 0.08% of the 150,129 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Tennessee has 1.6 barber shops, 30.5% below the national rate of 2.3. The average establishment has 5.6 employees against 3.7 nationally. Payroll per employee is $36,567, 8.6% above the U.S. figure of $33,667.

Where barber shops in Tennessee are concentrated

Census published barber shop counts for 6 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Tennessee. The largest is Nashville, TN, with 57 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 73% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at barber shops in Tennessee

47.8% of Tennessee's barber shops with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 75.5% nationally. 85.2% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Why the phone matters for barber shops in Tennessee

Barbers are busy with clients all day, and calls for appointments and wait times often go unanswered. Capturing calls and texting back helps fill chairs.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for barber shops in Tennessee:

• A client calls to book a haircut.
• The shop calls a client about a cancellation.
• A client calls to ask about walk-in wait.

Texting clients

Shops text appointment reminders.

Texting from a local number in Tennessee requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

What a phone system costs a barber shop in Tennessee

Barber shops in Tennessee average 5.6 employees, so the comparison uses a 6-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $149.70 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $180.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $119.00 a month for 6 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $732 less than RingCentral for a barber shop in Tennessee of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in Tennessee

Tennessee has 8 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a barber shop can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for barber shops in Tennessee

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in Tennessee is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.