When nobody answers¶
Goal: "No call should end in silence." Decide where unanswered calls go and how your team hears about them.
Where: Settings → Agency Settings → phone routing Default rules, IVR settings, and User Groups
Quick paths¶
| I want to… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Forward unanswered calls to a cell or answering service | Default rules → Auto-forward missed calls? → enter a 10-digit phone |
| Get voicemails by email | Default rules → Auto email for voicemails? |
| Use our own voicemail greeting | Default rules → Default voicemail – Recording (or type a TTS greeting) |
| Let callers ask for a callback instead of waiting | Turn on Allow callers to Press 9 to request a callback |
| Keep a group's calls with that group, then voicemail | User group → Do not expand ring group after timeout |
| Route a certain time window straight to voicemail, a number, or VoiceAI | Phone routing calendar → New general ruleset |
| Handle nights and weekends | Out of office & VoiceAI |
What happens by default¶
- The call rings the primary group (from the IVR choice or Default to) for that group's ring time.
- If nobody answers, it widens to everyone else eligible, unless the group is restricted or set to Do not expand ring group after timeout.
- Still no answer: the call goes to voicemail, or to your auto-forward number if you set one.
Calls to an extension or a reserved callback go straight to that person's voicemail if they don't answer.
Phone routing rules (before or instead of ringing)¶
On the phone routing calendar, a ruleset can handle calls for a time window before anyone rings:
- Fwd directly to: a US phone number (with an internal label and an optional message to say to the caller)
- Add IVR options to offer choices first
- Send to voicemail
- Send caller to VoiceAI
As with IVR rulesets, if two overlap, the most recently modified one wins.
Callback requests (digit 9)¶
Rather than ringing for 30 seconds and then going to voicemail, callers can press 9 to leave a message and ask for a callback. The request appears in CareQB for your team to follow up, and your team can Cancel callback once it's handled.
Following up¶
- Missed calls and voicemails appear in Chats and the Home call log, labeled with the group the caller wanted.
- Your notification rules decide who gets alerted about Missed Call and Voicemail events.
- Click call back to return the call from your browser, the app, or Send to my phone.