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How to create an IVR with call forwarding to a receptionist

  • Updated

Redirecting calls to a receptionist allows you to assign a dedicated user or team member to manage incoming customer calls directly within your call routing flows. In this guide, you’ll learn how to add the receptionist step, assign agents, and customize call limits and backup options.

Prerequisites

  • You must have a Ringover Business account to use this feature.

Forward a call to a receptionist 

1. Access your IVR configuration

Open your interactive voice response settings to configure a new or existing call routing flow.

  1. Go to your IVR page in Ringover.
  2. Click on "Create a IVR" (🔗 All about your IVR builder) or select an existing IVR and click "Edit".
  3. Click on the "+" button in your visual scenario builder.
  4. Scroll down to the "Redirect to" options.
  5. Select "A receptionist" from the list.
  • Click on the gear icon inside the receptionist step window to open its settings.
  • Click on "Add a user".
  • Customize call handling

2. Customize call handling and fallback options

Fine-tune your receptionist settings to manage call capacity, set up waiting periods, and handle overflows.

  1. Simultaneous call limit: Define the maximum number of active calls an agent can handle at the same time.
  2. Max wait time: Specify how long a caller can remain on hold before the system routes them to the next step.

If your agents are fully occupied, you can let callers request a callback:

  1. Zendesk Ticket Callback: Automatically create a support ticket to schedule a callback (🔗 How to create automatic callback requests in Zendesk).
  2. Automatic Callback: Register the caller's request to automatically call them back as soon as an agent becomes available.
  3. Choose what happens if agents cannot answer. You can direct the call to the next scenario step based on the agent's real-time status:
  • Offline: The agent is not logged in.
  • Snooze: The agent has activated do-not-disturb mode.
  • Outside working hours: The call arrives outside defined operational schedules.
  • On the phone: The agent is already busy handling another call.

🎉 You now know how to set up and configure a receptionist step and can ensure that your incoming calls are handled efficiently by your designated team members!