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How to Forward Calls to an Answering Service

When forwarding calls to an answering service, you'll need to adjust two key settings on the forwarding phone number: disable Call Announce (so the answering service's automated system can accept the call without a key press) and change the Incoming Caller ID to display the caller's number (so the answering service can see who is calling).

This guide walks through adding a forwarding phone number, disabling Call Announce, assigning the number to your routing, and changing the Caller ID setting.

 

Part 1: Add the Forwarding Phone Number and Disable Call Announce

  1. Log in to your Talkroute account and navigate to Settings.

    Talkroute Settings Page

     

     

  2. Select the Forwarding Phone Numbers tab. Under Add a Forwarding Phone Number, enter the desired phone number and provide a description, then click Add.

    Add Forwarding Phone Number

     

     

  3. Your new forwarding phone number has been added.

    Forwarding Phone Number Added

     

     

  4. Find the forwarding phone number you just added and click Edit.

    Edit Forwarding Phone Number

     

     

  5. Under Enable Call Announce & Talkroute Voicemail, uncheck the box to disable the feature. Click Save & Close.

    Disable Call Announce

     

     

Important: Adding a forwarding phone number does not automatically select it for call routing. Continue to Part 2 to assign it to a virtual phone number, menu option, or extension.

 

Part 2: Assign the Forwarding Number and Change the Caller ID

  1. Navigate to the Manager area.

    Talkroute Manager Area

     

     

  2. Locate the Virtual Phone Number, Call Menu Option, or Extension you want to forward calls from and select Edit.

    Edit Virtual Phone Number or Menu Option

     

     

  3. Make sure Choose where to route incoming calls is set to Go to Users & Numbers.

    Route to Users and Numbers Setting

     

     

  4. Under Forwarding Settings, select Ring in Sequence, then click the green "+" icon to add the forwarding number.

    Ring in Sequence Add Forwarding Number

     

     

Tip: When using Ring in Sequence, drag the answering service to the last position. This gives your agents a chance to answer calls before they forward to the answering service. See How to Ring Your Phones in Sequential Order for more details.

  1. Select the desired phone number and click the green "+" icon.

    Select Forwarding Phone Number

     

     

  2. The new number will appear under Active Numbers & Users. Click Save.

    Active Numbers and Users with Forwarding Number

     

     

  3. Verify the new forwarding phone number has been added. If you'd like to add a custom schedule to the forwarding number, see How to Add a Custom Schedule to Call Forwarding.

    Forwarding Number Schedule Options

     

     

  4. Under Advanced Settings, find What should we display on your Incoming Caller ID? and select Caller's Phone Number. Click Save & Close.

    Incoming Caller ID Setting

     

     

 

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