How calls get answered is the highest-leverage decision in your whole setup. The right routing means callers get help fast and your staff isn't drowning in repetitive calls.
Where to configure
Settings → Phone → Inbound Call Settings (per practice).
The four routing modes
| Mode | When to use |
|---|---|
| AI answers first, always | Default. AI handles everything; transfers to human on request. |
| Office hours → staff, after hours → AI | Established practice with a strong front desk. AI catches nights, weekends, holidays, lunch. |
| Ring staff first, AI as overflow | AI only catches calls when your line is busy or unanswered after N seconds. |
| Voicemail-only (AI disabled) | Pause your AI temporarily without taking the number down. |
Switch modes anytime — changes apply to the next inbound call.
Transfer to human
When in AI-first mode you can still let callers reach a person:
- Toggle Allow transfer to human on.
- Set Transfer number — where calls get forwarded.
- Set Transfer hours — only forward during these windows (default = your business hours).
- Set Ring timeout — how long to ring before giving up (default 25s).
- Optionally set Transfer reasons — limit transfers to "billing", "complaint", "specific provider" etc., so simple booking calls stay with the AI.
- Optionally set Announce to staff — before the caller is connected, your team hears a quick spoken heads-up: either an AI summary of who's calling and why, or a fixed phrase you write. The caller is on a brief hold and never hears it, so whoever picks up already has the context. Choose instant connect for no announcement.
Voicemail fallback
When no one is available (AI off, after hours with no AI, or transfer failed), the caller hits voicemail.
Configure in the same panel:
- Voicemail greeting — record your own or use the AI-generated default
- Max message length — 1–5 minutes
- Email transcripts to — voicemails get auto-transcribed and emailed to one or more team members
- SMS notification — text on every new voicemail
Voicemails appear in Inbox → Voicemails with audio + transcript.
Multi-location nuance
Each practice has its own Inbound Call Settings. If you operate multiple locations under one organization, configure each location's routing separately — a high-volume flagship might use AI-first while a satellite might prefer ring-staff-first.
What's next
- Send and receive SMS — the texting side of the same numbers
- Review what happened on every routed call
- Troubleshoot in My AI isn't answering calls