You have made the decision to contract a live 24 hour answering service or an integrated voicemail solution. Wonderful!
However, HOW do you transfer the calls? How does a customer redirect the calls from their business line to the answering service to answer?
This is a common question for all new clients. Kelley’s has outlined common forwarding methods below. Using these methods a business can forward their calls to a call center, voice mailbox, cell phone or landline.
Kelley’s assigns exclusive numbers for each of our clients to transfer their calls. This exclusive number allows our staff to program all of the information relevant to your answering service protocols or voice mailbox relays.
Variable Call Forwarding (Basic)
This form of call forwarding requires manual activation and deactivation of the transfer. Your phone service provider will notify you with the steps to activate and deactivate. The advantages of Variable Call Forwarding is the calls transfer to the new destination on the FIRST ring. Callers rarely know that the call is being answered remotely. The disadvantage is obviously if the office forgets to activate or deactivate the forwarding.
Charter’s most common instructions for Variable Call Forwarding:
*72 then enter the 10 digit number you want the calls to transfer to
*73 to deactivate
Frontier & CenturyLink’s most common instructions for Variable Call Forwarding:
72# then enter the 10 digit number you want the calls to transfer to
73# to deactivate
Call Forward No Answer
Call Forward No Answer is an automatic transfer. Your telephone service provider will automatically transfer calls to the preset 10 digit forwarding number if the call is not answering within a predetermined amount of rings. For example, if a customer calls and you can’t pick up the phone by the 4th ring the call will transfer to your answering service or voice mailbox.
The advantage is you don’t have to remember to activate the service. The disadvantage is a caller may not hold on the phone line for over 4 rings.
Call Forward Busy
Call Forward Busy is an automatic transfer also. Your telephone service provider will automatically transfer calls to the preset 10 digit forwarding number rather than experience a busy signal.
This is a wonderful option for overflow of calls during times of high volume! Your calls get answered promptly.
Why limit to one form of forwarding? Implement all three!!
Activate Variable forwarding when the business office needs to leave for lunch, after hours or meetings.
Program Call Forward No Answer as a backup if the office is short handed or forgets to transfer the calls.
Program Call Forward Busy when all the office lines are in use.
We hope this sheds some light on methods of Call Forwarding for your business!