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Business call routing

Call routing for a small business: who rings, and what happens next.

Business call routing decides where each customer call goes. Ring available teammates together, take voicemail when you cannot answer, and choose a different plan after closing. AI reception is available as a separate subscription.

Get Seglo PhoneAfter-hours options
Incoming call
Your team
AI Receptionist
Voicemail

If no one answers, enabled AI takes over.

AI Receptionist is a separate subscription.

What it is

What is small business call routing?

Call routing is the set of rules that sends each incoming call to the right place: a person, a group, another number or a voicemail box. The system checks the time and who is free, rings the right people, then moves the call on if nobody answers. For a small team it mostly answers three questions. Who rings, what happens if nobody answers, and what happens after hours.

  • Fewer missed calls, because everyone available rings, not just the owner.
  • A clear next step for callers when nobody can pick up.
  • Quiet hours for staff without silencing the business.
  • After-hours callers leave a message instead of ringing out.

How it works

Every incoming call passes five checks.

Each location runs these checks in order, every time a customer calls.

  1. Blocked callers stop here

    If blocking is on, clients you have blocked hear a busy tone.

  2. Opening hours are checked

    Outside your location’s hours, the call follows your after-hours choice.

  3. Available teammates are found

    People with access and the line switched on ring, unless they are in Do Not Disturb hours or already on a call.

  4. Their phones ring together

    For your chosen ring time, 10 to 60 seconds. The first person to answer takes the call.

  5. Nobody answers

    Your forwarding number is tried first. Without one, the call goes to AI reception or voicemail, depending on your answering option.

Answering options

Three answering options, compared.

Pick one per location. You can change it in the app or in Phone settings on the web.

Seglo Phone answering options compared
FactorStaff firstStaff onlyAI receptionist first
During opening hoursRings your team.Rings your team.AI reception answers straight away.
Nobody answersForwarding number if set. Otherwise AI reception, or voicemail without it.Forwarding number if set. Otherwise voicemail.Staff are not rung first.
Nobody available or line busyAI reception, or voicemail without it.Voicemail.AI reception answers.
Needs AI subscriptionNo. Without it, callers reach voicemail.No.Yes. If AI is off, calls go to voicemail.

Send after-hours calls
to voicemail or optional AI.

Use your location’s opening hours to send calls to voicemail or enabled AI. Or keep your normal answering settings after closing.

Forward calls your team does not answer.

Add a forwarding number for calls your team doesn’t answer. It’s tried before the AI or voicemail fallback.

Choose a fallback for a busy line.

If the line is busy or nobody can ring, calls go straight to enabled AI or voicemail, depending on your answering option.

Routing types

The routing types you will hear about.

Call centres use many of these. Here is what each one means and which ones Seglo Phone supports.

Common call routing types and whether Seglo Phone supports them
FactorWhat it doesSeglo Phone
Ring all at onceEvery available person rings; the first to answer takes the call.Yes.
Time-basedDifferent handling inside and outside opening hours.Yes, from each location’s opening hours.
Location-basedEach site’s number reaches the people who work there.Yes. Each location has its own number and plan.
No-answer forwardingUnanswered calls go on to another number.Yes, to one forwarding number.
Personal availabilityPeople choose when and which lines reach them.Yes, line choice and Do Not Disturb hours.
Fixed orderRings one person, then the next.No.
Round robinSpreads calls evenly across the team.No.
Skills-basedSends calls to the person with the right skill.No.
Phone menu (IVR)Callers press a number to pick a department.No.
Call queueCallers wait on hold until someone is free.No. Busy calls go to AI reception or voicemail.
Priority or caller-basedSends known or important callers somewhere different.No, apart from blocking callers you choose.

Before you start

Planning your call flow.

Answer these for each location, then set them in the app or in Phone settings on the web.

  • Who should ring during opening hours at each location?
  • How long should phones ring before the call moves on? Anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds.
  • Where should unanswered calls go: a forwarding number, voicemail or AI reception?
  • What should happen after closing?
  • Who needs quiet hours on their own phone?

Team ringing, forwarding and voicemail come with every number: $149 setup, then $79 a month for two people, excluding GST. See Phone pricing.

Good to know

A few practical details.

What can a call be routed to?
Your available teammates, a forwarding number, voicemail or, with the separate subscription, AI reception. Calls cannot go to a queue or a phone menu.
Which routing type suits a small team?
When two to five people can all answer, ringing everyone at once is usually simplest: the first free person picks up. Fixed order and round robin suit larger teams with set roles. Phone menus and queues suit businesses with departments or call centres.
What is the difference between call routing, a phone menu and a call queue?
Call routing is the whole set of rules for where a call goes. A phone menu (IVR) asks callers to press a number to choose a department. A call queue holds callers until someone is free. Seglo Phone uses routing rules without menus or queues.
How do I set up call routing?
Pick a location in Phone settings on the web or in the Seglo Phone app. Choose an answering option, a ring time from 10 to 60 seconds, your after-hours choice and caller blocking. Add a forwarding number in Phone settings on the web. Each person then picks their lines and Do Not Disturb hours.
Who rings when a customer calls?
Available devices with access to that number ring together; the first answer stops the others. Staff access, device availability, line preferences, Do Not Disturb and current calls affect who rings. Phone settings show who is ready and why someone is unavailable.
How long does the team ring?
You choose, from 10 to 60 seconds in 5-second steps. If every ringing device declines, that also counts as no answer.
Can I forward unanswered calls?
Yes. Set how long the team rings and an optional no-answer forwarding number. That number is tried first after the team rings without an answer, before the usual AI or voicemail fallback.
What if nobody can ring, or the line is already in a staff call?
The call goes straight to enabled AI in Staff first mode, or voicemail in Staff only mode. If AI is unavailable, it goes to voicemail. These situations do not use no-answer forwarding.
Can I route calls by time of day?
Yes, by your location’s opening hours. Outside them, send calls to voicemail, to optional AI reception, or keep your normal answering settings. Each person can also set Do Not Disturb hours for their own phone.
Can callers press a number to reach a department?
No. There are no phone menus or call queues. Each location can have its own number, and each person chooses which numbers ring their phone.
Can I hand a ringing call to AI instead of answering?
Yes, when AI reception is switched on for that line. Lines set to staff only do not offer it.
Do I need AI reception?
No. Team ringing, forwarding and voicemail are part of the Phone plan. AI reception is a separate subscription; without it, calls that would reach AI go to voicemail.
Can I stop calls from a blocked customer?
Yes. Turn on blocking for a location and clients you have blocked hear a busy tone when they call.
Does assigning a text conversation change who rings?
No. Calls follow the line’s calling settings, independently of message assignment.
How does routing work with more than one location?
Each location has its own number and its own plan. Each person chooses which location lines ring them, so a call to one site reaches the people who work there.
Are routed calls recorded?
No. Calls between your team and customers are not recorded. Voicemail is recorded and transcribed.
Can I see which calls were missed?
Yes. Missed calls send a notification, and callbacks are tracked so nobody is left waiting.
Can I keep my number and still use call routing?
Yes, if it is an eligible Australian mobile number. The transfer is included in the $149 setup, typically takes 3 to 10 business days, and your current phone keeps working until the number switches.

Explore Phone

Set up your call flow.

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Costs per number

$149 setup, then $79/month for two people. Extra people $29/month each, up to five. Excludes GST, itemised on your invoice. Month to month; $0 exit charge. Minimum cost $228.

Critical Information Summary

Emergency calls

000 and 112 need power and internet. Emergency services receive your registered address, not your live location. Keep a mobile or fixed line available for outages. The app does not carry 106 voice calls.

Service terms

Fair use

For everyday customer conversations. Bulk marketing uses the separate platform messaging channel. Broadcast-like sending is throttled.

Acceptable use