No Answer Routing

Overview

No answer routing defines what happens to a call when the receiving number or agents you are routing to are not available to answer.  This can happen when the number or agent are already on a call, are unable to answer the call within the standard time limit, or are unavailable for other reasons (if an agent is logged out or not available because of a schedule, for example).

If your tracking numbers are routing to a queue, directly to an agent, or to receiving numbers, you can configure no answer routing to handle these situations.

Geo routers do not have the same no answer settings that queues or receiving numbers offer, but do have a similar error handling option that you can set to route calls that are not within the geo router’s service area.

Tracking Numbers

No answer routing can be configured on tracking numbers that are routing to multiple receiving numbers (if they are dialed simultaneously) or routing directly to an agent.

When routing to multiple receiving numbers simultaneously, the following options are available for no answer routing:

• Hang up
• Voice Menu
• Dial Number
• Dial Queue
• Smart Router
• Dial Agent

When routing directly to an agent, the following options are available for no answer routing:

• Hang up
• Voicemail Box (the agent’s personal voicemail)
• Voice Menu
• Dial Number
• Dial Queue
• Smart Router
• Dial Agent

EXAMPLE: ROUTING TO MULTIPLE RECEIVING NUMBERS

In the following example, the tracking number is ringing to [phone] and [phone] simultaneously.  Because of the no answer routing, if neither number answers within 30 seconds, the caller will be routed to a voicemail box configured in CTM.

EXAMPLE: ROUTING TO A SINGLE AGENT

In this example, the tracking number routes directly to Example Agent.  If Example Agent is not available or doesn’t answer within 60 seconds, the caller will instead be routed to the agent’s manager.

Receiving Numbers

Calls that are routed to receiving numbers will default to the settings on the receiving phone number’s system.  If the line is unavailable it will return a busy signal, or it may be routed to the number’s voicemail if it has one configured on that system.  Configuring no answer routing for receiving numbers will let you set a time limit for the number to be answered, as well as where the unanswered call will be routed.

The following options are available for no answer routing on receiving numbers:

• Hangup / Busy signal
• Phone Number
• Voice Menu
• Queue
• Smart Router

To learn more about configuring receiving numbers, see the full article here.

EXAMPLE: OVERRIDING THE RECEIVING LINE’S VOICEMAIL

In the following example, a tracking number forwards calls to the receiving number [phone].  By default, if this number is unavailable, the receiving line’s settings will take over the call (typically, this is a voicemail box on the receiving line).  To stop unanswered calls from going to the receiving line’s voicemail, you can configure no answer routing so that your voicemail box in CTM will be used instead.

 

When using no answer routing on a receiving number, you must set the time limit so that CTM’s routing occurs before any default settings on the receiving number.  We recommend trying some test calls to make sure your no answer routing works as expected.

 

In this example, if someone does not answer the receiving number within 25 seconds, the caller will be routed to a voicemail box configured in CTM.

Queues

When you are routing to a queue of agents, the default queue settings will hang up the call if it is not answered within 30 seconds.  You can use no answer routing to set a different time limit and control where the call will go when none of the agents in the queue are available.

The following options are available for no answer routing in a queue:

• Hang up
• Voice Menu
• Smart Router
• Dial Number
• Queue
• Dial Agent

For more information about configuring call queues, see the full article here.

EXAMPLE: ROLLING CALLS TO ANOTHER QUEUE

In the following example, calls are being routed to a queue of technical support agents.  When the agents are unavailable, the queue will instead ring to the sales team’s queue.

Geo Routers

Geo routers do not have the same no answer routing settings that queues or tracking numbers offer.  Because geo routers forward calls to receiving numbers, the no answer routing that is set on each receiving number will be used for unanswered calls.

However, there is an error handling option that you can use to decide what will happen to calls that are outside the geo router’s service area.  The following options are available to handle those calls:

• Hang Up
• Phone Number
• Voice Menu

For more information about geo routers, see the full article here.

EXAMPLE: CALLS OUTSIDE THE SERVICE AREA ROUTE TO THE MAIN OFFICE

In the following example, callers that are not within the geo router’s defined service area will be routed to the company’s main office line.