How VOIP Call Forwarding Works: What You Need to Know

VoIP technology, which is the abbreviation for Voice over Internet Protocol, is a method of making phone calls using broadband internet instead of using landlines. When you call with a VoIP service, your voice is transmitted as digital data before it is delivered to the other end of the line.

VoIP tech takes the place of a landline phone. It works as a virtual phone that you can use anywhere with wired or wireless access. For business owners, that means you can work from your office without paying for both phone and internet lines. You can also work and make calls on the go.

What is call forwarding?

Call forwarding is a tool you can use to stay connected, even if you’re not available at your usual phone number.

With call forwarding, calls are transferred to you at a different number so you don’t have to miss important phone calls. A forwarding service can send calls made to your desk phone, for example, to your wireless phone number instead.

The Different Types of Call Forwarding

There are several kinds of call forwarding you can use with your phone system.

Always On

With always on call forwarding, all calls are forwarded to a designated number.

No Answer

No answer call forwarding only forwards calls when you don’t answer them through the typical landline or virtual phone number.

Busy

When your line is busy, call forwarding options can push the second call to a different line instead of giving the caller a busy signal.

Not Reachable

If a call goes unanswered, your business can miss out on potential sales. Call forwarding when you’re not reachable (like while on vacation or due to an outage) automatically sends calls to another number.

Selective

Selective forwarding lets you choose when to forward calls. Choose times such as after hours, during meetings, or when your line is busy.

What is call forwarding on VoIP?

VoIP call forwarding options are more advanced than traditional options. Forwarding options can be personalized more than with traditional landline call forwarding.

Types of VoIP Call Forwarding

There are a couple of types of VoIP call forwarding your business can use.

ACD Queues

Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) queues are designed with teams in mind. They work well for technical support, customer service, and sales teams. If customers are calling for help, these queues can funnel callers to the next available agent in the correct department.

Multi-Device Ring

Multi-device ring is a setup that lets you add multiple devices to a single work number. Then, you can set up the rules for when each device should ring. For example, you might choose to have all of the devices ring at the same time, or you could set it up to ring in the office from 9 to 5 p.m. when you’ll be at your desk but on a mobile device otherwise.

5 Benefits of VoIP Call Forwarding

Some of the benefits of using VoIP call forwarding for your business include giving you:

A Finer Level of Control

It’s excellent to know exactly which devices are going to ring at different times of the day. You’ll have the knowledge that at least one person will be standing by to take a call from your main line when you’re out of the office. VoIP services can give you that peace of mind by allowing you to decide how calls are forwarded within your business.

Improved Flexibility

With VoIP call forwarding, you get more flexibility back in your day. You control where calls go. For example, you can set rules to determine which callers go to your desk versus other departments.

Better Sound Quality

VoIP services often have better sound quality than cellular services. Stronger internet connections, processors, and software are just a few reasons you’ll hear your callers better via VoIP.

Mobile Workforce Management

Today’s workforces aren’t all sitting around in a single office; they’re all over the world. VoIP call forwarding lets you forward calls to the right people, no matter where they are.

Enhanced Security and Encryption

With VoIP phone systems, you get increased security through the encryption of incoming data. Calls are routed through protected networks, helping you secure and protect calls and information as it’s transmitted to you by the caller.

How to Set Up Call Forwarding on VoIP

Once you have a VoIP service and want to set up call forwarding, it’s time to speak with your VoIP phone service provider. Call forwarding is different between services, though there are some similarities between them.

Usually, you’ll go into your software’s user portal and select the forwarding option from its features. Then, you’ll adjust your call forwarding options based on what’s best for your business.

Call forwarding features may include simultaneous ringing to ring across all devices at the same time, call forwarding with delay to send the call to a specific agent or individual before forwarding it to another line, and others.

If you run into trouble during the setup process, remember to check your internet connection. Then, work with your IT team to ensure your routers, switches, modem, and other devices are up and running (and not blocking VoIP services).

5 Best Practices for VoIP Call Forwarding

Now that you’re ready to start forwarding your customers’ calls, there are a few things you can do to improve your customer service. From informing callers of the change to a VoIP system to regularly updating your VoIP rules, here’s everything you should keep in mind to make the system work for your business.

Informing callers

With any new call forwarding system, it’s not a bad idea to inform callers of the change. Let them know if you’re using a forwarding service. If they don’t reach anyone, give them details about how they can leave a message or get a callback.

There may be an opportunity to add a dial tone or message to let callers know when they’re being forwarded and need to hold the line, as well. Check with your VoIP provider to determine which features you can use, as features tend to vary between them.

Setting Clear Voicemail Messages

Set up a greeting on your automated system or voicemail. Let callers (both traditional and VoIP callers) know how to reach the person or department they’re trying to call.

When you’re first starting to use call forwarding, it isn’t a bad idea to let callers know that they’ve been forwarded to voicemail and that you’ll return their call later. Or, if they need help now, you can give them a different number to try after leaving a voicemail.

What’s most important here is just ensuring good communication so callers know who they’ve reached and why a call wasn’t answered.

Managing Forwarding Schedules

Forwarding schedules are excellent because they give you the opportunity to choose when calls come to you or go to another department. You can choose when to send calls to voicemail, too, as well as decide if you want calls forwarded to different devices at various times of the day.

Forward calls strategically. Use time-based forwarding to route calls within your business hours, during special events, or over the course of the holidays. And, consider setting up call forwarding to reduce the strain on your team in-house.

Avoiding Missed Calls

A key benefit of using a VoIP system is not missing any calls. Back up your primary lines by using failover forwarding. With failover call forwarding, incoming calls will be redirected when your primary line is busy. That redirected call can go to any backup destination, whether you need to have it sent to your mobile device or to another person at the company.

Reviewing Your VoIP Call Forwarding

Finally, don’t forget to review your call forwarding services regularly to determine when you need to change forwarding rules or destinations. Your company may grow or routing options might change, so monitor and analyze forwarded calls to ensure you’re not forwarding them to dead lines or running into gaps in availability that lead to missed messages.

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