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Auto attendant (IVR)

Greet every caller and send them to the right place.

Build a phone menu that answers the call, plays your greeting and routes each caller by key press, to the right person, team or queue. Set up in the portal in minutes, no engineer needed.

Included on the Standard plan Recorded or text-to-speech greetings Works with your opening hours UK built and supported
How it works

Caller hears your greeting, presses a key, gets routed

An auto attendant, also called an IVR (interactive voice response), is the automated voice that answers and offers a menu. The caller chooses an option and the system connects them, every time, day or night.

  • The call is answered instantlyNo more ringing out or going to a shared inbox. The auto attendant picks up and plays your greeting straight away.
  • The caller chooses an optionThey press a key for the team or person they want. Each option can lead to an extension, a ring group, a call queue, voicemail or another menu.
  • They land in the right placeThe call is connected to the right destination on your phone system, so the right people answer and nobody is left on hold guessing.
  • Regulars can skip the menuAnyone who knows an extension number can direct-dial it during the greeting and go straight through.

Example menu

"Thanks for calling Acme. To help us put you through, please choose from the following options."

  • 1for Sales, rings the sales team
  • 2for Support, joins the support queue
  • 3for Accounts, goes to the accounts extension
  • 4to leave a message, goes to voicemail
  • 0to speak to reception
What you can set up

Built around how your team actually answers calls

Everything is configured in the portal. Change an option, swap a greeting or add a menu whenever your business changes.

Multi-level menus

Point any key at a second menu to break a busy department into clearer choices, such as new business and renewals under sales. Nest menus as deep as you need.

Route to people, teams or queues

Send an option to a single extension, a ring group that rings several people at once, a call queue that holds callers in order, voicemail or hang up. Mix and match per option.

Time-based menus

Works with business-hours routing so callers hear one menu in hours and a different greeting or routing out of hours, at weekends and on the holidays you set.

Recorded or text-to-speech greetings

Upload a professionally recorded greeting, or type the wording and generate it with built-in text-to-speech. Edit and re-publish in the portal any time, at no extra cost.

Direct dial by extension

Callers who already know an extension number can dial it during the greeting and go straight through, skipping the menu entirely.

Set up and change in minutes

Build menus, set greetings and wire up routing yourself in the portal. No engineer visit, no waiting, and no extra licence to buy.

Want it to answer questions, not just route?

The auto attendant routes callers by key press. If you would like a natural-sounding voice that holds a conversation, answers common questions and takes details when no one is free, look at the AI Receptionist. It is a separate add-on at £29.99 per month that sits alongside your phone system.

Explore the AI Receptionist

Common questions

How many menu options can an auto attendant have?

You can map any of the keypad digits (0 to 9), plus * and #, to an option. Most businesses use three to five so callers do not have to remember a long list, but you are free to use more. Each key can route to a person, a team, a queue, voicemail, another menu, or hang up.

Can I build multi-level menus?

Yes. Any key can point to a second menu, so you can build a structure like "press 1 for sales, then press 1 for new business or 2 for renewals". You can nest menus as deeply as you need and route options at every level.

Can I change the greeting myself?

Yes. Greetings are managed in the portal. Upload your own recording, or type the wording and generate it with the built-in text-to-speech. You can edit and re-publish whenever you need, with no engineer visit and no extra charge.

Can callers hear a different menu out of hours?

Yes. The auto attendant works with business-hours routing, so callers can hear one menu during opening hours and a different greeting or routing out of hours, at weekends, and on the holidays you set.

Is the auto attendant included in the price?

Yes. The auto attendant is part of the phone system and is included on the Standard plan at £6.95 per user per month. There is no separate licence for it. The AI Receptionist, which answers questions and books in callers rather than just routing them, is a separate add-on at £29.99 per month.

Put the right callers through to the right people

Set up your auto attendant in minutes. Keep your number, go live quickly and get real UK support if you need a hand.