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Phone setup

Set up conditional call forwarding

The practical setup model for routing only missed, busy, or unanswered calls to an AI receptionist.

5 minUpdated 2026-06-30

Applies to

Busy-line forwardingNo-answer forwardingOverflow routing

Setup steps

1

Pick the trigger

Choose whether calls forward after a timeout, when the line is busy, outside business hours, or when a specific queue is overloaded.

2

Set the timeout

Short timeouts recover more calls but may interrupt staff. Longer timeouts feel less aggressive but can make callers wait.

3

Route by call type

Use different rules for sales, support, urgent service, existing customers, and general inquiries when the phone system supports it.

4

Review failed attempts

After launch, inspect calls that did not reach Havio and calls that reached the wrong fallback path.

FAQ

Is conditional forwarding better than replacing voicemail?

Usually yes for the first pilot. It lets the business compare AI coverage against the current staff workflow without changing every call path.

Can different numbers use different rules?

Yes, if the phone system supports it. Multi-location and department workflows should be mapped before activation.

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