What Is Business Call Forwarding & How Do You Set It Up?

Call forwarding lets businesses grab opportunities from the moment they “ring.”



Imagine you’re a traveling salesperson. Always on the move, meeting clients day in and day out. If a client calls your office number , you can’t let them land on voicemail or drop the call. 



Your response is crucial for the relationship you have with them. Call forwarding features help you answer incoming calls and ensure they reach the right person or device.



Whether in a car or a coffee shop, you can rest assured that business calls are answered.



What Is Business Call Forwarding?



Business call forwarding transfers incoming calls to another local number or mobile app. Multiple call forwarding rules work together and can be combined to route calls efficiently and accurately. 



The destination can be a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) number, a landline or a telephone number, a mobile phone, a virtual phone system, an international number, or an auto attendant. Call forwarding makes calls follow you wherever you go. 



In a VoIP system , call management is instantaneous, preventing customers from facing any delays. When a customer calls your toll-free or VoIP number, the communications platform receives the call, checks the forwarding rules, and directs the call accordingly. 



Cloud-based phone services respect your preferences in deciding who should get the call when the original number is busy, offline, or in typical situations where your team members can’t answer.






How it differs from traditional call forwarding



VoIP-based call forwarding differs significantly from the traditional call forwarding options. Opting for the former gives you ample flexibility, features, and customization capability. 



Traditional call forwarding systems might shy away from meeting your company’s needs, but a VoIP service doesn’t.



Here’s how VoIP stands against traditional call forwarding: 




Offers sequential ringing.  Calls ring on multiple numbers before they reach their destination. For example, when a call comes, your office phone rings first, then your mobile, and your colleagues’ desk if you’re unavailable. 



Provides time-based routing capabilities.  Forward calls to numbers based on the time of the day. For example, an inbound call in business after-hours would go to your counterpart working the shift after yours.



Conditionally forwards a call.  Redirects a call per set conditions such as the line’s status or the caller ID. For example, when a key client calls on your business phone number and you’re out of the office, you can get it forwarded to your personal number or a new number through a VoIP service. 




The traditional call forwarding service lets the client know that a call is being forwarded. A study by Zendesk in 2020 found that call transfers between departments irritate seven out of 10 customers. 



Business VoIP providers  such as Nextiva help you avoid delivering such experiences to customers by making call transfers quick and easy. 



How Business Call Forwarding Works



Business call forwarding works through a three-step process to ensure you answer important calls:




Receive.  When someone dials your VoIP number, the call goes through the VoIP service provider. The server knows precisely what to do with the incoming call. You can program it as per business needs.



Process.  The VoIP provider follows a set of rules to determine the call forwarding number. You can always forward calls or just forward when you can’t answer. Your VoIP service provider works around your needs and preferences.



Connect.  The communications platform connects the call to the device, extension, or outside phone line. The transfer is quick, and the caller doesn’t perceive it as delayed. However, if you have set rules to forward only when you don’t pick up, the phone system will give you a ring.




For a larger scale application, such as in a call center,  inbound calls  can be routed based on the virtual phone number dialed, auto attendant selections, and call center agent skillsets. Calls are often dropped back into the call queue when call center agents are unavailable.



Common Business Call Forwarding Rules



Cases for forwarding calls can be different for large and small businesses.



Some might pair it with call routing, queuing, or interactive voice response (IVR), while others use call forwarding to redirect calls when they’re on vacation and go out of the office. 



The rules below help you configure call forwarding settings based on your preferences. 



Call forward always



You can set this rule to automatically forward all incoming calls to another device or number. The rule typically helps when you go out of the office for a longer duration, say a vacation. 



With VoIP set to “Call forward always,” you can take business calls on a cell phone.



Choose a designated number and let your VoIP service provider take care of the rest. Some systems notify the original number when they forward the call. You can view these notifications on the VoIP interface.