Example PhoneBlock call flow A caller hears a greeting, presses 1 for a new estimate, 2 for an existing job, or 3 for employment. Each option routes to a destination. If nobody answers, a fallback such as a voicemail or a text with a scheduling link applies. Incoming call Greeting “Thank you for calling [Business Name]. For a new estimate or service inquiry, press 1. For help with an existing job, press 2. For employment opportunities, press 3.” 1 New estimate or service inquiry 2 Existing job questions and updates 3 Employment opportunities Ring the sales line Transfer to the people who handle new inquiries Ring the office Whoever owns active jobs during business hours Play a message Point to a careers page or an application contact If nobody answers Voicemail with a clear promise, and where supported and configured, a text with a scheduling link so the caller can continue without calling back. Agree on these before adding complexity The number · destinations · ringing behaviour business hours · fallback message

Say who you are first

The first thing a caller wants to know is that they reached the right business. Say the name clearly before any options. If you serve a specific area or trade, one short phrase helps: “Thank you for calling [Business Name], roofing and exteriors in [Area].”

Offer three choices, not seven

Callers hold two or three options in their head. Write the menu from their point of view: a new inquiry, an existing job, and everything else. Employment, suppliers, and general questions can share the third option. If you need more than three, the flow probably needs a second level, not a longer list.

Name real destinations

“Press 1 for sales” sends the call to a department. “Press 1 for a new estimate” tells the caller what happens next. Behind each option, decide exactly who rings, in what order, and for how long. A destination that nobody owns is a fallback in disguise.

Decide the fallback before the menu

The busiest hour of your day is when calls are most likely to go unanswered. Decide now what the caller gets: a voicemail with a specific promise, a text with a scheduling link where that is supported and configured, or both. Then make sure someone owns the callbacks and can see them in one place.

A fallback promise that can be kept

“We are with a customer right now. Leave your name and address and we will call you back before the end of the day.” Only say “end of the day” if that is true on your busiest day.

Write down the five settings

  • The number. Which one callers use, and whether it stays with the current provider.
  • The destinations. Who answers each option, in what order.
  • Ringing behaviour. How long each person rings before the next.
  • Business hours. What changes after hours and at weekends.
  • The fallback. What the caller hears and receives when nobody answers.

Call yourself

Before you tell customers, call the number from a mobile, from outside the building, at a busy time. Time how long it takes to reach a person. Try each option. Let one ring out and check the fallback arrives. Fix what you found and call again.

Review missed calls weekly

Once a week, look at the calls that went to the fallback. How many, when, and were they called back? That number tells you whether the menu is working better than the routing does. Change one thing at a time so you can tell what helped.

PhoneBlock

PhoneBlock is being built around a clear greeting, a useful routing path, and a plan for the calls you cannot answer. Tell us what happens when someone calls today and what you want to happen instead.

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