--- title: "Call routing" description: "IVR menus, a visual call flow designer, business hours, queues and ring groups. Get every call to the right person." url: "https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/services/voice/features/call-routing" canonical: "https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/services/voice/features/call-routing" updated: "2026-10-03" --- # Call routing IVR menus, a visual call flow designer, business hours, queues and ring groups. Get every call to the right person. ## Get every call to the right person Menus, call flows, business hours, queues and ring groups. Set up how calls move through your business, and we'll help you build it. - Visual call flow designer - Business hours and holidays - Set up for you - [Talk to us](https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/contact) - [Compare phone systems](https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/services/voice) ## Skip the 'press 1' menu Smart Receptionist can replace multi-level menus and much of your routing setup. Callers say what they need, and it answers common questions or puts them through to the right person. Setup and help are included. Available on Hosted Voice and Enterprise Voice. - [Meet Smart Receptionist](https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/services/voice/features/smart-receptionist) ## Routing that fits how you work - **Auto attendant** — Greet callers and let them choose a department, with menus in more than one language if you need them. - **Call Flow Designer** — Drag-and-drop call flows that route by time, caller input, language or customer type. - **Business hours and holidays** — Calls follow your opening hours automatically, including public holidays and after-hours messages. - **Queues and ring groups** — Share calls across a team so the next free person answers, with hold music and announcements. ## Shape the caller's journey - **IVR / auto attendant** — Multi-level menus that greet callers and send them to the right team. Menus can change by time of day and be recorded in more than one language. - **Call Flow Designer** — Build call flows on a visual, drag-and-drop canvas with ready-made templates, text-to-speech prompts and lookups to other systems. *On request on Hosted Voice. Included on Enterprise Voice.* - **Business hours and holidays** — Set your opening hours and public holidays once, and calls are routed to the right place automatically. - **Night switch** — Flip your whole phone system to after-hours mode with one switch when you close early or open late. - **Custom prompts and text-to-speech** — Upload your own recordings or type a message and have it read out, for greetings, menus and announcements. ## Route by who's calling and what they dialled - **Queues** — Hold callers in order until someone is free, with music, position announcements and overflow rules. - **Ring groups** — Ring a team at once, in order, or round-robin, so calls are shared fairly. - **Direct-in-dial numbers** — Give people or departments their own number that rings straight through. - **Caller ID routing and AutoCLIP** — Send known callers to a specific person, and put returning callers back through to the person they last spoke to. - **Route by phonebook match** — Recognise callers from your contacts or CRM and route VIPs or key accounts automatically. - **Number-based routing (DNIS)** — Answer and route differently depending on which of your numbers the caller dialled. - **Caller ID and CLID overstamping** — See who's calling before you answer, and choose which of your numbers shows when you call out. ## Make a good first impression - **Music on hold and playlists** — Play royalty-free music, your own playlist or a stream while callers wait. - **Distinctive ringtones** — Use different ringtones for internal, external or queue calls so staff know what's coming in. - **Allow and block lists** — Block nuisance numbers, or only allow certain numbers through to selected extensions. - **PIN-protected calling** — Require a PIN before certain calls can be made, such as international or premium numbers. - **Emergency numbers and notifications** — Emergency calls always get through, and nominated staff are alerted when someone dials an emergency number. ## Available on | Feature | Hosted Voice | Enterprise Voice | On-Site Voice | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Auto attendant, queues and ring groups | Included | Included | Included | | Call Flow Designer | On request | Included | Optional add-on | | Smart Receptionist | Monthly or one-off packs | Monthly or one-off packs | Not available | ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I have to set up call routing myself? No. We build your menus, ring groups and business hours with you as part of setup, and you can ask us to change them any time. You can also make changes yourself in the web portal if you prefer. ### What's the difference between an auto attendant and Smart Receptionist? An auto attendant plays a menu and the caller presses a number. [Smart Receptionist](/services/voice/features/smart-receptionist) lets callers say what they need in plain language, answers common questions and routes the call for them. Smart Receptionist is available on Hosted Voice and Enterprise Voice. ### Can calls be routed differently after hours or on public holidays? Yes. Set your business hours and holiday calendar once and calls follow them automatically, for example to voicemail, a mobile or an after-hours service. ## Find the right phone system for your business Every feature runs on the same platform. Choose how you'd like it delivered, or talk to our local team and we'll help you decide. - [Hosted Voice](https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/services/voice/hosted-voice) - [Enterprise Voice](https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/services/voice/enterprise-voice) - [On-Site Voice](https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/services/voice/on-site-voice)