Your Avoca forwarding number is provided by your Avoca Customer Success Manager or Technical Account Manager.
Before you change anything
- You have an admin login for the phone system (and the account security answer, if your carrier asks for one).
- You know which system actually routes your main line, not only the call tracking tool in front of it. See Call tracking numbers.
- You chose a setup (after-hours, overflow, primary, or a mix) and a ring time, with any greeting length added on top.
- No number port or provider switch is in progress. See Porting or switching providers.
In the phone system
- Your team is assigned to the routing and shows as available.
- Business-hours overflow forwards to your Avoca number on no answer and busy.
- Closed-hours routing forwards to your Avoca number.
- Any old answering service number was replaced with your Avoca number, not left alongside it.
- Holidays and weekends are set in the phone system.
- The number Avoca transfers callers to ends in your voicemail, not back at Avoca.
- Any recording announcement finishes before Avoca answers and does not overlap its greeting.
- Any temporary forwarding (through a cell phone, for example) was replaced with the final rule.
Test calls
Use a cell phone that is not saved in your phone system or your CRM.- Business hours: call and let it ring out. Your team rings first, then Avoca answers.
- After hours: call and confirm Avoca answers right away.
- Transfer: ask Avoca for a person. The call reaches your team or your voicemail.
- Caller ID: the call shows the caller’s number, not your business number.
After go-live
- Tell your Avoca team the exact time forwarding went live so they can watch the first calls.
- Test again after any change to your phone tree, hours, or staff routing.
Rules for every phone system
- Use no-answer and busy forwarding, not “forward all,” unless you want Avoca to answer first.
- Your team has to be in the routing. Overflow only works if your phone system knows who should ring first. If no one is assigned, or everyone shows as unavailable, the system skips straight to the overflow number and Avoca gets every call.
- Keep the wait short. Callers held in a queue for minutes often hang up before Avoca answers. Aim for about 30 seconds of ringing.
- Keep call tracking in the path. If your ads use tracking numbers, leave them pointed where they are and forward from the line they already ring.
- Replace your old answering service; don’t stack on it. Swap its number for your Avoca number in the same place.
- Transfers from Avoca must not come back to Avoca. Your Avoca team will set a transfer destination with you that ends in your voicemail.
- Caller ID must pass through. Avoca uses the caller’s number to find them in your CRM.
- Set holidays in your phone system. Avoca answers whatever your phone system sends it. A holiday left on regular hours rings an empty office.
Troubleshooting
Avoca answers every call during business hours
Your team is not assigned to the routing, or the phone system sees them as unavailable (logged out, on break, Do Not Disturb). Check your provider’s guide.Overflow never triggers
Confirm the no-answer timeout is set and the line doesn’t go to voicemail first.Avoca starts answering earlier or later than expected
The open and closed hours, or the time zone, in your phone system don’t match your office. Calls follow your phone system’s schedule, not Avoca’s.Every call shows your business number
Your carrier or phone system is not passing caller ID on forwarded calls. Ask your provider to pass the original caller ID. Test this on the first day.A recording announcement talks over Avoca’s greeting
The announcement comes from your phone system. See the Dialpad or RingCentral guide, or ask your provider how to shorten or move it.Calls stop reaching Avoca after go-live
- Dial your Avoca number directly. If Avoca answers, Avoca is working and the change is in your phone system.
- Check what changed recently: a queue or ring group edit, new staff in the routing, new hours, a new menu, or a provider change.
- Fix the routing and repeat the test calls above.
Porting or switching providers
Moving your number to a new provider (porting) is the most common cause of a long delay at go-live. Tell your Avoca team before you schedule go-live.- Before the port finishes, closed-hours and overflow routing may not work on the number being moved. If go-live can’t wait, set forwarding on your current provider and plan to set it again on the new one.
- After the port finishes, set forwarding in the new system and re-test every number that should reach Avoca. Porting the main line doesn’t move the others.
- Confirm the real number is in place. A temporary placeholder left as your main line will not ring your team or Avoca.