Skip to main content

Configure departments and call routing

Last updated July 23, 2026

Call routing determines who answers each company number during and after business hours. Use departments for shared queues, direct lines for individual staff, and number-level settings for a line that needs a specific destination.

Before you begin​

Complete Phone Service setup. Confirm the staff who will answer calls are active and have accurate contact information. Write down the desired business-hours, overflow, after-hours, and voicemail behavior before editing.

Open Phone Service and assign a phone number​

Go to Settings → Communications → Phone Service → Phone Numbers.

  1. Find the number.
  2. Open its three-dot menu.
  3. In Phone Number Settings, select an Assign to Staff Member value when the line belongs to one person.
  4. Choose a Department when the line should enter a shared queue.
  5. Choose a Campaign when calls to the number should carry source attribution.
  6. Set AI Routing Override only when this number should use different receptionist behavior.
  7. Click Save Changes.

Use one clear routing owner for each number to avoid competing destinations.

Create or edit a department​

Go to Phone Service → Call Center.

  1. Click the add-department action or open an existing department.
  2. Enter a recognizable department name.
  3. Assign the phone numbers that should reach it.
  4. Add the staff members who should answer.
  5. Set Business Hours for each day and confirm the time zone.
  6. Choose the business-hours route.
  7. Choose the after-hours route.
  8. Review the welcome greeting and queue prompt.
  9. Review hold music, overflow routing, call recording, and voicemail settings when available.
  10. Save the department.

Routing options may include department staff, the Nexus receptionist, voicemail, another department, or an outside number. Choose routes that always end in a clear answer or voicemail destination.

Set up a direct line​

  1. Open Direct Lines.
  2. Click the setup or add action.
  3. Select the staff member.
  4. Select or obtain the dedicated company number shown in the workflow.
  5. Configure ringing and voicemail.
  6. Save the direct line.
  7. Place a test call.

Test both an open-hours call and an after-hours call whenever routing changes.

Test the call path​

  1. Call the number from a phone that is not part of the routing group.
  2. Confirm the greeting.
  3. Verify the correct staff or department rings.
  4. Let the call continue long enough to test overflow.
  5. Test again outside the configured business hours.
  6. Leave a voicemail and confirm it reaches the expected destination.

What happens next​

Inbound calls follow the saved number, department, and direct-line choices. If the Nexus receptionist is part of the route, complete the receptionist setup before relying on it for customer calls.

Troubleshooting​

Calls reach the wrong destination​

Open the number's settings and compare Assign to Staff Member, Department, and AI Routing Override. Then check the department's business-hours and after-hours routes.

A staff member does not ring​

Confirm the person is active, assigned to the department, and has the correct phone availability. Remove and re-add the staff member, save, then test again.

After-hours routing starts at the wrong time​

Review every day's business hours and the department time zone. Save and test with a call outside the corrected schedule.