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How to Forward Calls to an AI Receptionist in Australia

By Frontly

· Updated

Call forwarding lets you keep your existing business number while your calls are answered by your Frontly AI receptionist. Your number stays with your current provider, and your provider sends the calls on to your Frontly number. Your customers keep dialling the number they already know.

Forwarding is set up with your phone provider

Call forwarding is a feature of your current phone service, not of Frontly. Whether you are with Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, TPG, iiNet, Aussie Broadband, Belong or another provider, your provider decides which forwarding options your line supports, how you switch them on, and whether forwarded calls cost extra.

What to ask your provider

  • Can my line forward every call to another number?
  • Can it forward only the calls nobody answers, or the calls that arrive when the line is busy or unreachable?
  • Can forwarding run on a schedule, such as after hours only, for an after-hours answering service?
  • Do you charge for forwarded calls, and at what rate?
  • How do I switch forwarding on and off, and how do I check it is on?

Where to forward your calls

Forward your calls to your own Frontly number, which we give you during setup. Always enter your own Frontly number, never a number copied from an example.

If your business uses a cloud phone system

If your calls run through a cloud phone system, such as 3CX, Aircall, 8x8 or RingCentral, the forwarding rules usually live in the system's admin settings. Ask your administrator, or the phone system's support team, how to forward calls to your Frontly number.

Test your forwarding

A test call confirms only the condition you tested, so test each forwarding rule you set up.

  1. Call your Frontly number directly from another phone. If your AI receptionist answers, the Frontly side is ready.
  2. Call your existing business number from a different phone, under the condition you want to test. If the call reaches your AI receptionist, forwarding works for that condition.
  3. Repeat for each rule. If you forward only when nobody answers, when the line is busy, or on a schedule, test each one under its own condition. Your provider can help you check the rules you set up with them.
  4. Check your next bill from your provider for any charges on forwarded calls.

If the first call works but a forwarded call does not, the forward is not set up on your line as expected. Check the settings with your provider.

See plans and pricing

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Your current phone provider. Call forwarding is a feature of your phone service, so your provider decides which forwarding options your line supports, how you switch them on, and whether forwarded calls cost extra.

No. Forwarding leaves your number with your current provider, which sends the calls on to your Frontly number. Your customers keep dialling the number they already know.

No. A test call confirms only the condition you tested. If you forward calls only when nobody answers, when the line is busy, or on a schedule, test each of those conditions separately with your provider.

BY INDUSTRY

How Frontly answers calls in your industry

The industries this guide matters most to, and why their phones are different.

After-hours answering service

Answer evening and weekend calls, capture requests and route selected calls to your on-call contact.

See the industry page

Small business answering service

Answer service questions, take booking requests and capture leads while you serve customers and run the business.

See the industry page

Virtual receptionist

Handle routine calls and appointment requests while your reception team gives visitors their attention.

See the industry page

AI receptionist for tradies

Answer service-area and call-out questions, capture job details and pass urgent requests to your chosen contact.

See the industry page

HEAR IT FOR YOURSELF

Hear an after-hours guest call

Try the property-reception demo: ask about parking, then raise a maintenance request. It shows routine answers and an on-call notification. No signup required.

Test Call

Talk to the AI agent right now from your browser. Hear how Frontly handles a typical call.

Hear a real AI agent handle a typical inbound callNo signup, no card, no waiting on a sales rep

This demo is a configured example. Your plan starts from a ready-made workflow for your industry, which you customise.

Prefer to listen? Hear a recorded demo call

Hotel reception desk lit at night with nobody on duty

After hours

Late guest, no hot water, on-call alerted

Answered the parking question
Took the name and apartment
Alerted the on-call team
1:31
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