The types of forwarding
| Type | What happens | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Unconditional (all calls) | Every call forwards immediately | Temporarily, e.g. holidays |
| On no answer | Forwards after the phone rings for a while | Overflow during the day |
| On busy | Forwards when the line is engaged | Second caller while you're on a call |
| When unreachable | Forwards when the phone is off or has no signal | Crews in poor coverage areas |
| Scheduled / time-based | Forwards during set hours | After hours and weekends |
Mobile phones, landlines and business phone systems (VoIP) support different combinations. Codes and settings vary by carrier and country, so check with your provider rather than relying on generic codes from the internet.
Questions to ask your phone provider
- Which forwarding types does my line or plan support?
- Can I set forwarding on a schedule, or only manually?
- How many rings before "no answer" forwarding kicks in, and can I change it?
- Is there a charge for forwarded calls?
- What caller ID does the receiving number see — the original caller's or mine?
- If I use a business phone system, can forwarding rules be set per user or per number?
A typical setup for a small service business
- During business hours: forward on no answer and on busy, so overflow calls are answered.
- After hours: scheduled forwarding of all calls, or no-answer forwarding with a short ring time.
- Emergencies: if you offer emergency service, decide exactly how urgent calls reach a person — don't rely solely on an answering service or AI to escalate. See what an AI receptionist should never decide.
Test every path
- Call from another phone during business hours and don't answer. Does it forward after the expected rings?
- Call while the line is busy. Does it forward?
- Call after hours. Does scheduled forwarding work, including on weekends and holidays?
- Turn the phone off and call. Does unreachable forwarding work?
- Check what number the receiving service sees as caller ID.
- Check voicemail doesn't pick up before forwarding does — a common conflict.
Repeat after any change to your phone plan, phone system or number.
How MendRev Voice uses forwarding
With MendRev's Voice Solutions, you forward the calls you can't take — after-hours and overflow — to your MendRev number using call forwarding, and your main number stays the same. We set up the number and routing and run test calls with you during onboarding. The receptionist captures caller details for your team; it doesn't dispatch staff or book jobs on its own. Background on why missed calls matter is in how an AI receptionist stops missed calls.
Questions
Will customers see a different number?
No. They call your usual number; forwarding happens on your side. How caller ID appears on the receiving end depends on your carrier.
Does forwarding cost extra?
Some carriers charge for forwarded minutes or require a feature on your plan. Check with your provider before relying on it.
Next step
Hear the receptionist before you decide.
Voice is an optional supporting service: it answers the calls you forward, captures details and passes them to your team. It does not book jobs or dispatch staff on its own.
Published voice pricing and the pilot terms are on Voice Solutions and the refund policy.