Call forwarding
Updated
Call forwarding is a phone feature that sends calls arriving at one number on to a different number, either every time or only under conditions such as busy, no answer or closed.
It is one of the oldest features in telephony and still one of the most useful for clinics. Forwarding lets the published clinic number stay the same while the calls reach whoever is best placed to answer them: the front desk, an on-call phone, an answering service or an AI front desk.
The common types
Unconditional forwarding sends every call straight to the new number. Clinics often use it at closing time to hand the line over to night cover.
Forward on busy sends a call onward only when every line is in use, so callers do not hear an engaged tone.
Forward on no answer, sometimes called ring-no-answer, waits a set number of rings at the desk and then sends the call on. This is the usual way to set up overflow answering.
Scheduled or time-based forwarding switches automatically at set times, such as evenings and weekends, so nobody has to remember to flip a setting at six o'clock.
Where it is set
Forwarding can be set in several places: with the phone carrier, in a hosted phone system's admin portal, or on a desk phone itself. Carrier-level and phone-system forwarding are the most reliable, because they work even if the desk phone is unplugged.
Things to watch
Test the forwarding after any change by calling the clinic's number from an outside mobile. Check what caller ID the destination sees, because some setups show the clinic's number instead of the owner's, which makes callbacks harder. And keep a written note of the settings, so a new manager can find them.
An example
At a two-vet clinic, the phone system forwards on no answer after a few rings during the day and switches to unconditional forwarding at closing time each evening. A receptionist calls the clinic from her mobile once a week to make sure both rules still work.
How Tilly handles it
Clinics keep their number with Tilly. You can forward calls to Tilly, port your number, or connect your phone system over SIP, and choose an answer mode: all calls, overflow, after hours or a weekly schedule. If anything fails, the call rings through to your own line.
The vet clinic phone coverage guide shows how forwarding fits a full coverage plan. See also call routing.