A call router is a system that decides where each incoming call will go: to an extension, a mobile, a waiting queue, a voice bot or a message. A smart cloud call router makes sure a customer who calls your business does not meet a busy tone and is not left without an answer.
In an old physical PBX, every routing change needs a technician. With a cloud call router you define the rules in an interface and change them in minutes, even from your mobile.
What does a call router do?
- Routes by hours: during working hours to extensions, afterwards to a mobile or a night message.
- Routes by choice: a voice menu where the caller picks a department, or a voice router (a voice bot) that understands what the caller needs and routes by itself.
- Rings several devices: an office extension and a mobile in parallel, so someone answers.
- Handles an unanswered call: a waiting queue, a voicemail box that sends to email, or a voice agent that takes a message.
- Documents: recording, transcription and summary of every call, and CRM integration.
A call router and lost calls
Every unanswered call is a customer who may turn to a competitor. A smart call router closes the gap: if no extension is available, the call does not drop but goes to a mobile, a queue or a bot that collects the details. Read also how a business loses calls and how to stop it.
How does it relate to a cloud PBX?
The router is the heart of a smart cloud PBX: the same interface manages extensions, numbers, recordings and messages. You can start with a single line and expand gradually, and add a voice bot or an AI agent.
Frequently asked questions
What is a call router?
A system that decides where each incoming call goes: to an extension, a mobile, a waiting queue, a voice bot or a message, by hours, caller choice or availability.
What is the difference between a call router and a PBX?
A call router is the part that routes the call. A PBX also includes extensions, recording, messages and menus. In a smart cloud PBX the router is part of the system.
What is a voice router?
A call router run by a voice bot: the caller says in words what they need, and the bot routes them to the right destination without a keypad menu.
Can calls be routed to a mobile?
Yes. You can forward calls to a mobile by hours or when nobody answers in the office, and run an extension on the mobile in parallel with the office one.
What happens when nobody answers?
The call does not drop: it can go to a mobile, a waiting queue, a voicemail box sent to email, or a voice agent that takes a message.