How to Setup Call Forwarding for Smart Answering

This blog will review the steps required to set up the telecom connections that enable  SoundHound Smart Answering. If you have not signed up, please visit the signup page. 

SoundHound Smart Answering is an  AI-powered voice assistant that handles 100% of your phone calls, from simple requests such as hours or location to information on your products and services including promotions and payment options.

Setting Up Smart Answering Call Forwarding

Activating your SoundHound Smart Answering phone system requires you to forward your calls from your business phone provider to our AI-powered phone number.

Call Forwarding Process:

Your SoundHound Smart Answering phone solution can flow in one of three ways, depending on whether you need to allow customers to speak to a live person at your business:  

1. If your business does not require that customers be able to  speak directly to your business, this is the simplest option, called Default Call Forwarding. 
2. If your business does require this capability, certain SoundHound-supported telecom providers offer a feature called Selective Call Forwarding that allows you to forward these calls.
3. If your business does require this capability and you have multiple phone numbers at your business, Second Line Call Forwarding allows you to forward calls back to your business on the second line.

Here are the different ways to set up call forwarding:

(A) Default Call Forwarding 

Depending on your phone provider, please log in to your telecom portal or pick up your business line and dial *72 + your Smart Answering number you received in setup (or any of the default call forwarding commands your telecom provider has set up). This sets up your phone so that all calls are forwarded to the SoundHound Smart Answering number. Click here for more details on setting up default call forwarding.

(B) Selective Call Forwarding

If you use one of these telecom providers, they offer the Selective Call Forwarding feature that works with SoundHound. Visit one of these sites:   

• Xfinity/Comcast
• Verizon Business
• Ring Central
• Nextiva
• GoTo
• Google Voice

If you do not use one of these supported telecom providers or want more details, visit the Selective Call Forwarding section.

(C) Second Line Call Forwarding

Choose this option if you require that your customers be able to speak to a live person at your business once they’ve engaged with SoundHound Smart Answering and you have a second phone line.  

To set this feature up, log in to your telecom provider’s portal or pick up your business line and dial *72  + your Smart Answering number you received in setup (or any of the default call forwarding commands your telecom provider has set up).  For more details, visit the Second Line Call Forwarding section.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]  or call us at 888-205-9726. A  dedicated SoundHound specialist will assist you and your business with setting up call forwarding.

You can also reserve time with a SoundHound specialist using Calendly:

Schedule a meeting

We appreciate your business and we look forward to working with you!

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Option A: Setup Using Default Call Forwarding

Choose this option if you do not require that your customers be able to speak to a live person at your business. The customer’s call is simply forwarded to the SoundHound AI phone number and SoundHound Smart Answering is engaged.

How to Do It

Depending on your phone provider, please log in to your telecom portal or pick up your business line and dial *72 + your Smart Answering number you received in setup  (or any of the default call forwarding commands your telecom provider has set up). This sets up your phone so that all calls are forwarded to the SoundHound Smart Answering number.

Example

(A): Customer phone call -> Business phone number #1 -> SoundHound AI phone number

If the customer is calling in from xxx-xxx-xxxx, your current business number at yyy-yyy-yyyy is accepting and answering those customer calls. SoundHound AI powers the transfer out number, which is zzz-zzz-zzzz in this case. 

Final Steps/Contact Us

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]  or call us at 888-205-9726. A  dedicated SoundHound specialist will assist you and your business with setting up call forwarding.

You can also reserve time with a SoundHound specialist using Calendly:

Schedule a meeting

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Option B: Setup Using Selective Call Forwarding

Choose this option if you require that your customers be able to speak to a live person at your business once they’ve engaged with SoundHound Smart Answering. This option makes use of Selective Call Forwarding that is supported by certain telecom providers (see below).  Without this specific feature, a loop is created when the customer asks to speak to the business:

Call Forwarding with Loop

Call Forwarding (No Loop)

With Selective Call Forwarding, the feature recognizes a trigger word and the call is forwarded to the business phone, avoiding the loop. 

How to Do It

Turn on the Selective Call Feature by reaching out to one of the supported telecom providers:   

• Xfinity/Comcast
• Verizon Business
• Ring Central
• Nextiva
• GoTo
• Google Voice

If you do not use one of these supported telecom providers, you have 2 options:

• Ask your existing provider to provision another number that rings at your business, or
• Use one of the supported providers mentioned above 

Example

(B): Customer phone call -> Business phone number #1 -> SoundHound AI phone number -> Business phone number #1
If the customer is calling in from xxx-xxx-xxxx, your current business number at yyy-yyy-yyyy is accepting and answering those customer calls. SoundHound AI powers the transfer out number, which is zzz-zzz-zzzz in this case. 

For customers who are speaking to our AI and then need to be transferred to the store to speak to a person, the Selective Call Feature would forward  xxx-xxx-xxxx back to the business (yyy-yyy-yyyy), passing through the SoundHound AI number but avoiding the loop and reaching a live person at the business.

Final Steps/Contact Us

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]m  or call us at 888-205-9726. A  dedicated SoundHound specialist will assist you and your business with setting up call forwarding.

You can also reserve time with a SoundHound specialist using Calendly:

Schedule a meeting

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Option C: Setup Using Second Line Call Forwarding

Choose this option if you require that your customers be able to speak to a live person at your business once they’ve engaged with SoundHound Smart Answering and you have a second phone line.  

How to Do It

It’s relatively straightforward to set this feature up if you have 2 phone lines. Depending on your phone provider,  log in to your telecom portal or pick up your business line and dial *72 + your Smart Answering number you received in setup  (or any of the default call forwarding commands your telecom provider has set up). This sets up your phone so that once customers are speaking with SoundHound Smart Answering and they request live help, they will be forwarded to your second business phone number.

Example

(C): Customer phone call -> Business phone number #1 -> SoundHound AI phone number -> Business phone number #2

If the customer is calling in from xxx-xxx-xxxx, your current business first number at yyy-yyy-yyyy is accepting and answering those customer calls. SoundHound AI powers the transfer out number, which is zzz-zzz-zzzz in this case. In this instance, if you have a 2nd phone number at the business that can be answered on short notice, zzz-zzz-zzzz will be transferred to aaa-aaa-aaaa instead, which will avoid a call forwarding loop. 

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]  or call us at 888-205-9726. A  dedicated SoundHound specialist will assist you and your business with setting up call forwarding.

You can also reserve time with a SoundHound specialist using Calendly:

Schedule a meeting