Routing Modes - CloseTheCall Docs

How call routing works

When someone calls your AI phone number, CloseTheCall needs to decide: should the AI answer immediately, should it try ringing you first, or should it depend on the time of day? This is what routing modes control. You have three options:

AI Answers

AI picks up every call immediately. You never get rung.

Rings You First

Your phone rings first. If you do not answer, the AI takes over.

Schedule-Based

During business hours, your phone rings. After hours, AI answers.

Routing decision tree

Mode 1: AI Answers

The simplest mode. Every call goes directly to your AI receptionist. Your personal phone never rings.

How it works

Caller dials your AI number
AI picks up within 1 second
AI handles the entire call (greeting, booking, FAQs, lead capture)
You get a notification after the call with a summary

Best for

Businesses that want 24/7 coverage without interruptions
Owners who are busy on jobs all day (plumbers, electricians, builders)
After-hours overflow when you do not want to be disturbed
Businesses that get high call volumes and cannot answer them all

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Never miss a call, ever	You never speak to callers directly
Consistent experience for every caller	Some callers prefer speaking to a human
AI handles everything — you focus on work	No personal touch
Works 24/7 including weekends and holidays

This is the most popular mode. If you are a sole trader or small team who is often on jobs, this mode means you never miss a potential customer while you are up a ladder or under a sink.

Mode 2: Rings You First

Your phone rings for a set number of seconds. If you do not answer, the AI takes over. You get first chance at every call, with the AI as your safety net.

How it works

Caller dials your AI number
Your phone rings for your chosen duration (5 to 30 seconds)
If you answer — you talk to the caller directly, AI is not involved
If you do not answer — AI picks up and handles the call

Setting the ring duration

You choose how long your phone rings before the AI takes over:

Duration	Rings (approx.)	Good for
5 seconds	1-2 rings	Quick fallback — barely try before AI answers
10 seconds	3 rings	Short window — grab it if you are near your phone
15 seconds	4-5 rings	Standard — enough time to finish what you are doing
20 seconds	6 rings	Generous — plenty of time to get to your phone
30 seconds	9-10 rings	Maximum — caller waits a while before AI answers

We recommend 15 seconds for most businesses. It gives you enough time to answer if you are nearby, without making the caller wait too long if you are not.

Best for

Businesses that prefer to answer personally but want a safety net
Office-based businesses where someone is usually near the phone
Owners who want to screen calls — answer the important ones, let AI handle the rest

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Personal touch when you are available	Callers wait longer before getting help
AI catches what you miss	You get interrupted by every call
Best of both worlds	Inconsistent experience (sometimes human, sometimes AI)

How to set your transfer number

Go to Phone

Click Phone in the left sidebar.

Select Rings You First mode

In the Routing Mode section, click Rings You First.

Enter your phone number

Type the phone number you want to ring (your mobile, office line, etc.).

Set the ring duration

Use the slider or dropdown to choose how many seconds your phone rings before the AI takes over.

Save

Click Save. The next incoming call will ring your phone first.

Make sure you enter a phone number that is different from your AI phone number. If you enter the AI number itself, it creates a loop and the call will fail.

Mode 3: Schedule-Based

The smart hybrid. During your business hours, calls ring your phone (like Rings You First). Outside your hours, the AI answers immediately (like AI Answers).

How it works

Caller dials your AI number
The system checks the current time against your weekly schedule
During business hours — your phone rings first, AI takes over if no answer
Outside business hours — AI answers immediately

Setting up your schedule

You set your hours on a 7-day grid. Each day has an “open” and “close” time, or can be marked as closed entirely.

Go to Phone

Click Phone in the left sidebar.

Select Schedule-Based mode

In the Routing Mode section, click Based on Schedule.

Set your hours

A 7-day grid appears. For each day:

Set the start time (e.g. 08:00)
Set the end time (e.g. 18:00)
Or toggle the day off if you are closed

Set your timezone

Select your timezone from the dropdown. This ensures the schedule matches your local time, even during daylight saving changes.

Enter your phone number

Enter the phone number to ring during business hours.

Save

Click Save. The routing switches automatically based on your schedule.

7-day schedule grid

Here is what the schedule grid looks like in your dashboard:

+----------+--------+---------+---------+------------------+
|   Day    | Active |  Start  |   End   |     Routing      |
+----------+--------+---------+---------+------------------+
| Monday   |  [x]   |  08:00  |  18:00  | Rings you first  |
| Tuesday  |  [x]   |  08:00  |  18:00  | Rings you first  |
| Wednesday|  [x]   |  08:00  |  13:00  | Rings you first  |
| Thursday |  [x]   |  08:00  |  18:00  | Rings you first  |
| Friday   |  [x]   |  08:00  |  17:00  | Rings you first  |
| Saturday |  [ ]   |   --    |   --    | AI answers all   |
| Sunday   |  [ ]   |   --    |   --    | AI answers all   |
+----------+--------+---------+---------+------------------+
| Timezone: [Europe/London           v]                    |
+----------------------------------------------------------+

Example schedule

Day	Hours	What happens
Monday	08:00 - 18:00	Rings you during these hours, AI answers outside
Tuesday	08:00 - 18:00	Same
Wednesday	08:00 - 13:00	Half day — AI takes over after 1pm
Thursday	08:00 - 18:00	Rings you
Friday	08:00 - 17:00	Early finish — AI takes over after 5pm
Saturday	Closed	AI answers all day
Sunday	Closed	AI answers all day

Best for

Businesses with regular hours and a receptionist or office during the day
Owners who want to answer personally during work hours but not be disturbed evenings and weekends
Practices and clinics with set opening times

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Smart automation — different behaviour at different times	Requires you to keep the schedule updated
Personal service during hours, AI coverage outside	More complex than the other two modes
Callers always get a quick response	Schedule changes (holidays, etc.) need manual updates

Do not forget to update your schedule for holidays and bank holidays. If you are closed on Christmas Day but your schedule says you are open, the AI will try to ring you before answering.

How to switch between modes

Go to Phone

Click Phone in the left sidebar.

Choose your mode

In the Routing Mode section, you will see three options: AI Answers, Rings You First, and Based on Schedule. Click the one you want.

Configure if needed

If you chose Rings You First, enter your phone number and ring duration. If you chose Schedule-Based, set up your weekly grid.

Save

Click Save. The change takes effect on the next incoming call.

You can switch modes at any time. Switching does not affect your other settings (greeting, voice, Knowledge Base, etc.). It only changes how incoming calls are routed.

Which mode should I choose?

Your situation	Recommended mode
Sole trader, always on jobs	AI Answers
Small team, someone usually in the office	Rings You First (15 seconds)
Regular business hours with evening/weekend closure	Schedule-Based
Just want it to work with zero effort	AI Answers
Want to answer VIP clients personally	Rings You First (20 seconds)
Dental/medical practice with reception desk	Schedule-Based

If you are just getting started, pick AI Answers to keep things simple. You can always switch to a more advanced mode once you are comfortable with how the AI handles calls.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change routing modes mid-week?

Yes. You can switch between AI Answers, Rings You First, and Schedule-Based at any time. The change takes effect on the very next incoming call. There is no waiting period and your other settings (greeting, voice, Knowledge Base) are not affected.

How do I handle holidays and bank holidays?

For Schedule-Based mode, you need to manually update your schedule for holidays. Toggle the day off in the 7-day grid before the holiday. Alternatively, switch temporarily to AI Answers mode for the holiday period and switch back when you return.

Does Rings You First work with IVR?

Yes. When IVR is enabled alongside Rings You First, the flow is: your phone rings first, and if you do not answer, the AI picks up and offers the IVR phone menu. The caller then speaks their choice and the AI routes them accordingly.

What is the default ring timeout for Rings You First?

The default ring timeout is 15 seconds (approximately 4-5 rings). You can adjust this from 5 seconds (1-2 rings) up to 30 seconds (9-10 rings) using the slider on the Phone settings page.

Configure your routing mode

Open the Phone page to choose your routing mode and configure the schedule.

​How call routing works

AI Answers

Rings You First

Schedule-Based

​Routing decision tree

​Mode 1: AI Answers

​How it works

​Best for

​Pros and cons

​Mode 2: Rings You First

​How it works

​Setting the ring duration

​Best for

​Pros and cons

​How to set your transfer number

​Mode 3: Schedule-Based

​How it works

​Setting up your schedule

​7-day schedule grid

​Example schedule

​Best for

​Pros and cons

​How to switch between modes

​Which mode should I choose?

​Frequently asked questions

Configure your routing mode

How call routing works

Routing decision tree

Mode 1: AI Answers

How it works

Best for

Pros and cons

Mode 2: Rings You First

How it works

Setting the ring duration

Best for

Pros and cons

How to set your transfer number

Mode 3: Schedule-Based

How it works

Setting up your schedule

7-day schedule grid

Example schedule

Best for

Pros and cons

How to switch between modes

Which mode should I choose?

Frequently asked questions