Quick-start: Set up your main number

Give it 10 minutes to set up your main number: a short welcome, calls straight through to the right people, and a voicemail when you're closed or busy.

Your main number is the one your customers call. You set things up per number, so a sales line or a second country can get its own setup later.

Short on time? Let your AI assistant do it. Connect it to us and just tell it what you want, like "Set our opening hours to 9 to 16 on weekdays" or "Send calls to Anna and Mads". See the MCP guide. Prefer to do it yourself? Here's how.

Set up your main number in 5 steps

Go to Settings and pick your number under Numbers. You'll decide what callers get when you're open, when nobody answers and when you're closed.

1. Set your business hours and time zone. Under Business hours, pick your days and times. Any day you switch off counts as closed.
2. Choose what happens when you're open. Open When you're open and pick Play welcome message and transfer to…. Write a short welcome and choose who picks up: one or more colleagues, or a department.
3. Check what callers hear while they wait. Under While callers wait, choose Ringtone (the default) or Music.
4. Set up "If no one answers". Under Ring for, choose how long it rings. Then under When time runs out, pick Go to voicemail and write a short greeting. Keep the wait short, so callers aren't left on hold.
5. Set up "When you're closed". Write a greeting that says you're closed, when you open again, and invites a message.

Hit save, and the very next call follows your new setup.

Tip: Type your messages and we'll read them aloud, or record your own. Typed text is easy to update when your hours change.

What makes a good welcome message

A good welcome message is short, tells callers they're in the right place, and gets them to a person fast.

• Say your name first. "Hi, you've reached Hansen Plumbing." Callers want to know they dialled right.
• Keep it under 10 seconds. About 20 to 25 words. Every extra second is someone waiting.
• Tell them what happens next. "We'll put you through to a colleague."
• Sound like you. Write it the way you'd say it on the phone.
• Several languages? Use a phone menu. Callers press a key for their language. See Call routing.

Welcome messages you can copy

Swap in your own name and hours.

Situation	Example
Open	Hi, you've reached Hansen Plumbing. We'll put you through to a colleague right away.
Open, with recording	Hi, you've reached Hansen Plumbing. We record calls so we can follow up. Putting you through now.
No answer	We're busy right now. Leave your name and number, and we'll call you back today.
Closed	Thanks for calling Hansen Plumbing. We're closed and open again at 8 tomorrow. Leave a message and we'll get back to you.
Closed for holidays	We're closed for the holidays and back on 2 January. Leave a message and we'll call you when we're back.

Only promise a callback time you can keep.

Test it

1. Call your main number from another phone during opening hours. You should hear your welcome message, and the right colleagues' phones should ring.
2. Let it ring without answering. Your voicemail greeting should play.
3. Set your hours so you're closed right now, then call again to hear your closed greeting. Don't forget to set your hours back.

Next steps