Some callers don't need to go through your receptionist. Your spouse, your business partner, your top client. You want those calls to reach you directly.
The right setup depends on your call forwarding type.
Option 1: Use conditional call forwarding (recommended)
If you haven't set up call forwarding yet, or you're open to changing it, conditional call forwarding is the simplest solution.
With conditional call forwarding, your phone rings first. If you don't answer after 4-5 rings, the call forwards to your Upfirst receptionist. This means you can screen every incoming call and pick up the ones you want.
How it works:
Your phone rings when someone calls your number.
You see the caller ID. If it's your spouse, your partner, or anyone you want to talk to, you answer.
If you don't answer, the call forwards to your Upfirst receptionist after 4-5 rings. This replaces your voicemail.
How to set it up:
Set up conditional call forwarding on your phone to your Upfirst receptionist number. The steps vary by carrier. You can find instructions for your specific carrier in our call forwarding guides.
This is the best option if you want to answer personal calls yourself and only send unanswered calls to your receptionist.
What if I miss a personal call and it goes to my receptionist?
It happens. You're busy, your phone is on silent, or you just didn't get to it in time. Your receptionist will handle the call instead of letting it go to voicemail.
To make sure personal callers get the right experience, save them as contacts in Upfirst. Go to Contacts on the left-hand side and click Add contact. Add anyone who might call you personally, like parents, your spouse, kids, or close friends.
In the Notes section for each contact, add instructions like:
This is a personal contact. Don't say our usual greeting, Instead, greet them by their name and let them know that you received their message, that you'll send it to me, and that I'll call them back as soon as possible. Let them know they can also text me if they need something.
You can also add similar instructions to your AI's training under Agent > Training so your receptionist handles any personal call the way you would like it to, even if the number isn't saved as a contact.
e.g. If the caller is a personal call, let them know that I will call them back as soon as possible, and let them know to text me if they need something urgent.
Option 2: Use the whitelist method (for unconditional forwarding)
If you use unconditional call forwarding, all calls go straight to your receptionist without your phone ringing. In this case, you can set up a whitelist so your receptionist recognizes specific callers and transfers them to you immediately, skipping the greeting and intake questions.
What you need:
The phone number(s) you want whitelisted
A personal phone number (different from the number forwarding to your receptionist) to receive the transferred calls
1. Create a call transfer rule
Go to Agent > Transfer calls. Click Add transferring rule.
Set the following:
Name: Give it a name you'll recognize, like "Whitelist transfer"
When to transfer: Transfer the call to me immediately if this number is whitelisted.
Transfer destination: Your personal phone number
Save the rule.
Important note: You cannot transfer the call back to the phone number that you are forwarding calls from since this puts people into a loop.
e.g. If you are forwarding calls from 833-564-4778, you cannot have a transfer rule that goes back to that number since you have call forwarding set up to go to the receptionist. The caller will just be greeted by your receptionist again.
2. Add the contact
Go to Contacts on the left-hand side. Click Add contact.
Fill in the following:
Name: The contact's name
Phone number: The number you want whitelisted
In the Notes section, add these instructions for your receptionist:
This number is whitelisted. Transfer this call directly to me immediately. Do not say our greeting. Do not collect any information. Just transfer the call immediately to me as soon as they call in.
Save the contact.
3. Repeat for additional numbers
If you have more numbers to whitelist, add each one as a separate contact with the same note instructions.
Things to know
Conditional forwarding lets you answer any call yourself. You don't need to whitelist numbers because your phone rings first. Just pick up.
The whitelist method is only needed with unconditional forwarding. If all calls go straight to your receptionist, whitelisting is how you get specific callers routed back to you.
The transfer number must be different from your forwarding number. If you forward calls to your receptionist from your main line, you cannot transfer calls back to that same number. This creates a loop. Use a different number, like your cell phone or a second business line.
The receptionist still briefly answers whitelisted calls. It recognizes the contact and transfers immediately, but the caller may hear a brief moment of connection before the transfer goes through.