Some callers don't need to go through your receptionist. Your spouse, your business partner, your top client. You want those calls transferred to you the moment they ring in, no greeting, no questions asked.
There's no way to stop specific numbers from forwarding to your receptionist. But you can set it up so your receptionist recognizes the caller and transfers them to you immediately, skipping the usual greeting and intake questions.
Here's how to set it up using call transfer rules and contacts together.
What you need
An Upfirst account
The phone number(s) you want whitelisted
A personal phone number (different from the number forwarding to your receptionist) to receive the transferred calls
How to set it up
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.
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
You cannot stop calls from forwarding to your receptionist. All calls still go through Upfirst first. This method makes the receptionist transfer the call to you immediately, bypassing the greeting and intake questions.
The transfer number must be different from your forwarding number. If you forward calls to your receptionist from 833-564-4778, you cannot set up a transfer rule back to that same number. This creates a loop because the forwarding sends the call right back to your receptionist. Use a different number, like your cell phone or another personal line.
The receptionist still answers the call. It just doesn't need to go throught the usual greeting or ask who the caller is. The difference is that instead of going through the normal flow, it recognizes the whitelisted contact and transfers immediately. The caller may hear a brief moment of connection before the transfer goes through.