Phone numbers and forwarding
Forward your existing office number to the assistant or use a new dedicated number; all calls, missed calls only, or after hours.
3 min read
The assistant works with a Turkish phone number. Your clients don't need a new number: either you forward calls from your existing office line to the assistant, or you use a new number dedicated to the assistant on your listings and ads. You also decide which calls go to the assistant.
Two options
1. Forward your existing number (most common). The number on your business cards, listings and Google profile stays the same. Forwarding is switched on at your line's operator or PBX, and calls go to the assistant's number on the Squaremeters phone system.
2. A new number for the assistant. During setup we assign you a Turkish number. You can use it on a specific channel, for example only in your Meta ads or on a new development's listings, which also tells you where each call came from.
Note
Our team assigns the number and connects it to the assistant during setup. You only switch on forwarding, and your consultant helps you with that too.
Which calls should go to the assistant?
| Mode | What happens | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| All calls | Every call goes to the assistant first; it transfers to an agent when needed | Small offices, days when the team is out in the field |
| Missed / busy only | The office rings first; if nobody answers or the line is busy, the assistant takes over | Offices with someone on the phones |
| After hours only | The assistant handles evenings, nights and weekends | Offices that keep up with calls during the day |
After-hours mode is set up either with a time rule on your PBX or with the assistant's working hours setting. We'll decide together during setup which works for your line.
Switching on forwarding
- Get the assistant's forwarding number from your consultant.
- Switch on forwarding depending on your line:
- Mobile line: With most operators you can set "always", "no answer" and "busy" forwarding separately, in the phone's call settings or with a dial code.
- Landline: Forwarding is usually switched on through the operator's customer service or online account.
- PBX (cloud or on-site): A forwarding rule is set for the relevant extension or inbound line in the PBX admin panel.
- Call your office number from your own mobile to test it: the assistant should answer.
Heads up
Forwarding codes, menus and charges vary by operator. If you're not sure, ask your operator: "I'd like to forward my calls to this number in this situation." Our team will also help during setup.
The assistant's number settings
- Open the assistant from AI Agents → Voice AI → Agent List and go to the Deploy section.
- The Phone number field shows the number the assistant works on.
- Call Routing shows whether the assistant answers directly (Answer Calls Directly) or steps in as a backup (Use as Backup).
These settings work together with your forwarding; changing one can break the other. If you need a change, ask your consultant. To see the working hours, read the Voice AI FAQ.
Example
Atlas Emlak is open 09:00–19:00 on weekdays. Their office assistant, Deniz Acar, answers the phones but can't keep up during busy viewing hours. The office starts with missed / busy only forwarding. The following week the call logs show plenty of calls after 10pm too, so they hand after-hours calls to the assistant as well.
Common issues
When I call the office, voicemail picks up instead of the assistant. The operator's own voicemail may be kicking in before forwarding. Ask your operator to switch voicemail off.
Calls take too long to reach the assistant. The "no answer" delay may be long. Many operators let you shorten it; 15–20 seconds suits most offices.
The caller's number doesn't show in the CRM. Some PBXs don't pass on the caller ID when forwarding. Check the PBX setting or ask your consultant.
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