Setup 10: Single User - Menu Greeting - Forwarding to Phone Number

Overview

In this setup, your Unitel Voice number will play your menu greeting, offering callers a menu of departments to choose from. Each of these options will forward to your phone number.

The setup involves three main steps:

Create an employee extension forwarding to your phone number
Create department extensions forwarding to your employee extension
Record and upload your main greeting

Step 1: Create an Employee Extension

Employee extensions represent the users of your phone system. Let's create yours.

1. Navigate to Extensions

Log in to your phone system.
Select Extensions.
Select the Add Icon on the Employee Extension list.

2. Enter Personal Details

Enter your Name.
Enter your Email Address.

3. Configure Services

Under Services, you can manage how calls are handled. Set your service to:

Mobile App - OFF
Forwarding - ON
Voicemail - ON or OFF* (see below)

*IMPORTANT NOTE: If you’re simply looking to forward calls to another number—and that number already has voicemail — you likely do not need to use Unitel Voice voicemail. However, if you’re forwarding calls to your cell phone and want callers to hear a professional voicemail greeting (instead of your personal voicemail), then you should use Unitel Voice voicemail.

4. Add a Forwarding Phone Number

Scroll to Forwarding Settings.
Select Add Forwarding Number.
Enter a Name.
Select Custom from the dropdown menu.
Enter your phone number and click ADD.

5. Adjust Extension Forwarding Settings

Select the Edit Icon in the employee extension. There are several additional settings you can and should adjust:

Adjust Ring time to either 15 seconds or 60 seconds
1. If you want to use the Unitel Voice voicemail option, use 15 seconds.
2. If you do not want to use the Unitel Voice voicemail option, and your phone number already has voicemail, adjust the ring time to 60 seconds.
Display Number & Name Prefix (Optional): This will show a caller ID label when calling your own team. We recommend entering the 3-digit extension number in the Display number prefix and entering the Name in the Display name prefix. External devices may not display these settings, and they may vary depending on the user's carrier.
Active Hours (Optional): Set the days and times that the extension should receive calls. We recommend leaving it set to Always unless you have specific time-of-day requirements. Click here for more details.
Announcement Type: Leave as Unannounced (only for specific setups)
Scroll down and Click OK

5. Set Permissions

Turn on the Admin toggle AND Billing toggle to give you complete access to the phone system.

6. Save the extension

Optional:

Ignore the Dial-by-Name directory settings for now.
Ignore the Permissions settings for now.
Adjust the timezone if needed.

Click Save.

Step 2: Create Department Extensions

Examples of departments:

Sales
Customer Support
Billing

1. Review Department Extension 0

By default, Department Extension 0 forwards to the contact number you entered during sign-up.

Because many callers press 0 for assistance, this can significantly impact where your calls are routed.

We strongly recommend that you reassign Extension 0 to your newly created employee extension.

Click the Edit (pencil) Icon next to Extension 0
Scroll down to Forwarding Settings
Delete the default forwarding number from the list 🗑️
Select Add Forwarding Number.
Enter a name.
Select your employee extension from the dropdown menu.
Click ADD.
Click Save.

2. Create a Department Extension

Go to Departments.
Select Add.
Enter the extension number you are trying to create in the Department number field.
Enter the Department name.

Example:

Extension 1 – Sales

3. Add Your Employee Extension to the Department

Under Forwarding Settings, select Add Forwarding Number.
Enter your name
Select your employee extension from the dropdown menu.
Click ADD.

4. Configure Department Voicemail

If you plan to use Unitel Voice voicemail, follow the steps below.
If not, you can skip this section.

Under the Voicemail settings section, select Custom to record or upload your voicemail greeting.
Select Copy to activate voicemail notifications. Then enter the email address where you wish to receive voicemail messages.

5. Save the Extension

Optional:

Ignore the Dial-by-Name directory settings for now.
Ignore the Permissions settings for now.
Adjust the timezone if needed.

Click Save.

Repeat these steps for each additional department you want to add (e.g., Ext 2 Customer Support).

Step 3: Configure the Main Greeting

Your Main Greeting is the first impression callers have of your business.
By default, a generic message is used—so be sure to record and upload a custom greeting to create a more professional experience.

1. Navigate to Greeting Settings

Go to Settings.
Select Greetings.

2. Add a Custom Main Greeting

You have three options:

Option 1: Use our system's recording tool

Option 2: Upload an audio file

Tip: For better audio editing control, you may record greetings using:

Voice Memos (iPhone)
Voice Recorder (Android)

Option 3: Use Voice Talent Studio (can take up to 2 business days)

Visit: https://studio.unitelvoice.com

There you can order professional recordings for:

Main greeting
Department voicemail greetings
After-hours greetings

Pro Tip: We recommend using our built-in recording tool or uploading an audio file to get a greeting up and running right away. Then, visit our Voice Talent Studio to order a professionally recorded greeting—we’ll have it ready and uploaded for you within just a few days.