Auto attendant
Tired of missed calls or phones ringing off the hook? An auto attendant takes that off your plate. It greets your callers, gives them clear options, and sends them to the right person. All without you lifting a finger.
What is an auto attendant?
Think of an auto attendant as a virtual receptionist that never takes a day off. It answers your calls with a friendly, custom message and lets callers choose where they need to go using their phone keypad.
So instead of calls bouncing around or getting lost, your customer hears something like:
“Thanks for calling ABC Company. Press 1 for sales, 2 for support, 3 for accounts.”
They press a number, and just like that, they’re through to the right person.
The benefits of an auto attendant phone system
Here’s what you can expect when you switch to an automated call routing system:
First impressions count. A professional greeting shows callers you’re organised, established and ready to help. Not a solo operation juggling calls between meetings.
Whether it’s lunchtime or your team is tied up, your auto attendant keeps working. It can manage multiple calls at once, so no one’s left hanging.
Hiring a full-time receptionist is expensive. With an auto attendant, you get round-the-clock coverage for a fraction of the cost. No salaries, no training, no overhead.
Automated menus help screen out spam and robocalls. Real customers will follow the prompts. Spam callers usually won’t bother.
Instead of constantly answering phones, your team can focus on doing what they do best. Fewer interruptions means better results and a more efficient workday.
Auto attendant features from B4BC
Not all auto attendants are created equal. With B4BC, you get a smart, flexible system packed with features that make life easier for both your team and your customers. Here’s what’s included as standard:
Call queue
Keep callers informed and engaged during busy times with custom hold messages, estimated wait times, and music on hold. No one likes a dead line. Call queues help you hold onto customers instead of losing them.
Custom greetings and menus
Create personalised greetings that match your brand. Use your own voice or a professional voiceover, and switch between messages for business hours, holidays, or special announcements in just a few clicks.
Smarter call routing
Route calls based on time, day, number dialled, or caller location. You can even send VIP callers to specific team members. It’s smart, efficient, and cuts down on transfers and hold times.
Works with your current tools
Connect your phone system with your CRM, helpdesk, or productivity tools. B4BC’s VoIPSure platform integrates seamlessly, so calls, contacts, and notes stay in sync without extra admin or switching tabs.
Real-time reporting
Track call volumes, peak times, and menu selections with built-in analytics. Use the insights to tweak your setup, allocate staff better, and improve the experience for every caller.
Common auto attendant use cases for businesses
An auto attendant gives small businesses a polished, credible presence by greeting callers professionally and directing them to the right place. Instead of missing calls or scrambling to answer while juggling other work, you can trust the system to handle things for you.
You might be running a team of one or five or 10, but callers don’t need to know that. With custom greetings, smart routing, and voicemail-to-email, you’ll look and sound like a much bigger operation, all without hiring extra staff.
As your business grows, so does the complexity of handling incoming calls. When customers call in, they want to get through to the right person as quickly as possible. Auto attendants let you create a simple menu: press 1 for sales, 2 for support, and so on. This way, callers reach the right team first time.
Auto attendants help reduce internal transfers, improves resolution times, and keeps your staff focused on their own work instead of answering and redirecting calls all day. It also helps with tracking call volumes by department, which makes it easier to plan staffing and training.
With more teams working remotely or across multiple locations, having a central receptionist isn’t always practical. An auto attendant fills that gap by acting as your always-on call handler. It can forward calls to mobiles, play different greetings based on the time or day, and ensure no call goes unanswered.
This setup is especially helpful for companies with hybrid teams or staff on the move. Everyone stays reachable, and you maintain a consistent experience for customers no matter where your team is working from.
Why choose B4BC for your auto attendant setup?
When it comes to handling your business calls, you need more than just good software. You need the right team behind it. Here’s why businesses across the UK trust B4BC.
UK-based support, 24/7
Got a question or need help? Our support team is based right here in the UK and available around the clock. No long hold times, no overseas call centres — just friendly experts who understand how your business works.
Proven reliability
We’ve built our reputation on delivering rock-solid service. With 99.999% uptime and over 200 years of combined engineering experience on the team, we keep your system running smoothly. Our service is backed by industry awards and a 4.8-star rating on Google.
Fast, same-day setup
Need to get started quickly? We can get your auto attendant system installed and live the same day. It’s all about reducing disruption and getting you back to business as soon as possible.
Built around your business
No two businesses are the same. So why settle for a one-size-fits-all solution? We tailor each package to suit your needs and budget, so you only pay for the features you’ll actually use.
Future-ready technology
Our cloud-based VoIPSure platform is built to grow with you. You’ll get regular updates, new features, and no worries about outdated hardware or expensive upgrades down the line.
Everything under one roof
We don’t just do auto attendants. From business phones and broadband to mobile and utilities, we can streamline all your communication needs. Often saving you money by bundling services together. One provider, one point of contact, zero hassle.
See what our customers say
Matthew Burton
I have used B4BC for almost 6 years now with my existing business & when it came to setting up my broadband / phone provisions for a new business I went straight to B4BC. These guys have exceptional customer service & take all the stress off your plate so you can focus on the million other things you need to take care of within your business. Could not recommend any higher!
Krishna Pariyar
B4BC has been the best system that I have used so far. They have solutions for every business phone system. The app works on both the desktop and phone, which have made operations convenient. Their support is great with response time and requests. And it’s really easy to reach the Account Manager through email, website chat support, phone and support ticket.
Dan Hall
I would highly recommend anyone to use B4BC for their phone and broadband needs. We have recently moved over to a VoIP system and the whole service from start to finish has been excellent.
Esther Wakeman
Absolutely thrilled with my experience after dealing with Best 4 Business. Not only have they saved our business a significant amount of money, but it has been a breeze to do. Efficient and friendly team.
Darren Lashford
Use B4BC for all our telecoms and its a breath of fresh air compared to who we used before. Recently moved our energy management through them and I’m equally as impressed. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to recommend them.
Sarah Lowe
Fortunately getting in touch with the team at Best 4 Business is very easy, there are no long call queues so you’re not left on hold for ages & you don’t have to go through lots of different options before being connected to an actual person. The issues I have experienced have been dealt with immediately.
Conor Alexander
We’ve been working with B4BC for many years and they’ve consistently been a pleasure to deal with. Most recently, they upgraded our broadband and phone system – everything was handled smoothly and went exactly as planned.
Philip Wright
Working with Best 4 Business on a Communication system plan that provided modern solutions has been an absolute pleasure. The information afforded, depth of knowledge and flexibility provided was perfect for our future business requirements.
Mark James Morsley
Changing my entire office phone system and broadband is no small task, in fact it’s quite daunting. However luckily or really thanks to Google I found Best4 Business. These guys at B2B are just brilliant! I now have a new VOIP phone system, massively quick broadband, great phones, ongoing support and I have saved nearly £200 a month. Happy owner!!
Stuart Turley
Excellent service and support from these guys. It makes a change to be able to actually talk to someone when you require help without jumping through hoops, I would highly recommend them.
Matthew McKenna
Fantastic service from Best 4 Business Communications. I found this company online on Tuesday and within 2 days they had an engineer on site! We had been unable to get BT in for four weeks now.
Piotr Silwinski
I wholeheartedly recommend B4BC as an internet solution provider. Their outstanding customer service, technical expertise, everyday support make them the ideal partner. Thank you, B4BC, for your unwavering support and for keeping me connected every day!
Set up auto attendant today
Auto attendants are one of the simplest ways to make your business sound more professional, manage calls more efficiently, and ensure no customer gets left waiting. It’s a small change that makes a big impact.
Old phone systems slowing you down? Let’s fix that. With B4BC’s smart auto attendant solutions, you’ll give customers a smoother experience, cut unnecessary costs, and free up your team to focus on what matters most.
Want to see it for yourself? Get in touch today and let our UK-based experts build a solution that fits your business perfectly.
Auto attendant FAQs
An auto attendant is an automated phone system that answers incoming calls, plays a pre-recorded greeting, and directs callers to the right person or department using a simple keypad menu. It replaces or supplements a live receptionist, helping businesses handle calls more efficiently, reduce wait times, and deliver a smoother caller experience.
Auto attendants and IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems are similar, but not quite the same. Both offer automated call handling, but IVR typically includes more advanced features like voice recognition and data lookups. Auto attendants are simpler, designed to route calls based on keypad inputs, making them easier to set up and manage.
Yes, even small teams can benefit from an auto attendant. It ensures callers are greeted professionally, directed to the right person, and never left waiting or sent to voicemail unnecessarily. It also helps you appear more established, which can build trust and make your business seem larger than it is.
Absolutely. Many businesses prefer to record their own greeting for a personal touch. Most VoIP systems also let you upload professionally recorded messages if you’d rather go that route. Either way, you have full control over what callers hear and can easily update the message whenever needed.
Most modern auto attendants let you create multiple layers of menu options, depending on your phone system. You can typically set up at least 5–9 options on the main menu, with sub-menus if needed. This gives you the flexibility to organise departments, locations, or services in a logical way.
Yes, auto attendants are compatible with both VoIP and traditional phone systems, though the setup may vary. VoIP platforms make it easier to configure and manage auto attendants through a web portal or app, while legacy systems might require more manual setup or additional hardware.
