Outbound dialing is only half the job. When a lead calls back or replies to a text, it has to reach someone. This page covers both and links to the screen-by-screen detail.
Set this up before the client's first dialing shift. Leads return calls within minutes of a voicemail, and an inbound call with nowhere to go is a lost deal.
📞 Inbound calls#
Choose where calls land#
Each user sets their own inbound preference in Profile → Personal Settings.
Dialer
Rings inside the app. Best when reps are at their desks with the dialer open.
Phone
Forwards to their mobile. Best for owners and closers who are not always at a desk.
AI
An AI agent answers and handles the conversation. Best for after-hours and overflow.
Dialer + AI
Rings the rep first, falls back to the AI if nobody picks up. The usual choice for a staffed floor.
Full detail, including the AI fallback behaviour: Incoming Call Routing.
Who the call is matched to#
Before the routing preference applies, AI Sync decides whose call it is, in this order:
Recent outbound call
If a rep called that number recently, it goes back to them. This is what makes callbacks feel personal.
Assigned number
If the number dialed is assigned to a specific user, that user gets it.
Power List ownership
If the caller is on a list that a rep owns, it goes to that rep.
Company default
Otherwise it falls to the company's fallback user.
Set the company default deliberately. It is the safety net for every unknown caller. Leaving it unset or pointing it at someone who has left is how inbound calls vanish.
When the rep is already busy#
If a rep is on a call, or one is already ringing for them, a second incoming call is not put through to them. It continues down the routing chain instead — an AI agent if one is configured, then voicemail. The caller is never simply dropped.
Tell reps this during handover. They will see a call ring and then stop, and without the explanation it looks broken. It is the system protecting the conversation they are already having. Previously a second caller could take over a live call, leaving the rep talking to a different person mid-conversation.
This makes AI fallback and voicemail matter more, not less — they are what catches the overflow.
Setting up an AI agent to answer#
Decide what it does with a live lead
Book straight into a calendar, or transfer to a human. See Call Handling.
Connect it to the client's data
So it knows who is calling and can write back what happened. See Integration.
Test with a real inbound call before the client relies on it. Call the number from a phone that is not in the system and listen to the whole conversation, including what happens at the end. An AI agent that answers well but never books, transfers or records anything is worse than no agent, because everyone assumes it is working.
Check: call the client's main number from an unknown phone. It reaches the intended destination, and the call appears in history afterwards.
💬 Texting#
Before any text can send#
Register for A2P 10DLC
Confirm the number is SMS-capable
Not every number can text. Check before promising the client it can.
Sending business texts on unregistered numbers gets messages silently dropped by carriers. The client sees "sent" and the customer receives nothing. Do not skip registration.
Give reps a texting line#
Calls rotate caller IDs; texts don't. Each lead is texted from one number, and the reply goes to the rep who owns the conversation, live in the dialer's Inbox.
- Per rep: route one A2P-linked number to each rep (Phone Numbers → Route to a User).
- Shared: leave one A2P-linked number unrouted as the team line.
Then run the two-minute reply test. Full detail: Texting lines & reply routing.
Templates#
Templates are what reps actually send, so write them with the client rather than for them.
Set them up
Reusable messages reps pick during or after a call.
Keep them short
Two sentences. Long templates read as marketing and get ignored or reported.
Write the handful reps need daily
Missed call, appointment confirmation, follow-up after a good conversation.
Include an opt-out on the first message to a new contact
"Reply STOP to opt out." It is a compliance requirement, not a nicety.
Send one to yourself before handing over
Check it arrives, reads correctly on a phone, and that your reply shows up in the dialer's Inbox for the right rep.
Check: text a phone you own from the dialer. It arrives, your reply appears in the dialer's Inbox against the right contact, and a second text goes from the same number.
🔁 Putting both together#
A working setup for a typical client:
| Situation | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Lead calls back during business hours | Dialer + AI — rep first, AI catches the overflow |
| Lead calls back after hours | AI agent, books into the calendar |
| Lead replies to a rep's text | That rep's Inbox, live |
| Unknown number calls the main line | Company default user, then AI fallback |
Walk the client through this table in their own words during handover. "If someone calls you back at 9pm, here is exactly what happens" is the moment they understand what they bought.
If inbound is not working#
Inbound calls are not reaching anyone
Check the company default user is set and that the person is still active. This is the safety net for every unmatched caller.
Calls reach the wrong rep
Matching is by recent outbound call first. If a different rep called that lead more recently, they get it. Working as designed — assign the number directly to override.
A call rings for a second and then stops
That rep was already on a call or had one ringing. The caller was passed on to an AI agent or voicemail rather than interrupting the live conversation.
Nothing to fix — this is intended. Make sure AI fallback and voicemail are actually configured, because that is where those callers land.
The AI agent answers but nothing is recorded
The agent has no integration configured, so it is having conversations that go nowhere. See Integration.
Texts say sent but never arrive
Almost always A2P 10DLC registration. Confirm brand and campaign are approved, not merely submitted.
Replies are not reaching the rep
The number, or the Twilio Messaging Service it belongs to, sends replies somewhere else. See Make sure replies actually reach AI Sync.