Auto Attendant Setup: Complete Guide with Example Scripts (2026)
An auto attendant (also called a virtual receptionist or IVR) answers your business calls with a professional greeting and routes callers to the right person or department — without hiring a receptionist. It's like having a 24/7 front desk for the cost of a coffee subscription.
What Is an Auto Attendant?
When someone calls your business, instead of ringing endlessly or going straight to voicemail, an auto attendant:
- Plays a professional greeting
- Offers menu options ("Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support...")
- Routes the call to the right extension, phone, or voicemail
- Handles after-hours calls differently than business-hours calls
Think of it as the difference between a caller hearing a generic voicemail beep vs. "Thank you for calling Smith & Associates. For appointments, press 1. For billing, press 2."
Do You Need One?
You need an auto attendant if:
- You miss calls while helping other customers
- Callers don't know how to reach the right person
- You want to appear more professional and established
- You get after-hours calls that should go to voicemail with clear instructions
- You have 2+ people who should receive different types of calls
You might not need one if you're a solo operator who answers every call personally and doesn't get more than 5-10 calls a day.
How to Plan Your Menu Structure
Rule #1: Keep It Simple
The #1 mistake is creating too many menu levels. Callers want to reach a human, not navigate a maze. Follow these limits:
- Maximum 4-5 options per menu level
- Maximum 2 levels deep (main menu → sub-menu, that's it)
- Always offer a "talk to a person" option (press 0)
Rule #2: Put the Most Common Option First
If 70% of your calls are from existing customers, put "existing customers" as option 1. Don't make the majority of callers wait through options they don't need.
Rule #3: Time-Based Routing
Your auto attendant should behave differently during business hours vs. after hours:
- Business hours: Route to extensions, ring team members
- After hours: Inform callers of hours, route to voicemail, offer emergency contact
Example Menu Structures
Solo Professional (Lawyer, Consultant, Agent)
"Thank you for calling [Name], [Title]. If you're an existing client, press 1. For new inquiries, press 2. To leave a voicemail, press 3."
- 1 → Ring your cell/desk phone
- 2 → Ring your cell/desk phone (or a separate intake line)
- 3 → Voicemail
Small Office (5-10 People)
"Thank you for calling [Business Name]. For sales, press 1. For support, press 2. For billing, press 3. To reach someone by extension, dial it now. For all other inquiries, press 0."
- 1 → Sales team ring group
- 2 → Support team ring group
- 3 → Billing extension
- 0 → Receptionist or general voicemail
Medical / Dental Office
"Thank you for calling [Practice Name]. If this is a medical emergency, please hang up and dial 911. To schedule or change an appointment, press 1. For prescription refills, press 2. For billing questions, press 3. To speak with a nurse, press 4."
Bilingual Business (English/French)
"Thank you for calling [Business Name]. For English, press 1. Pour le français, appuyez sur le 2."
After language selection, each branch has its own sub-menu in the chosen language.
Contractor / Trades
"Hey, you've reached [Business Name]. For a new estimate or quote, press 1. For an existing project, press 2. To leave a message, stay on the line."
Auto Attendant Script Best Practices
- Keep the greeting under 20 seconds — Every second of waiting increases hang-ups
- State your business name immediately — Confirms the caller reached the right place
- Mention the option number BEFORE the description — "Press 1 for sales" not "For sales, press 1" (callers remember the last thing they hear)
- Always include an escape — "Press 0 to speak with someone" prevents frustrated hang-ups
- Record in a quiet room — Background noise sounds unprofessional
- Speak at a moderate pace — Not too fast (can't understand), not too slow (annoying)
- Update seasonally — Stale greetings referencing old hours or holidays damage credibility
Setting Up in RingBase (Step by Step)
Step 1: Create Extensions
Go to your dashboard → Extensions. Create an extension for each destination (e.g., "Sales" as ext 101, "Support" as ext 102). Each extension routes to a phone number, desk phone, browser phone, or voicemail.
Step 2: Configure Auto Attendant
Go to Phone Numbers → select your number → Settings → Routing Mode → IVR. Build your menu: assign each keypress (1-9, 0) to an extension. Set up business hours and after-hours routing separately.
Step 3: Record Your Greeting
Record directly from the dashboard or upload an audio file. Use the scripts above as templates — customize with your business name and details.
Step 4: Test It
Call your own number. Walk through every menu option. Have someone else test it too — they'll catch confusing wording you've become blind to.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Too many options — If you have 8+ options, callers will hang up. Consolidate.
- No human escape — Always let callers press 0 to reach someone. Trapping people in menus is the fastest way to lose a customer.
- Music on hold that's too loud — If callers are on hold, keep the music soft and professional. Silence is better than bad music.
- Outdated greetings — Still mentioning "COVID-19 protocols" in 2026? Update your greeting.
- Not testing regularly — Call your own number monthly. Make sure everything still works.
What Does an Auto Attendant Cost?
Most VoIP providers include auto attendant in their plans. With RingBase, it's included on all plans starting at CA$17.99/month — including extensions, call recording, voicemail-to-email, and desk phone support. No add-ons, no surprises.