Forward your calls to Terva
Terva answers the calls your team can’t get to. You keep your practice number and forward calls to your Terva number.
Which calls should I forward?
One rule covers most practices: when no one answers. Set a queue to send callers to Terva after about 30 seconds on hold.
A patient rings your practice number
Your phones ring for about 15 seconds
Nobody picks up: Terva answers
- When no one answersRecommended
- Your phones ring first, so the front desk gets the first chance. If no one picks up after about 15 seconds, Terva answers.
- When busy
- Optional. If the line is already on a call, Terva answers instead of an engaged tone.
- After hours
- Usually not needed: no-answer forwarding covers closing time because nobody picks up. Make sure voicemail or a night message doesn’t answer first, and test once after closing.
Not sure what you have?
Answer a few questions about what you see and hear at the practice. We’ll point you to the right guide, and say who makes the change.
Choose your phone system
Your phone bill names the provider and service. If your phones run through a system your IT or phone technician looks after, choose that system rather than the carrier.
Common set-ups
Mobile
Landline or NBN phone
Cloud phone system
- 3CXOffice hours and ring group settings in the Admin Console.
- Maxo (MaxoTel)Ring group and time switch settings in the Maxo portal.
- Hosted desk phonesTelstra DOT, Optus Loop, PortSIP and similar *92 codes.
- Microsoft Teams PhoneAuto attendant and call queue settings in the Teams admin center.
- Zoom PhoneCall queue hours and overflow in the Zoom Admin Center.
- RingCentralCall handling in the RingCentral app or admin portal.
- Telstra TIPTHunt group and schedule settings in TIPT.
Someone else looks after your phones?
Send them the request that fits. Each asks for the front desk to ring first, says how to undo it, and ends with the check call.
Enter it once and every code on this page uses it. Copy works once it’s filled in.
Your phone company
Codes don’t work, the account holder has to ask, or the line runs through an adaptor or older phone system.
Hi, I’m [your name], the account holder for [practice name].
On our number [practice number], please turn on call forwarding when not answered, to 0X XXXX XXXX, after 15 seconds. Please don’t forward every call: our phones should ring first.
Please also: - turn off message bank (voicemail) on this number, or tell me how, so it doesn’t answer first - set this at your end, not on our phone system or adaptor box - keep the caller’s number showing on forwarded calls
What does a forwarded call cost on our plan, and how do I turn this off again? I authorise this change.
When it’s done, Terva will ring our number to check it works.
Thanks, [your name]
Whoever runs your phone system
3CX, Maxo, Teams, Zoom, RingCentral, TIPT, hosted desk phones, or an IT company that manages them.
Hi, we’re setting up Terva to answer our practice’s calls when our team can’t. Please make this change for calls to our main number, [practice number]:
1. Find what answers that number first: a menu (auto attendant), ring group, queue or time switch. 2. When nobody answers within 15 seconds, or a caller has waited 30 seconds in a queue, send the call to our Terva number 0X XXXX XXXX as an external number. Use +61 X XXXX XXXX if the system needs +61. 3. If a menu answers, send callers who press nothing to the same place after the timeout. 4. Outside our opening hours ([opening hours]), send calls to 0X XXXX XXXX instead of voicemail or a closed message.
Please also: - make sure voicemail doesn’t answer before this - turn off any “press 1 to accept” or call confirm on forwarded calls - keep the caller’s number showing (caller ID pass-through) - leave our daytime ringing as it is, so our phones ring first
Please tell us what you changed and how to undo it. When it’s done, Terva will ring our number to check it works.
Thanks, [your name]
Your on-site phone technician
A phone system in a cupboard: NEC, Panasonic, Hybrex, Samsung, Avaya, Mitel or similar.
Hi, we’re setting up Terva to answer our practice’s calls when our team can’t. We’d like unanswered calls to [practice number] to go to our Terva number, 0X XXXX XXXX. Please pick the simplest of these:
1. Preferred: tell us if our phone company can forward unanswered calls at their end, with no change to our system. If so, we’ll ask them. 2. Otherwise: program external call forwarding on the incoming line for [practice number], after 15 seconds unanswered. At night, if night mode answers, forward instead.
Before you change anything, please: - save a copy of our current programming, and tell us how to put it back - check we have a spare line, since a forwarded call uses two lines while connected - check no forwarding timer cuts calls off (calls can last 10 minutes) - check the caller’s number passes through - check night mode or voicemail doesn’t answer before the forward
Please tell us the make and model, what you changed, and how to undo it. When it’s done, Terva will ring our number to check it works.
Thanks, [your name]
Your medical centre or building manager
The phone number is shared with other tenants and the centre controls it.
Hi, [practice name] would like our own calls to go to our Terva number, 0X XXXX XXXX, when nobody answers.
Please do this for our line or extension only ([practice number or extension]), not the whole building: after 15 seconds unanswered, forward to 0X XXXX XXXX as an external number, and keep the caller’s number showing. Nothing changes for other tenants.
Please tell us how to undo it. When it’s done, Terva will ring our number to check it works.
Thanks, [your name]
Your 1300 number provider
Only if the line your 1300 number rings can’t forward by itself.
Hi, our 1300 number [1300 number] rings [the number it rings].
Please send calls not answered within 15 seconds to our Terva number, 0X XXXX XXXX, and send calls outside [opening hours] to 0X XXXX XXXX. Please keep the caller’s number showing.
What does this cost, and how do I undo it? I authorise this change.
When it’s done, Terva will ring our number to check it works.
Thanks, [your name]
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