When a menu, ring group or queue answers first
Use this if callers hear a menu (“press 1 for appointments”) or a recorded message, or your number rings round several phones or a queue. A dial code can’t help here: the change goes on whatever answers your main number. Whoever looks after your phone system makes it.
Your phones ring first, so the front desk gets the first chance to answer. Terva answers when nobody picks up.
Enter it once and every code on this page uses it. Copy works once it’s filled in.
Turn off voicemail first
Voicemail or a recorded message that answers first stops the call reaching Terva.
Find the last step of your main number’s call flow when nobody answers. If it’s voicemail, a recorded message or night mode, replace it with your Terva number.
Turn off any “press 1 to accept” or call confirm on forwarded calls, or Terva can’t answer them.
Choose when Terva answers
We recommend When no one answers, left on all the time. The rest are optional.
Aim for a 15-second ring time. 10 to 20 seconds is fine. If calls enter a queue, set the caller’s total wait to about 15 to 30 seconds.
Find what answers your main number first: a menu (auto attendant), a ring group, a queue or a time switch.
Set its no-answer destination to your Terva number as an external number, after about 15 seconds. For a queue, use a total wait of about 30 seconds.
If a menu answers, send callers who press nothing to Terva once the menu times out.
Keep the caller’s number showing on forwarded calls.
Check with your provider
A ring group or queue doesn’t get busy the way a single line does: callers wait until the timeout. Ask whoever looks after your phones if you need a different rule.
Find the closed-hours route: office hours, a time switch or night mode.
Point it at your Terva number instead of voicemail or a closed message.
Ring time
Set the no-answer ring time to 15 seconds where you can. 10 to 20 seconds is fine. For a call queue, set the caller’s total wait to about 15 to 30 seconds.
Rings add up. A ring group, then a second group, then message bank can keep a caller waiting a minute. Aim for about 15 seconds of ringing before Terva.
Check it works
- From another phone, not one on your practice line, ring your practice number.
- Don’t answer at the practice. Let it ring out.
- Terva answers.
- Do it again once after hours. If voicemail, or someone carrying the practice phone, answers first, the call won’t reach Terva.
Ringing your Terva number directly doesn’t test forwarding. To test When busy, keep another call going on the line first. Test the after-hours route after closing.
Signed up to Terva? Press Check it works on Phone line, and Terva rings your line for you. How the check works.
Turn forwarding off
Set each destination that was changed back to what it was.
Someone else looks after your phones?
Copy this, fill in the [brackets] and send it. It has your Terva number once you enter it above.
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 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]
Good to know
If you can log in to your phone system yourself, the 3CX, Maxo, Teams, Zoom, RingCentral and TIPT guides show where these settings are.
Share a number with other practices in a medical centre? Only the centre can change it. Send the building manager’s request.
Other phone systems
See every phone system- Calls already go to a mobile
- Telstra mobile
- Optus mobile
- Vodafone mobile
- Boost, ALDI, amaysim and others
- Telstra home or business phone
- Optus landline
- TPG or iiNet
- Aussie Broadband
- 3CX
- Maxo (MaxoTel)
- Hosted desk phones
- Microsoft Teams Phone
- Zoom Phone
- RingCentral
- Telstra TIPT
- Older phone system or adaptor box
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