You invested in RingCentral. The VoIP works. The team features are solid. Your business number is established.
But your auto-attendant frustrates callers. "Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support, press 3 for..." Half your callers hang up before reaching a human.
Here's what most RingCentral users don't realize: you can add AI answering without abandoning your system. Keep your number, keep your RingCentral features, and layer intelligent AI on top to handle calls the IVR can't.
This isn't about replacing RingCentral. It's about making it smarter.
The RingCentral IVR Problem
RingCentral's auto-attendant does what IVR systems have done for decades: route calls through button menus.
"Thanks for calling ABC Plumbing. For sales, press 1. For service, press 2. For billing, press 3. For hours and location, press 4..."
The problem? Callers hate this experience.
Studies consistently show 70-80% of callers find IVR menus frustrating. When someone calls with "I need to schedule a bathroom remodel," they don't want to figure out which number leads to scheduling. They want to say what they need and get help.
RingCentral's IVR has other limitations:
Rigid call trees. Configuring complex routing requires navigating admin portals and testing multiple scenarios. Change your departments? Rebuild the tree.
No natural language. The system understands button presses, not speech. "I need to speak with someone about a leak" doesn't compute.
After-hours gaps. When the office closes, calls go to voicemail. In our study of 13,175 contractor calls, 74.1% went unanswered—many during after-hours when voicemail was the only option.
One-size-fits-all routing. The IVR can't detect urgency. A caller saying "emergency" gets the same menu as someone asking about business hours.
None of this means RingCentral is bad. It means IVR technology—across all platforms—has fundamental limits that AI solves.
The Integration Partner Approach
Here's the key insight: AI receptionist doesn't have to replace your phone system. It can sit on top of it.
Think of it like adding a smart assistant to your existing setup:
- RingCentral continues handling: Your VoIP service, internal calling, team messaging, video meetings, and admin features
- AI handles: Call answering, routine inquiries, scheduling, emergency detection, after-hours coverage
You keep your RingCentral number. Your team keeps using RingCentral for everything they do now. The difference? When external calls come in, AI answers instead of an IVR menu.
This integration partner approach gives you:
- No migration headaches. Your number stays, your system stays, your workflows stay
- Best of both worlds. RingCentral's VoIP reliability plus AI's conversational intelligence
- Gradual adoption. Start with after-hours only, expand to full-time when comfortable
- Fallback options. AI routes to humans when needed; RingCentral still works if AI is ever unavailable
How Call Forwarding Integration Works
The technical setup is surprisingly simple. RingCentral's call forwarding features enable the integration.
RingCentral Forwarding Options
RingCentral supports multiple forwarding modes:
- Always Forward: All calls go to the AI number immediately
- Forward When Busy: Calls forward only when your lines are occupied
- Forward When Unanswered: Calls forward after a set number of rings (typically 3-4)
- Forward When Offline: Calls forward when your system is unreachable
For most integrations, "Forward When Unanswered" works best. Your team gets first crack at calls during business hours. When no one picks up, AI catches the call.
The Integration Flow
- Caller dials your RingCentral business number
- RingCentral rings your configured endpoints (desk phones, mobile app)
- If unanswered after 3-4 rings, RingCentral forwards to your AI number
- AI answers in under 5 seconds
- AI handles the call or routes back to a team member if needed
- All calls log to your CRM automatically
From the caller's perspective, they dialed one number and got help. They don't know (or care) that AI answered.
No Extra RingCentral Charges
Call forwarding to external numbers is a standard RingCentral feature. You won't pay additional RingCentral fees for forwarding. Your only added cost is the AI service itself.
Use Cases: Where RingCentral + AI Shines
The integration works for several scenarios:
Branch Office Coverage
Your headquarters has a full reception staff on RingCentral. But your satellite office has two technicians who can't answer phones while working.
Solution: Forward that branch's RingCentral number to AI. Headquarters keeps human reception; the branch gets AI coverage.
After-Hours Answering
Your team works 8-5. Calls after 5 PM go to voicemail. But 73% of home services calls happen outside business hours—including emergencies.
Solution: Set RingCentral to forward after-hours calls to AI. AI answers overnight, handles routine questions ("What time do you open?"), and routes emergencies to on-call staff.
Overflow During Busy Periods
Storm season hits. Calls triple. Your two-person office can't keep up. Every unanswered ring is a potential customer calling competitors.
Solution: "Forward When Busy" sends overflow to AI. When all lines are occupied, AI picks up additional calls. No one waits on hold; no one reaches voicemail.
IVR Replacement for Customer-Facing Lines
Your internal extensions work fine with RingCentral. But your main customer line needs more than "press 1 for sales."
Solution: Forward only the main customer line to AI. Internal extensions continue routing through RingCentral. Customers get conversational AI; your team keeps familiar internal dialing.
Setup Walkthrough
Here's how to connect RingCentral to AI answering:
Step 1: Get Your AI Phone Number
When you sign up with an AI receptionist service, you receive a dedicated phone number. This becomes your forwarding destination.
Step 2: Configure RingCentral Forwarding
In RingCentral Admin Portal:
- Navigate to Phone System — Users — Select the user or queue
- Click Call Handling — Call Forwarding
- Choose your forwarding condition (Always, When Busy, When Unanswered)
- Enter your AI phone number as the destination
- Save changes
Alternatively, users can configure personal forwarding via codes:
- *72 + AI number: Activate unconditional forwarding
- *73: Deactivate forwarding
- *92 + AI number: Forward when busy
- *94 + AI number: Forward when unanswered
Step 3: Test the Integration
Call your RingCentral number from a personal phone. Let it ring through to forwarding. Verify AI answers, behaves correctly, and routes test "emergencies" appropriately.
Step 4: Go Live
Once testing passes, your integration is active. Monitor call logs on both RingCentral and your AI dashboard for the first few days to ensure everything works as expected.
Total setup time: 15-30 minutes for basic configuration.
Cost Comparison
What does this integration actually cost compared to alternatives?
Keeping RingCentral (Baseline)
- RingCentral plan: $20-45/user/month (varies by tier)
- You're already paying this
Adding AI Answering Layer
- AI receptionist service: $199/month (flat, unlimited calls)
- Total: RingCentral cost + $199/month
Alternatives
Hiring a receptionist:
- Salary: $35,000/year ($2,900/month)
- Plus: Benefits, training, PTO coverage
- Limitation: Works 40 hours/week, not 168
RingCentral add-ons:
- RingCentral's advanced features add $15-50/user/month
- Still limited by IVR technology, not conversational AI
Switching to a different system:
- Migration costs, porting fees, retraining
- Risk of losing your established number
- Months of transition work
Adding AI at $199/month is often the most cost-effective path to intelligent answering without disrupting your existing RingCentral investment.
How NextPhone Integrates with RingCentral
NextPhone works with RingCentral through standard call forwarding—no special setup required.
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What NextPhone adds:
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Conversational answering: Callers say what they need instead of pressing buttons
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Emergency detection: AI identifies urgent language ("pipe burst," "emergency," "flooding") and routes immediately to your phone
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24/7 coverage: Same performance at 3 AM as 3 PM
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CRM integration: Leads log automatically alongside RingCentral call records
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SMS follow-up: AI sends callers booking links or information after the call
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Callback tracking: Captures the 25.4% of callers who request callbacks
How it coexists:
RingCentral handles your team's VoIP needs, internal calling, and messaging. NextPhone handles intelligent external call answering. Both systems work together—use RingCentral to call customers back, use NextPhone to ensure you never miss their initial call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this affect my RingCentral contract?
No. Call forwarding is a standard feature included in RingCentral plans. You're not modifying your account, just configuring where calls route. Your contract, pricing, and features remain unchanged.
Can callers still reach my team directly?
Yes. AI can transfer calls to any extension or phone number. When someone asks for a specific person or the AI determines a human is needed, it routes the call through. You can also publish direct dial numbers for VIP clients who should bypass AI.
How do emergency calls get routed?
AI detects urgency keywords—"emergency," "urgent," "flooding," "no power," etc.—and immediately transfers these calls to your configured emergency number (your cell, on-call staff, or a specific team member). You get the critical calls; AI handles the routine ones.
What if I want to disable forwarding temporarily?
Simply remove the forwarding rule in RingCentral admin or dial the deactivation code (*73). Calls return to ringing your normal endpoints. Reactivate anytime.
Does this work with RingCentral mobile app?
Yes. Call forwarding works regardless of how you normally receive calls—desk phone, mobile app, or softphone. If you use RingCentral on your cell, calls that go unanswered still forward to AI per your rules.
Keep RingCentral. Add Intelligence.
You don't need to abandon your RingCentral investment to get intelligent call handling.
With simple call forwarding, you can:
- Replace frustrating IVR menus with conversational AI
- Add 24/7 coverage for after-hours calls
- Handle overflow during busy periods
- Give branch offices AI answering while headquarters keeps human reception
Setup takes minutes. Your number stays the same. Your team keeps using RingCentral for everything they use it for today.
Ready to make your RingCentral smarter? Try NextPhone with your existing number—free for 14 days.