Google Launched Automatic Call Routing Rules with Ring Groups in Google Voice

Google Voice gets automatic call routing rules with ring groups. Ring groups allow multiple people in your organization to make and receive calls from the same Google Voice number. This feature is now available for G Suite users with Google Voice standard and premier licenses.

“A ring group is a way for a team to intelligently route incoming calls to the correct person or device. This means that groups within your organization, like sales or customer service teams, can easily triage and take quick actions on ongoing calls (such as transferring to a team member or another device).”

Set up ring groups

You can set up ring groups to let people in your organization answer calls from the same Google Voice number. Ring groups, also called hunt groups, allow members to take turns answering calls.

Step 1: Name the ring group and add members

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console. (Sign in using an administrator account, not your current account youname@gmail.com)
2. From the Admin console Home page, go to Apps and then Suite and then google Voice and the service Management.
3. Click Ring groups.
4. At the top, click Create.
5. Under Details, enter the display name and, optionally, add a description. The display name identifies when an incoming call is to the ring group.
6. Under Members, in the Find users field, enter the ring group members, one at a time.
7. When you finish, click Continue.
8. Follow the steps below to set up the ring group.

Step 2: Set up call handling

In the Configure call handling section, set up how to handle incoming calls to the ring group.

1. Under Call routing, set the ringing order of incoming calls:
   • Round robin: Calls ring each member in random order until someone answers. You can set how long each member has before the call is redirected to the next member in the group.
   • Simultaneous: Calls ring all members at the same time, until someone answers.
2. Under Outbound callers, authorized users can place outbound calls using numbers assigned to the ring group. In addition, all ring group members can be allowed to make calls.
   • If you want all members of the ring group to be able to make outbound calls, check the All members of the ring group can place calls box. Later, if you add new members to the ring group, they’re automatically allowed to make outbound calls.
   • If you want to add people outside of the ring group or specify only certain people to make outbound calls, under Authorized callers, click Find users and enter the users.
3. Under Unanswered calls, click the Down arrow and select what happens when a call isn’t answered after 30 seconds:
   • Continue ringing: Calls continue to ring users in the hunt group, based on the order you set.
   • Play a message and disconnect: Callers hear a message and then the call disconnects.
     • Optional announcement: Enter an announcement for callers to hear before the call disconnects. You can have multiple messages for different languages.
   • Forward the caller: Calls forward to another phone number. In the Forward type field, click the Down arrow and select the type of transfer:
     • User: Enter the email address of the person in your organization to transfer callers too. As you enter text, a list of users with a Google Voice license opens. If you select a user who doesn’t have a phone number, you get an error message.
     • Auto-attendant: Click the Down arrow and select the auto attendant to transfer callers too. The auto-attendant needs a phone number or you get an error.
     • Ring group: Click the Down arrow and select the ring group to transfer calls to. The ring group needs at least one member with a phone number or you get an error.
     • Phone number: Enter the phone number to transfer callers too. To use a phone number that’s not in the U.S., click the Down arrow and select a country or region from the list.
   • Send to voicemail: The call forwards to voicemail.
     • Voicemail greeting: Enter the announcement callers hear before the call goes to voicemail. You can have different voicemail greetings for different languages.
     • Voicemail recipients: Choose to send voicemail to all members of the group. If you uncheck this box you must add a recipient in the Add another userbox.
     • Add another user: Enter the users (outside of this ring group) who will receive voicemail messages.
4. Click Create This Ring Group.

Step 3: Assign numbers to the ring group

After you create a ring group, assign one or more numbers for callers to reach the ring group.

1. On the left, click Assign A Number.
2. In the Country/region field, click the Down arrow and select the country or region.
3. In the Service address field, select the service address of the number. The list shows your Voice locations.
4. In the Google Voice number field, Voice shows an available number:
   • To keep the number, click Assign.
   • To find a different number:
     1. Click Change.
     2. Next to a number in the list, click Select.
     3. Click Assign.
5. Click Finish.

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