How to route calls by what the caller asks, without a phone menu
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
The simplest way to get a call to the right person is to ask “What are you calling about?” and act on the answer. To set it up, go through a week of calls, sort them into five to seven types and write one decision for each: answer on the spot, book, transfer to an employee or create a request. You won’t need a “press 1 for sales” menu: callers say their question in their own words, in Uzbek or Russian.
Why “press 1” menus annoy callers
A keypad menu (IVR) sorts calls but gives the caller work: listen to four options to the end, guess which one fits, press the wrong key and start again. Many press “0” straight away or hang up.
When the caller says the question in their own words, routing is faster: “I bought a fridge yesterday, when is the installer coming?” fits none of the menu options, but it’s perfectly clear to whoever answers.
Call types and where they go
| Type | What the caller says | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| New purchase | “How much is it?”, “Do you have it?” | Answered on the first line; if ready to buy, transfer to sales |
| Existing order | “When will my order arrive?” | A request with the order number goes to delivery |
| Service and warranty | “It broke”, “It doesn’t work” | Book a technician or transfer to service |
| Complaint | “I’m not happy…” | Listen, note it, transfer to the head of department |
| Documents | “I need an invoice” | A request to accounting, with a callback time |
| Jobs, partnerships | “Any vacancies?”, “I supply goods” | Take name and number, pass to HR or purchasing |
This is only an example: write your own call types in your own words.
Setting up routing: five steps
- For a week, note each call’s topic in one word, or listen to the call recordings.
- Group the topics into five to seven types. Put rare ones under “other”.
- Write one decision for each type: answer, book, transfer or create a request.
- Give each type an owner and a backup.
- Review once a month: which type grew, where requests got delayed.
Sample: routing with one question
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, Texno Dunyo, Malika speaking. What are you calling about?
Caller: I bought a washing machine yesterday. When is the installer coming?
Sado: I see. Whose name is the order under?
Caller: Bahodir Karimov.
Sado: Thank you, Bahodir. I’ve sent a request to our installation team; they’ll call within an hour to agree a time. Shall they call this number?
Caller: Yes, this number.
The caller pressed no keys and didn’t repeat the question. The installation team already knows who called, what’s needed and which number to ring.
Handing routing to an AI operator
Sado’s AI operator asks callers the questions you set and acts on the answer: it answers from your information, books, creates a request or transfers to staff by your rule. Callers say their question in their own words, in Uzbek or Russian, so no menu is needed. When to send a call to a person: rules for transferring to a manager.
Every call is in the portal with a short summary and the next step, and in Bitrix24 on the call card: CRM and calls. Common questions: FAQ. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
Should we remove the keypad menu completely?
If a person or an AI operator answers every call at once, the menu is unnecessary: callers name their question themselves. A menu only helps when there are many calls and few people to answer.
What if the caller can’t explain what they need?
Ask a narrowing question: “Is it about a new purchase or something you’ve already bought?” A two-option question usually settles it at once.
How does routing work with several branches?
With two questions: first the topic, then which branch suits the caller. For example, a service request is booked with a technician at the branch nearest the customer. More: one number for all branches.
How do I find out which calls are most common?
Note each call’s type and count them at the end of the month. In Sado each call’s summary is in the portal, and results download to Excel.