How to set up Smart Call Router to answer and route your calls with AI

How to set up Smart Call Router (Beta) to answer and route your calls with AI



📝 Set up Smart Call Router (beta) so AI answers your forwarded calls, routes them, books jobs, and sends follow-up texts automatically.



Table of contents




Overview


Smart Call Router gives you an AI phone agent that answers calls sent to a dedicated LeadTruffle number, greets the caller, routes them where they need to go, and follows up by text — so calls you'd otherwise miss don't slip away.


Smart Call Router is currently in beta. It's live and fully supported, but you can expect ongoing changes and improvements as we refine it. If anything behaves unexpectedly, let us know — your feedback shapes what ships next.


Setup happens on the Smart Call Router page in your LeadTruffle dashboard and has three parts:


  • Activate a router phone number
  • Configure how the AI answers and routes callers
  • Configure text messages and notifications


Smart Call Router handles calls that are forwarded or routed to your Smart Call Router number. It does not automatically take over your main business line — you decide which calls reach it in Step 2.



Before you start


A couple of things unlock specific features:


  • Texting (10DLC): The switch-to-text caller path and follow-up texts require active 10DLC texting on your account. If 10DLC isn't active, the text-message path can't be turned on.
  • Booking integration: To let the AI book jobs directly into your CRM, you'll need a supported booking integration connected first.


You don't need either to get started — the AI can qualify callers and take messages on its own.



Step 1: Activate your Smart Call Router number


Your AI agent needs its own local number to answer on.


  1. Open Smart Call Router in your LeadTruffle dashboard.
  2. Enter a 3-digit area code — LeadTruffle shows available local numbers.
  3. Select a number. LeadTruffle purchases and provisions it for you automatically.


Once activated, this becomes your inbound Smart Call Router number. You can copy it right from the Smart Call Router page to use in your forwarding rules.


The router is ready once it has both a number and a voice agent. LeadTruffle sets up the voice agent behind the scenes when you activate the number.



Step 2: Forward your calls to the router number


This is the step that actually sends calls to the AI. Nothing reaches Smart Call Router until you forward calls to it.


In your phone system or carrier settings, forward the call paths you want the AI to handle to your Smart Call Router number, such as:


  • Missed calls
  • Busy calls
  • After-hours calls
  • Any other path you'd like the AI to cover


Smart Call Router only handles calls that are forwarded or routed to your router number. If forwarding isn't set up, callers won't reach the AI — even with the router turned on.



Step 3: Set your basics


These settings shape how the AI introduces itself and when it operates. Configure:


  • Company name — how the AI refers to your business
  • Assistant name — the name your AI agent goes by
  • Voice — choose from Jaqueline, Cassidy, Average Joe, or Blake
  • Business hours
  • Default Call Transfer Hours — the fallback window for live handoffs. Any transfer option that doesn't set its own hours uses this window (see Step 6)
  • Callback promise — the fastest follow-up window the AI should mention (e.g. "Within 15 minutes," "Within 1 hour," or "Within 1 business day")



Step 4: Choose a greeting style


Pick how the AI opens each call:


  • Menu first — the AI greets the caller and offers choices up front, like text, voicemail, AI help, existing-customer support, or a live transfer.
  • Assistant first — the AI answers more conversationally and routes based on what the caller says.


You can also turn on a custom greeting to write your own opening line. If custom greeting is off, LeadTruffle generates the greeting from the caller paths you've enabled.



Step 5: Turn on your caller paths


Caller paths are the options available to the person calling. Enable the ones that fit your business:


  • Text message — lets the caller move from the voice call to SMS
  • Voicemail — captures a message for callback
  • AI assistant — helps with new service requests, qualification, and booking (configured in Step 7)
  • Existing customer — routes support, billing, job-status, cancellation, and reschedule requests toward your team
  • Human transfer — attempts a live handoff to your team (set up in Step 6)


The text-message path requires active 10DLC texting. Without it, that path stays hidden or can't be enabled.



Step 6: Set up human transfer


Only needed if you enabled the Human transfer path in Step 5. If you did, you must configure at least one transfer option with a valid phone number.


Each transfer option includes:


  • Name
  • Phone number
  • Transfer type — warm or direct
  • Transfer availability — when this specific destination can take calls (see below)
  • "Use when" instructions — tells the AI which caller intent should reach this option
  • Warm transfer readout message (warm transfers only)


Two transfer types are available:


Transfer type

What happens

Warm transfer

The AI plays a short readout to your team before connecting the caller

Direct transfer

The AI connects the caller without a readout


Set each option's availability


Every transfer option has its own Transfer availability setting, so different destinations can be reachable at different times. Pick one of three modes:



  • Use default transfer hours — the option follows the Default Call Transfer Hours you set in Step 3. This is the default for every option, so existing options keep their current schedule with no change.
  • Use custom hours — set a start and end time that applies to this option only. Custom hours replace the default window (they don't combine with it), run in your company timezone, and support overnight ranges like 7:00 PM–7:00 AM.
  • Always available — the option can take transfers at any time, ignoring transfer hours entirely.



Set time rules here, not in "Use when." The "Use when" field only guides the AI on caller intent — it is not a reliable way to enforce times. Transfer availability is what actually controls when an option is eligible.


Allow emergency transfers outside these hours


Each option set to Use default transfer hours or Use custom hours also has an Allow emergency transfers outside these hours checkbox. It's off by default.


  • When on, a caller with emergency intent can be transferred to this option even outside its normal window.
  • When the option is set to Always available, this control is disabled — the option is already reachable at all times.



Availability is enforced deterministically. Before the AI selects or dials a destination, LeadTruffle filters out every option that isn't eligible at that moment. Emergency bypass applies only where you've explicitly enabled it — it can't silently override a custom window.


The AI never invents a transfer destination — it only uses the options you configure. If no option is eligible (transfer disabled, outside every option's hours, not set up, or unavailable), the AI falls back to taking a message or promising a callback instead of attempting a transfer.



Step 7: Choose how the AI handles new requests


For new service requests coming through the AI assistant path, choose what the AI is allowed to do:


  • Book directly into CRM — creates the appointment using your connected booking integration. If you choose this, select the CRM/provider to use.
  • Soft-schedule — captures the caller's preferred time, but your team confirms it later.
  • Callback only — qualifies the caller and promises team follow-up.


You can also add up to 5 qualifying questions. The AI uses these to collect the lead details you care about.


Add custom behavior rules (optional)


You can add account-specific rules to guide the AI — things like escalation preferences, tone, emergency handling, or when to avoid booking.


Smart Call Router uses these rules to guide how the AI handles calls. Treat them as guidance rather than a guarantee of exact behavior on every call. To control when a transfer destination is reachable, use Transfer availability in Step 6 rather than a behavior rule.



Step 8: Set up text messages


There are two separate texting features, and they work at different times.


Switch to text


This happens during the call when a caller asks to text instead. LeadTruffle sends your saved handoff message through your LeadTruffle texting setup, then the AI says a closing line and ends the call.


The AI uses your saved handoff message for this — it can't write custom SMS copy during a live call. Set that message up so it reads well on its own.


Post-call follow-ups


These send after the call ends. You can add up to 5 follow-up options, each with:


  • "Use when" criteria
  • SMS message
  • Active/inactive toggle


After each call, LeadTruffle reviews the transcript and sends one matching follow-up text if the call qualifies.


If a caller already got a successful switch-to-text handoff during the call, the post-call follow-up is skipped. All Smart Call Router texts include opt-out language automatically.



Step 9: Choose who gets notifications


Smart Call Router uses your existing notification contacts. There are two events:


  • Smart Call Router call recap — an email summary after each router call ends (email only).
  • Smart Call Router urgent follow-up — an alert when the system detects your team may need to jump in quickly (email or SMS).


Urgent follow-up can be triggered by things like:


  • A failed live transfer
  • A caller asking for a human
  • Frustrated or upset language
  • Emergency or urgent language
  • High or emergency transfer intent



Step 10: Turn on the router and test it


Once everything's configured, toggle Smart Call Router on.


  • When enabled, calls to your router number are answered by the AI.
  • When disabled, the router won't handle calls even if calls are still being forwarded to that number.


Then place a test call to your router number to hear the greeting, walk through a caller path, and confirm routing works the way you expect.


Because Smart Call Router is in beta, testing after any change is especially worth the minute it takes — it's the fastest way to catch anything that doesn't behave as expected.



Troubleshooting


Callers aren't reaching the AI. Check your forwarding first. Smart Call Router only answers calls that are forwarded or routed to your router number — confirm your phone system is sending missed, busy, or after-hours calls there, and that the router toggle is on.


The text-message path won't turn on. This path requires active 10DLC texting. Confirm 10DLC is active on your account.


The AI isn't booking appointments. Direct booking requires a connected booking integration and the "Book directly into CRM" option selected in Step 7. If booking isn't enabled, the AI can still soft-schedule or request a callback.


Live transfers aren't connecting. Make sure Human transfer is enabled with at least one option and a valid phone number, and that the current time falls within that option's availability. Check which mode the option uses — Default Call Transfer Hours, its own custom hours, or Always available. For custom overnight windows (e.g. 7:00 PM–7:00 AM), remember hours are evaluated in your company timezone. If no option is eligible and emergency bypass isn't enabled, the AI takes a message or promises a callback instead.


A transfer isn't happening at the time I expect. Time rules live in Transfer availability, not in the "Use when" field. If you wrote something like "only after 7 PM" into "Use when," move that to custom hours on the option — "Use when" only guides caller intent, not timing.



Need help? Contact us at support@leadtruffle.com or message the team via the chat on this article or in-app.

Updated on: 14/08/2026

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