Your phone number is on the van, the shop window, the website and the card a regular has kept in their kitchen drawer. Changing it is a bigger job than trying a new way to answer it.
We make Vocalenda, so this guide explains our setup. Provider instructions below were checked on 25 October 2026; your own phone plan decides which diverts you can use and what they cost.
Yes, you can keep your existing business number with Vocalenda if your phone provider supports forwarding to it. Customers ring your usual number; your provider sends the call to the dedicated UK number we give you. Your number stays with your provider. Booking texts come from the Vocalenda number, signed with your business name when you forward calls.
How does an AI receptionist work with my existing number?
There are two numbers involved, but the customer only needs the one they already know:
- Your existing number. It stays on your website, Google Business Profile, cards and signs.
- Your Vocalenda number. This is where your provider sends the call, and where the receptionist answers for your business.
The receptionist can then check your Google Calendar or Outlook availability and book a service into it during the call. You prepare the services, prices, durations and opening hours first. Our setup guide covers that part.
This is call forwarding, also called a divert. It does not require transferring ownership of your existing number to us. Keep its current phone service active: it is still the route customers use to reach you.
You can also hand out your Vocalenda number directly. That may suit a new business starting without an established number. For an existing business, forwarding lets you try the receptionist without replacing the number people have saved.
Can I answer first and let the receptionist catch missed calls?
Ask your phone provider which forwarding rules your line supports. The common choices solve different problems:
| Forwarding rule | What happens | When to consider it |
|---|---|---|
| All calls | Your provider sends incoming calls straight to the receptionist | You want it to answer while you work |
| Unanswered calls | Your phone rings first, then the call diverts if you leave it | You want a chance to answer yourself |
| Busy calls | Calls divert when your line is engaged, subject to your line settings | You want cover while speaking to someone else |
These are provider settings, and availability varies by product and plan. BT Business documents all three for its phone-line Call Diversion service, with separate instructions for its other products. Vodafone documents several mobile divert options, but says Pay as you go customers can only divert to voicemail.
Use the instructions for your exact service. A code for one network or phone product is not a universal setup instruction.
If you choose unanswered-call forwarding, listen to the wait from the customer's side. The receptionist only gets the call after your provider sends it on. Test whether voicemail or another setting catches it first.
Will confirmation texts come from my existing number?
If you forward an existing number, Vocalenda's booking texts come from your Vocalenda number, signed with your business name. Forwarding an incoming voice call does not make that original number our text sender.
If customers call your Vocalenda number directly, the confirmation comes from the same number they dialled.
That distinction matters more than the setup diagram. A customer who booked through your usual landline may receive a confirmation from a number they have never seen. Make sure the business name in the text is recognisable, then make a test booking and read the message on a real phone.
Ring back from that phone to test moving or cancelling the booking too. Vocalenda checks the caller's number against the booking before making those changes, so the return call is part of the test, not an afterthought.
How much does forwarding cost?
Your phone provider may charge separately from your receptionist subscription. For example, BT Business says the diverted part of a call on its phone-line Call Diversion service is charged at its standard dialling rates. That is a rule for that service, not a price promise for every BT product or another network.
Before switching on, ask your provider:
- Can this plan forward to the specific UK number Vocalenda has assigned me?
- Is there a monthly charge for the forwarding feature?
- Does the diverted call use my included minutes, or incur a separate charge?
- How do I check and cancel the divert?
Use the actual destination number when asking. Do not assume that unlimited calls means every forwarded call is included.
See our pricing page for the receptionist subscription and included minutes. Your carrier's forwarding bill is separate.
Can callers still reach me personally?
Yes. Vocalenda supports transferring a call to a number you configure. Choose a reachable destination that does not forward straight back to the receptionist.
For example, if your advertised business mobile forwards every call to Vocalenda, sending a caller back to that same mobile creates a circular route. A second mobile or another suitable line avoids that problem. Test the handoff rather than assuming that entering a number finishes the job.
The same care applies if you switch the receptionist off in the dashboard and want calls forwarded to you. The dashboard switch does not cancel the divert held by your phone provider. If you want your original handset to receive its calls directly again, remove that provider divert and test it.
Six checks before forwarding customer calls
Use another phone to ring the number customers actually use, not just your new Vocalenda number.
- Listen from the first ring. Check the call reaches the right business and the wait suits the forwarding rule you chose.
- Book an appointment. Check the service, time and customer details in your connected calendar.
- Read the confirmation. Check the sender number, business name and appointment details on the receiving phone.
- Ring back to change it. Move the booking, check the calendar update, then cancel the test appointment.
- Ask for a person. Confirm the transfer reaches your chosen destination without returning to the receptionist.
- Undo the divert. Follow your provider's cancellation instructions and ring again. Confirm the original phone receives the call, then restore forwarding if you are ready.
If you have enabled busy or unanswered-call rules, test those conditions as well. A successful call with an idle phone does not prove a busy-line rule works.
What happens if I stop using the receptionist?
Cancel the forwarding rule with your phone provider before the service ends, then ring your business number from another phone.
Your existing number has stayed with that provider throughout. But a divert left in place will still send calls to its configured destination. Ending a Vocalenda subscription does not reach into your carrier account and remove that rule for you.
Write down the cancellation instructions when you set the divert up. They are useful if you pause the trial, change provider or simply want to answer directly for a day.
Before forwarding anything, you can hear Vocalenda on +44 7888 866273. The demo belongs to a barbershop: make a test booking and listen to the conversation. Then start a trial, configure your own business and run the six checks above. The number on your shop window can stay exactly where it is.
Common questions
Can I keep my existing business number with Vocalenda?
Yes, if your phone provider supports forwarding to your Vocalenda number. Your existing number stays with your provider and on your website, signs and business listings. You set a call divert to the dedicated UK number Vocalenda gives you. Check availability and charges with your provider first.
Do I have to transfer my phone number to Vocalenda?
No. The setup described here uses call forwarding, not a number transfer. Your existing number stays with its current provider. To return incoming calls to your original phone, cancel the divert with that provider and test the number from another phone.
Which number sends the booking confirmation text?
Vocalenda sends confirmation texts from your Vocalenda number. If customers dial that number directly, it is the same number they called. If they dial your existing number and you forward the call, the text comes from a different number, signed with your business name.
Can the receptionist answer only when I do not pick up?
That depends on your phone provider and plan. Some support forwarding unanswered calls or calls received while your line is busy, as well as forwarding every call. Ask your provider which options your line supports and test each one you enable.
Does call forwarding cost extra?
It can. Your phone provider may charge for the forwarding feature, the diverted part of a call, or both. Those charges are separate from your AI receptionist subscription. Ask whether calls to your specific Vocalenda number are included in your allowance.
What should I do before cancelling my AI receptionist?
Cancel the divert with your phone provider and call your business number from another phone to check it reaches you. Ending the receptionist subscription does not remove a forwarding rule held by your phone provider.
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