Even as customer service and support expand to include multiple digital channels, phone calls remain one of the primary ways customers engage with businesses. Therefore, a robust auto-attendant phone system ensures that callers can find the correct information or individuals to address their needs, regardless of whether you have a front desk receptionist.
Phone systems with auto attendant features often include accessible and easy-to-use software solutions, such as interactive voice response (IVR), visual call flow editors, and advanced or intelligent routing. Below, I have included a list of the top five auto-attendant phone systems. Each offers unique features that serve businesses of all sizes.
Featured partners
Best auto attendant phone systems
Auto attendant phone system providers
Expert score
Monthly price
(per user)
Key features
RingCentral
4.77
$30
- Call menu (IVR)
- Multi-level auto attendant
- Receptionist console
Ooma
4.7
$19.95
- Virtual receptionist
- Hold music
- Extension dialing
Nextiva
4.47
$25
- Smart call routing
- 24/7 customer support
- Unified digital inbox
GoTo Connect
4.45
$29
- Customizable dial plans
- Automated SMS messages
- Ring groups
Zoom Phone
4.4
$10
- Unlimited auto attendants
- Dial by name directory
- Automatic call distribution (ACD)
RingCentral: Best overall auto attendant phone system
Overall Score
4.77/5
Core features
5/5
Integration and compatibility
4.58/5
Security and compliance
5/5
Pricing and value
4.58/5
Customer support and usability
5/5
Advanced features
5/5
User scores
4.2/5
Pros
- Multilevel auto attendants and interactive voice response (IVR)
- Manage extensions with the receptionist console
- Unlimited domestic calling in the United States and Canada
Cons
- The most expensive provider on the list
- Customer relationship management (CRM) software integrations are not available on the base plan
Why I chose RingCentral
RingCentral is a leading provider of unified communication tools, contact center solutions, and business phone systems. Every plan offers unlimited features, including domestic and international calling options, internet fax, call recordings, and file storage.
When setting up a phone system with auto attendant features, RingCentral offers multi-level auto attendants and IVRs for each RingEX plan. This ensures you can set up complex ring strategies with customizable call routes for your business. For example, you can add IVRs and dial-by-name directories for self-service call routing or add individual extensions or shared lines to route calls to an individual or department.
However, while RingCentral has all the features that any business needs to create an excellent auto-attendant phone system, it also offers the highest-priced plans on this list. In comparison, Zoom Phone provides similar features, like unlimited auto attendants, at a much lower price.
- Receptionist console: Admin consoles act as a central hub where you can view all your call activity in one place. This allows you to monitor calls and manage your extensions.
- Call queues: To manage wait times, create multiple queues that organize incoming callers and route them to specific agents or extensions.
- Shared lines: Decrease the time a caller waits for pickup by sharing a phone number across multiple devices. This feature is handy for restaurants, sales associates, and any business that needs someone on call to answer questions.
- Visual voicemail: When routing calls to a voicemail box, it is helpful to transcribe messages from audio to text. This ensures you can review your messages faster and prioritize urgent calls.
Core: Best for multi-level auto attendant
- Monthly: $30/user/month
- Annually: $20/user/month
Advanced: Best for advanced call queues
- Monthly: $35/user/month
- Annually: $25/user/month
Ultra: Best for high call volume
- Monthly: $45/user/month
- Annually: $35/user/month
Pricing for less than 100 users.
Ooma: Best for small businesses
Overall Score
4.7/5
Core features
4.58/5
Integration and compatibility
4.17/5
Security and compliance
5/5
Pricing and value
4.58/5
Customer support and usability
5/5
Advanced features
5/5
User scores
4.53/5
Pros
- Virtual extension dialing and monitoring features
- Hold and transfer music for call queues
- 24/7 customer support
Cons
- Customizable greetings and menus are only available on the Pro Plus plan
- Limited third-party integrations compared to other providers
Why I chose Ooma
Ooma is one of the best VoIP providers for small businesses because it offers affordable, no-contract monthly plans that range from $19.95 to $29.95. Each plan provides basic VoIP phone system features like call handling and transferring and collaborative tools like video conferencing and extension dialing.
The multi-level virtual receptionist on Ooma’s office accounts allows you to create a call routing structure with menu options, greetings, and extensions. You can also use the virtual receptionist to route calls based on a set business schedule, with after-hours calling and holiday actions.
While Ooma does provide a virtual receptionist, the greetings and menus are customizable only on the highest-tier plan. So, although Ooma is a good option for some small businesses seeking auto attendant features, using the customizable features costs the same as using providers like GoTo Connect or RingCentral, which offer more robust features in their basic plans and better overall value.
- Virtual receptionist: Also known as an auto attendant, virtual receptionists use menu options to route calls to a specific extension or external number, improving call handling for a business. For Ooma, the virtual receptionist makes transferring calls after hours or during holidays easier.
- Company directory: For callers who know who they want to contact, you can create a digital phonebook with all of your extensions and employee names. This ensures that callers aren’t waiting to be routed by the virtual receptionist.
- Hot desking: Within an office, Ooma allows employees to use login credentials to accept phone calls from their extensions. This is especially useful if multiple agents or receptionists work from the same desk.
- Call screening: Before answering a call, you can have callers record their names to avoid small calls or messages from bots.
Essentials: Best for basic call management
- $19.95/user/month
Pro: Best for call analytics
- $24.95/user/month
Pro Plus: Best for customer engagement
- $29.95/user/month
Nextiva: Best for intelligent routing
Overall Score
4.47/5
Core features
5/5
Integration and compatibility
4.58/5
Security and compliance
4.17/5
Pricing and value
4.17/5
Customer support and usability
3.75/5
Advanced features
5/5
User scores
4.63/5
Pros
- Priority and skills-based routing on the Power Suite plan
- Dashboards with detailed call metrics and analytics
- Customer experience tools for omnichannel contact centers
Cons
- Limited features on the base plan
- Offers more customer experience tools than auto attendants
Why I chose Nextiva
Compared to RingCentral, Nextiva is a business communication platform that offers more advanced customer experience features powered by artificial intelligence. With intelligent routing, you can automatically direct calls to agents based on specific criteria, such as skill sets and experience, or prioritize specific callers in a queue.
Nextiva also provides advanced routing, enabling you to establish an auto attendant that allows callers to reach numbers by extension or name. Additionally, you can configure your phone system to transfer calls based on periods of inactivity, specific business hours, or any call distribution strategy you have defined.
At the same time, while Nextiva offers numerous intelligent routing features on the Power Suite plan, it doesn’t have an IVR or other advanced routing features on the base plan. Additionally, Nextiva offers more customer experience tools than automated phone system features, which might not be the best for those who want a simple phone system.
If you need a phone system with simple auto-attendant features, consider Ooma. It offers more traditional VoIP tools than customer experience software.
- Digital user inbox: Nextiva provides a unified inbox for gathering customer inquiries across support channels. The inbox includes messages from social media, emails, review sites, and other sources within omnichannel contact centers.
- Call reporting: With the Advanced IVR, you can collect metrics on your call queues and interactions, such as campaign reports, customer surveys, and outbound dialer summaries.
- Skills-based routing: One of the ways to improve call routing is incorporating automation and artificial intelligence (AI). With AI, you can route calls based on agent skillset and availability.
- Review management: One of the ways to assess the quality of your auto attendant phone system is by evaluating customer reviews. Therefore, Nextiva offers many methods of gathering feedback from online platforms on your reputation and quality of service.
Digital: Best for email and messaging applications
- Monthly: $25/user/month
- Annually: $20/user/month
Core: Best for inbound and outbound voice calling
- Monthly: $36/user/month
- Annually: $30/user/month
Engage: Best for omnichannel customer support
- Monthly: $50/user/month
- Annually: $40/user/month
Powersuite: Best for priority and skills-based routing
- Monthly: $75/user/month
- Annually: $60/user/month
GoTo Connect: Best for customizable dial plans
Overall Score
4.45/5
Core features
5/5
Integration and compatibility
4.17/5
Security and compliance
5/5
Pricing and value
4.58/5
Customer support and usability
4.58/5
Advanced features
3.33/5
User scores
4.47/5
Pros
- Unlimited auto attendants and customizable dial plans
- Call routing optimizer with detailed metrics, like volume analytics
- Ring strategy and skills assignment on the contact center plan
Cons
- Advanced integrations are only available on the highest-tier plans
- Higher starting price than similar providers
Why I chose GoTo Connect
GoTo Connect is a cloud communication platform that prioritizes software for team collaboration, IT management, and business phone systems. With three distinct plans, you can create an auto-attendant phone system that works for various businesses, such as customer service teams and contact centers.
On each plan, GoTo Connect provides unlimited auto attendants and a visual call flow editor that simplifies creating customizable dial plans. It also includes smart call routing plans and ring strategies, which are beneficial for creating self-service systems or managing customer service agents and call queues. You can also optimize your call flows with advanced analytics that provide insights into the effectiveness of your routing strategy.
However, while GoTo Connect offers basic integrations to support an automated telephone system, it does not provide access to advanced integrations, such as CRMs, which are only available on the highest-tier plans. Because GoTo Connect is already one of the more expensive plans on this list, it might not be the best business phone system for budget-conscious teams. Check out Zoom Phone for greater access to integrations with pay-as-you-go pricing.
- Smart call routing: One of the benefits of designing an auto attendant phone system is creating a routing strategy that ensures calls are answered. Intelligent routing includes multiple call strategies, such as routing calls to agents based on specific skills and balancing call queues.
- Ring groups: You can decrease wait times and improve customer service by setting up a system with simultaneous ringing that will alert multiple phones until an agent answers the call.
- Dial plan editor: The visual call flow editor allows you to create a customizable dial plan, set up wait times, and send calls to specific auto attendants.
- Recorded greetings: The first step in setting up an auto attendant is recording a greeting that introduces the caller to your business. GoTo Connect also allows you to create custom greetings for announcements, holidays, and voicemail boxes.
Phone System: Best for unlimited auto attendants
- Monthly: $29/user/month
- Annually: $26/user/month
Connect CX: Best for customer experience tools
- Monthly: $37/user/month
- Annually: $34/user/month
Contact Center: Best for intelligent call routing
- Monthly: $86/user/month
- Annually: $80/user/month
Zoom Phone: Best for pay-as-you-go pricing
Overall Score
4.4/5
Core features
5/5
Integration and compatibility
4.17/5
Security and compliance
5/5
Pricing and value
4.58/5
Customer support and usability
4.17/5
Advanced features
3.33/5
User scores
4.57/5
Pros
- Pay-as-you-go and unlimited calling plans
- Holiday scheduling and after-hours routing
- Unlimited auto attendants and interactive voice response
Cons
- It doesn’t offer annual discounts
- Limited virtual fax capabilities
- Advanced analytics incurs an additional fee
Why I chose Zoom Phone
Although Zoom is often synonymous with video conferencing, the provider also offers a variety of business phone plans with VoIP and unified communication features at an affordable place. On the base plan, Zoom Phone includes metered domestic calling and access to an international calling package starting at $10 a month. This plan also includes essential VoIP features like call monitoring and handling.
Each plan includes unlimited auto attendants and an interactive voice response system to route calls. After setting up your phone plan, you can access an auto-receptionist with various routing options, such as voicemail, call queues, or IVR.
At the same time, while Zoom Phone offers several different calling plans with features essential for auto-attendant phone systems, many of the advanced call analytics included with other providers come at an additional cost for Zoom Phone users. If you want to optimize your call analytics, consider GoTo Connect, which offers a call routing optimization feature.
- Voicemail transcription: If you are routing calls to a voice mailbox, you don’t always have the time to listen to each one. But, setting up voicemail transcription makes it easier to get through your messages by converting the audio into written text.
- Call park: When managing high call volumes, multiple methods of putting calls on hold can ensure that agents can reach callers promptly. Therefore, parked callers are placed on hold until an agent can contact them.
- Automatic call distribution (ACD): Contact centers and customer service teams can use an ACD to process information received through an IVR. While the IVR interacts with callers, the ACD routes calls based on their preferences and your call flow strategy.
- Call recording: Zoom phone provides automatic and on-demand call recording, so you can choose when and how to record calls. This feature is excellent for monitoring call quality and the effectiveness of customer journeys.
Metered: Best for pay-as-you-go pricing
- $10/license/month
Regional Unlimited: Best for regional calling
- $15/license/month
Global Select: Best for international calling
- $20/license/month
What are automated phone systems?
Automated phone systems use automation or other technologies to route calls through a pre-determined pathway or call flow. These phone systems often utilize auto attendants, interactive voice response, or artificial intelligence agents to send calls to specific phone extensions, departments, or voice mailboxes.
How do phone systems with auto-attendants work?
Many phone systems with auto attendants help streamline the call handling process by creating a strategic call journey. When routing calls with an auto attendant, designing a phone system that effectively guides callers from initial contact to call completion is crucial.
- Automated greeting: Within an automated phone system, a caller is met with a greeting or message from your business. Within most VoIP phone systems, you can record a personal message, choose from pre-recorded templates, or write a script for a professional or computer to record.
- Menu options: After the initial greeting, callers are presented with a series of options based on keypad input (e.g., “Press 1 for business hours”). You can pre-select these options within your phone system based on specific call routes. For example, you can create a menu that directs calls to extensions, voicemail boxes, IVRs, or call queues.
- Call flow journey: Depending on the number of auto attendants in your phone system, callers are routed through different pathways until their needs are resolved. Some call routes involve leaving a message with your business, while others end with reaching a live agent or receptionist.
What are the benefits of an automated telephone system?
Using an automated telephone system has several benefits, most of which focus on improving call routing and customer service.
- Decreased wait times: For businesses with high call volumes, having only one calling route can cause longer wait times and call abandonment. Therefore, an auto-attendant phone system allows you to create multiple call routes to move callers out of the queue and toward call resolution.
- Reduced costs: Hiring multiple receptionists or office managers to answer calls can be costly. An automated system can decrease the cost of staffing while still ensuring that clients or potential customers get the answers they need.
- After-hours support: Although many businesses require 24/7/365 support, most have standard operating hours. By choosing a phone system with scheduling features, you can route calls to a voicemail box or message that tells callers when you are out of the office or how to find the information they need outside of business hours.
How to select an automated phone answering service for your business
When selecting an automated phone answering service, you should consider a few things before choosing a provider.
- Call volume and capacity: Before selecting a service, you must know the type of calls you receive and how many come in. Businesses with a high volume of calls or a variety of customers often need a multi-level auto attendant. In contrast, companies with infrequent calls can use a basic VoIP phone system.
- Phone pricing and plans: Budget is another crucial factor in choosing an auto attendant phone system. Most VoIP providers offer different plans corresponding to the type of business phone system you need, with contact center plans often being more costly than a simple phone system.
- Receptionist features: While some auto attendants work without a receptionist, others are designed to support your front-desk staff. Therefore, consider your current staff and how you want to route calls based on availability.
- Ease of use: Each auto attendant phone system has different methods for setting up call flows. While some provide an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, others require more technical skills. So, make sure to choose a provider with an intuitive system.
Common mistakes to avoid with auto attendant systems
Although auto-attendant phone systems offer many benefits, it’s essential to acknowledge that common mistakes can occur during setup and implementation. So, the following list includes some common pitfalls in developing a business phone system and how to avoid them.
- Lack of planning: The success of an automated system hinges on creating a successful call routing strategy. This means it is essential to consider the type of customers and calls you receive and then design a call flow that works well for your business.
- Overly complex systems: Many providers allow you to create multi-level auto attendants, making it easy to design a system with numerous routes and call flows that are more confusing than helpful to customers. So, keep your call routes as simple as possible.
- Generic greetings: One of the most important aspects of an auto attendant phone system is the greetings. However, many businesses do not invest enough effort into recording or designing a script that accurately represents their brand. Therefore, you should customize your greetings as much as possible to create a positive introduction to your customers.
TechnologyAdvice employs a seven-part evaluation process to assess each provider, focusing on core features, pricing, usability, and customer support. After reviewing the industry’s leading auto attendant phone systems, we identified the top five based on their rankings and comparisons. To learn more about our editorial standards, please visit the “How we analyze technology” section of the TA website.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
The primary difference between an IVR and an automated attendant is the method of interpreting caller input. An automated attendant provides menu options using a keypad, while an interactive voice response allows callers to speak their selections.
Auto attendants typically range in cost from $20 to $50, based on the type of business phone system you choose. Some plans provide a basic setup with one main auto attendant, while others feature multi-level auto attendants that direct calls to various extensions and departments. There are also free VoIP phone services with auto attendants on a higher tier, such as Google Voice.
An auto attendant routes callers to a specific person or department, while a call queue is a virtual line of callers waiting for a response. In many phone systems, auto attendants are used with call queues to handle an influx of calls.
