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Stay connected with your customers with a call forwarding answering service

Never miss a sale, opportunity, or client question. Our call forwarding answering service answers and forwards calls 24/7  – so you can focus on growing your business or enjoying time off.

A professionally dressed man smiles while checking his phone, with a conversation overlay showing a lawyer’s call forwarding answering service connecting a client to their attorney.

Business call forwarding

What exactly is call forwarding?

As a business owner, you rely on answering calls to connect with your customers, win over new business, and grow your company. But you can’t always be available to accept every inbound call. We get it – life gets in the way, and sometimes you’re too busy with a super important project or taking a much-needed vacation.

However, missing a call can mean missing a golden opportunity to connect with an important client or losing a new customer looking to pay top dollar for your service. 

With a call forwarding answering service from Upfirst, you don’t have to worry about losing customers from missed calls – because our service makes sure that your callers always have someone to speak with. It’s a flexible and affordable solution that allows you to forward calls to our team of knowledgeable and friendly virtual receptionists.

Customize it however you want by letting us answer FAQs and collect lead information, or by taking a message then forwarding the call to another member of your team. Whatever it is, the control is back in your hands. 

Benefits of our virtual call forwarding

Why businesses love our virtual call forwarding service

See why businesses love forwarding calls to our team, allowing them to save time and money while growing their business.

Answer every call, serve every customer

Growing a business is easier when you never miss a chance to connect with your customers. Our call forwarding service greets every caller with a friendly receptionist, whether it’s after-hours, a long weekend, or a busy holiday. The result? Zero unanswered calls and happier customers who can always reach you, no matter when they call.

    A woman sits at a kitchen counter with her laptop, scheduling a dog grooming appointment through a virtual call forwarding service.

    Collect more opportunities

    Sales leads can come from anywhere, and the most valuable ones often come from unexpected calls. With our phone forwarding system, you’re always prepared to seize the moment. Whether you’re in a meeting, on the road, or simply focusing on other parts of your business, rest easy knowing each call is being answered and relevant details are captured. It’s like having a full-time sales assistant that never clocks out.

      A construction worker at a building site, with a text overlay of a virtual call forwarding service handling a request for home-building quotes.

      Customize any way you need

      Customize our virtual call forwarding to suit your needs. Do you want a simple call forwarding system to forward office calls to your cell phone no matter where you are? Just say the word. Looking to free yourself from the phone lines and forward calls to us so we can answer them? Not a problem. Our phone agents are fully equipped to answer your FAQs, book appointments, qualify leads, and pass along important info to you.

        A close-up of hands typing on a laptop, with a text exchange displaying a call forwarding system arranging emergency plumbing services.

        Give your business a strong local presence

        Want to appear local in multiple markets? Our phone forwarding system lets you choose from a range of local numbers, making it simple to establish a local presence wherever you do business. Customers prefer connecting with local experts, and this feature helps you build trust and credibility from day one. By having a local number, your callers feel you’re right in their neighborhood - even if you’re halfway across the country.

          A woman working in a car with a laptop and phone, using a call forwarding answering service to arrange tax filing assistance.

          Save time by automating your calls

          Think about how handling every call yourself can be time-consuming. Even simple questions like “What are your hours on Wednesday?” can eat up valuable time that you could be spending elsewhere. When you forward incoming calls to our AI receptionist, you allow yourself and your team to focus on the big tasks at hand. Spend less time worrying about routine inbound calls and more time scaling your business.

            A workspace with a laptop, coffee, and notepad, showing a message exchange where a photographer responds to a wedding inquiry via a phone forwarding system.

            Get started in minutes with easy setup

            Forget about complex onboarding. Our virtual call forwarding service is built with simplicity in mind. Going from sign-up to live calls takes just a few minutes so you can have our call forwarding answering service up and running quickly. No coding knowledge required, no lengthy onboarding.

              Forget about complex onboarding. Our virtual call forwarding service is built with simplicity in mind. Going from sign-up to live calls takes just a few minutes so you can have our call forwarding answering service up and running quickly. No coding knowledge, no lengthy onboarding.
              Call forwarding capabilities

              Everything you need and more with our call forwarding system

              With Upfirst, you instantly get access to powerful features that allow you to affordably serve your customers, answer every call, and bring in new business.

              quick, easy setup

              Start forwarding business calls in three easy steps

              In just a few minutes, you can set up a simple call forwarding system that allows our knowledgeable virtual receptionist to answer every call and capture new opportunities.

              1

              Sign up

              Create an account and either use your existing business phone number or get a new local forwarding number from us (toll-free 800 numbers are also available). Once you're signed up, you'll access a secure dashboard that lets you configure your settings.

              2

              Testing

              Set up your greeting, choose your AI receptionist’s voice, and give our system the essential details about your business—like hours, call handling protocols, and FAQs. Run a few test calls to see how your customers will experience the system. Adjust settings until you’re fully satisfied.

              3

              Go live

              Ready to launch? Just hit “Activate,” and your call forwarding answering service goes live. You’ll be able to track calls, receive instant notifications, and make adjustments anytime from your dashboard.

              Call forwarding system

              Popular industries that benefit from our phone forwarding system

              Our answering service isn’t limited to any one industry. Businesses from all corners can benefit from our phone forwarding system.

              Contractors

              Focus on your job sites while we handle all inbound calls—perfect for busy pros such as HVAC techs, landscapers, and roofers who can’t pick up the phone every time it rings.

              Real estate

              Capture leads from property showings and open houses for your real state business, even when you’re out touring with clients.

              Finance & more

              From financial advisors to franchises to IT companies, our phone forwarding system helps keep your client communication smooth and consistent in any professional setting.

              Call forwarding answering service FAQs

              Have a question about Upfirst's call forwarding answering service that isn't answered here? Get in touch with our team.

              Can I set specific hours for call forwarding?

              Open FAQ

              Yes. You can customize what hours you want your agent to transfer calls to you or other team members.

              Can Upfirst forward calls to me or other team members?

              Open FAQ

              Yes. You can add as many different call forwarding rules as you need, and forward calls to other team members. E.g. If someone calls and asks to speak to a specific person, the AI agent can forward the call to that person.

              Am I able to keep my existing business phone number? I don't want to change it.

              Open FAQ

              Yes. You can keep the number your customers already use. Just forward your calls to Upfirst and let the AI receptionist handle them based on your call routing preferences.

              Can Upfirst keep spam callers or salespeople from forwarding to me?  

              Open FAQ

              Yes, you can customize the rules and scenarios for when a call should be forwarded to you. That way, you only speak to real customers.

              Is it easy to setup Upfirst?

              Open FAQ

              Getting started with our call forwarding answering services is quick. After creating your account, you'll add information about your business and customize how you want Upfirst to manage each type of call, including when a call should be forwarded and to who it should forward to. Most businesses are up and running within minutes.

              How much does your call forwarding answering service cost?

              Open FAQ

              Call forwarding answering service pricing depends on your monthly call volume. Upfirst offers simple and transparent plans with no setup fee, no contract, and a 14 day free trial so you can try the service risk free. Pricing starts at 24.95 per month for 30 calls, 59.95 per month for 90 calls, 159.95 per month for 300 calls, and 299 per month for 600 calls.

              Can Upfirst support multiple languages?

              Open FAQ

              Yes. Upfirst can answer calls in more than 30 languages. The AI receptionist can switch languages automatically and will translate call transcripts into your preferred language.

              Start virtual call forwarding for free today

              Never let a call go to voicemail again. Sign up for our call forwarding answering service and start answering every call and capturing more business.

              Try for free