Auto attendant

The auto attendant is the software layer that greets every caller with a message — business name, options menu, extension directory — and routes them to the right person or service. It doesn't converse: it routes. It's the feature every phone system, from the humblest to the largest, offers by default today.

For a small organization, it's useful as soon as two people or two roles exist (technical in the morning, quotes in the afternoon), and dangerous the moment levels get added: a three-option menu with a direct exit is a service; a three-story labyrinth is an ejection of callers. The right architecture uses it like a building lobby — you enter, pick a floor, find someone — not as a wall. Combined with conditional forwarding on no-answer, it guarantees no call is left without a destination.