Port or keep your number? Telephony options explained
Agentric Team ·
There are four ways to get your calls answered by the AI receptionist — from zero-commitment to fully migrated. Pick per how attached you are to your current number.
Option 1 — Conditional forwarding (keep your number; the common choice)
Your number stays yours; the network forwards calls you can't take (busy, unanswered, unreachable) to the Agentric line. Setup: GSM dial codes, two minutes, reversible anytime.
Best for: almost everyone to start. Customers keep dialling the number they know; you keep answering when free; the AI catches the rest.
Option 2 — Forward everything
Same mechanism, different code (* * 21 *). Every call goes to the AI first; it books, answers, or transfers to your mobile when needed.
Best for: owners who want their own phone to ring only when it matters — the AI as a true front line.
Option 3 — New provisioned number
Agentric provisions a number (typically geographic — an 0113 for a Leeds business). You advertise it on the website/Google profile while the old number still works.
Best for: separating business and personal cleanly — or starting a business line from scratch.
Option 4 — Port your number in
Move the existing number to Agentric telephony entirely. Porting between UK providers is routine but takes days to weeks depending on the losing provider.
Best for: established businesses wanting one number, one provider, and the full platform underneath.
What happens to a transferred call
When the AI detects a human is needed and you've set a handoff number, the call transfers live — the caller never notices the AI stepping aside. No handoff configured? It takes a prioritised message instead.
The recommendation
Start with conditional forwarding — it's reversible and requires nothing. Get comfortable watching transcripts for a fortnight. Then decide whether to go all-in (forward everything or port) once you've seen it handle real callers.
The biggest mistake: over-thinking the telephony. Start forwarding, watch it work, and let the call logs make the case.