A calling tree (also known as an IVR or phone menu) gives callers an interactive menu when they call your number — "Press 1 for the front desk, press 2 for housekeeping." It runs before your team routing steps, letting callers direct themselves to the right person or department.
Calling tree settings are per phone number. Go to Phone Settings → Routing and enable Calling Tree. Switching the calling tree off keeps your menu, and switching it back on restores it as it was.
A calling tree is one of several call routing options.
How It Works
When a caller reaches your number with a calling tree enabled, they hear a custom greeting that lists their options. They press a digit to make a selection, and the call routes to the destination you've configured for that option. The digit they pressed — and where it sent them — is recorded on the call, so you'll see it on the call in the conversation and in call history, including when the caller pressed nothing or hung up during the menu.
If the caller doesn't press anything, the call falls through to your standard routing steps — so you're never creating a dead end.
Setting Up Your Menu
1. Record or Upload a Greeting
The greeting tells callers what their options are. For example: "Thanks for calling The Timberline. Press 1 for the front desk, press 2 for housekeeping, or stay on the line and we'll be right with you."
Upload an MP3 or WAV file, or record directly in the app.
2. Add Menu Options
You can add up to 9 options (digits 1 through 9). A new option starts on this number's team routing, which you can change. For each option, choose where to route the call:
Team member — rings a specific person on your team
Phone number — routes to an external number (useful for after-hours answering services or a separate department)
Voicemail — sends the caller directly to voicemail, skipping all routing steps
AI Agent — routes to the AI agent (when available)
This number's team routing — runs the line's normal routing steps and voicemail fallback, so one option can go to your usual team routing while the others go elsewhere
3. Save and Test
After configuring your options, call your Hello Hotel number from a personal phone and walk through each menu option to make sure calls land where you expect.
Calling Tree + Team Routing
The calling tree and your team routing steps work together but serve different purposes:
Calling tree runs first and lets the caller choose a destination
Team routing steps determine how the call rings your team if no calling tree selection is made, or after a calling tree option routes to team routing
For example, if a caller presses 1 and you've routed option 1 to a specific team member, only that person's phone rings. If the caller stays on the line without pressing anything, the call goes through your normal multi-step routing sequence.
Tips
Keep the menu short. Two or three options is ideal. Long menus frustrate callers — even though you can add up to nine, if you find yourself needing that many, consider whether some could be handled via text instead.
Put the most common option first. Most callers want the front desk. Make that option 1.
Update the greeting when things change. Seasonal hours, sold-out periods, or temporary closures — your calling tree greeting is the first thing callers hear, so keep it current.
Don't require a selection. Always let callers stay on the line to reach a person. Some callers won't interact with menus, and you don't want to lose them.