Before you begin
- The current on-call rota
- Direct contact numbers and permission to test them
- Your business timezone
Step 1
Add the people who cover calls
In Settings → Calls, open the Transfer card and add each person’s direct number. On Pro, open More options to add people and shifts.
Step 2
Set the weekly shifts
Set the days and hours in your business timezone. A shift can run past midnight. Choose who Penny rings outside the shifts.
Step 3
Choose how the call is handed over
Choose announce, press 1 and the ring time. With announce on, the person answering hears who is calling before Penny connects them. With press 1 on, they accept the call first, so a voicemail picking up never counts as an answer.
Step 4
Test both paths
Make one test with the on-call person answering, and one where nobody answers. In that test Penny comes back, takes a message, and you get the email.
You are ready when
The person on the current shift gets the test call, and an unanswered test ends with a message in your inbox and an email.
If the test does not pass
- If last night’s contact still rings, review the timezone and any shift crossing midnight.
- When two people trade a shift, edit the shift in Settings → Calls. A note in your calendar doesn’t change who Penny rings.
Questions about this setup
Do I need a schedule if I carry the phone myself?
A single transfer number on Starter can cover that arrangement. Pro adds the schedule when more than one person shares the coverage, and each location can keep its own.
Can an on-call vendor use the same setup?
Yes. Record the vendor’s after-hours number and the hours they cover. Test with the vendor before sending customer calls through the route.