Why PSTN first (and UI-configured)
On moving day, phones must “just work.” We use Twilio for carrier-grade PSTN and Chatwoot for the agent experience. The routing flows, hours, and voicemail handling are set in admin screens—not in code—so ops can adjust quickly.
The flow at a glance
- Customer dials a brand number (Twilio DID per brand).
- Availability check: who’s marked “available” and on-shift.
- Ring-all fan-out to that shortlist (simultaneous PSTN).
- First agent to answer becomes the conversation owner.
- No answer → voicemail; recording + transcript are posted to the brand’s inbox.
All of this is controlled by configuration: schedules, eligibility, recording policy, and how voicemails appear in the queue.
What we configure (not code)
- Numbers per brand with CNAM.
- Business hours & after-hours paths (direct to voicemail or message).
- Optional IVR with a simple “sales vs. active moves” split.
- Eligibility rules (available + on shift + not on another call).
- Prioritization (round-robin with bias toward the shortest active queue).
- Cooldowns (e.g., 10–15 seconds between back-to-back new calls to the same agent).
- Recording policy (on/off per brand with retention).
What lands in the inbox
When a call is answered:
- The Chatwoot conversation is tagged (
voice,brand:XYZ,intent:sales|ops). - A disposition prompt reminds the agent to mark outcome (booked, follow-up, wrong number).
- Recording link is attached if policy allows.
When a call is missed:
- A voicemail event includes caller ID, timestamp, brand, recording URL, and (optionally) a transcript.
- A callback button is available for outbound via Twilio.
All standardized, no one-off tooling.
Operational guardrails we rely on
- Recording transparency: notify callers if recording is on; fixed retention window.
- Fallbacks: when no one is eligible, we play hours and accept voicemail (with SLA for next-day callback).
- Supervisor override: a code can re-route calls to a live operator line during unusual spikes.
Results that matter
- Answer rate: ring-all raises pickups during surges.
- Ownership: first answer owns the thread—clean accountability.
- Simplicity: no softphones, fewer IT headaches, better audio reliability.
Phones shouldn’t be a science project. Twilio handles the carrier layer; Chatwoot keeps the team organized. A UI-configured flow means we can change rules as the business changes—fast.
*Chatwoot and Twilio are trademarks of their respective owners.