> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.meetzela.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Call Handling Rules: Control How Zela Manages Calls

> Set up your booking flow, escalation rules, transfer settings, voicemail fallback, and call duration limits so every call is handled right.

Call handling rules define exactly what your agent does from the moment a call connects to the moment it ends. Without these rules, your agent makes its best guess — but with them configured, you stay in control of how every scenario plays out. Whether a caller wants to book a job, ask a question, or speak to someone directly, the right rules ensure every interaction is handled consistently and professionally.

## Booking Flow

When a caller wants to make a booking, your agent follows a structured flow to collect the information needed to create the appointment. By default, your agent asks for:

* **Full name** — the caller's name for the booking record
* **Service needed** — what type of job or service they're enquiring about
* **Preferred date and time** — when they'd like the appointment, checked against your availability rules
* **Phone number** — a callback number in case you need to follow up

You can customise which fields are required and which are optional under **Agent > Call Handling > Booking Flow**. For example, if you always call back to confirm, you might make the phone number required but the preferred time optional. Remove fields you never use to keep the conversation shorter and more natural for callers.

## Escalation Rules

Escalation rules tell your agent when to hand a call over to a human. You can configure multiple triggers so your agent knows exactly when to step back.

Your agent can escalate a call when:

* **The caller asks for a person** — phrases like "speak to someone", "talk to a human", "can I speak to the owner", or "transfer me" automatically trigger escalation
* **Specific keywords or topics come up** — add keywords (such as "complaint", "urgent", "emergency") that should immediately route the call to you rather than the agent attempting to handle it
* **The agent fails to understand the caller repeatedly** — set a threshold (for example, after three failed attempts to understand a request) after which the agent escalates rather than continuing to try

Configure your escalation triggers under **Agent > Call Handling > Escalation Rules**.

## Transfer Settings

When escalation is triggered, your agent needs to know where to send the call. Set this up under **Agent > Call Handling > Transfer Settings**.

* **Transfer To number** — enter the mobile or office number where calls should be forwarded when escalation occurs. This is typically your personal number or your front desk line.
* **Announce transfer** — enable this option to have your agent tell the caller something like "I'll transfer you now — one moment please" before the transfer connects. This prevents the caller from being confused by the sudden handoff.

If the transfer number is unavailable or the call goes unanswered, your agent falls back to voicemail (if enabled) or takes a message.

## Voicemail

Enable voicemail as a fallback for situations where a transfer can't connect — for example, when your phone is off, you're already on a call, or it's after hours. When voicemail is active:

* Your agent informs the caller that no one is available and invites them to leave a message
* The recording is saved and appears in your **Call Logs** with a playback link and transcript
* You receive a notification (based on your notification settings) so you can follow up promptly

Enable voicemail under **Agent > Call Handling > Voicemail** and optionally record or type a custom voicemail greeting.

## Max Call Duration

To manage your credit usage, you can set a maximum duration for any single call. Once a call reaches this limit, your agent will politely wrap up the conversation and end the call. This is especially useful for preventing unusually long calls from consuming a large portion of your monthly credit allocation.

Set your maximum call duration under **Agent > Call Handling > Max Call Duration**. Leave this blank if you don't want any limit applied.

<Info>
  When a caller requests a human and no transfer number is set, Zela will take a message and save it to Call Logs.
</Info>

## How to Set Up a Transfer Number

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Agent > Call Handling">
    Open your Zela dashboard and navigate to **Agent**, then select **Call Handling** from the menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter your transfer number">
    In the **Transfer To** field, enter the mobile or office number you want calls forwarded to when escalation is triggered. Include the full number with country code (e.g. +1 for US/Canada, +44 for UK).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Toggle Announce Transfer">
    If you want your agent to tell the caller they're being transferred before the call connects, enable the **Announce Transfer** toggle.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save changes">
    Click **Save**. Your transfer settings take effect immediately on the next call that triggers escalation.
  </Step>
</Steps>


## Related topics

- [Meet Your Zela AI Agent: What It Does and How It Works](/agent/overview.md)
- [Call Credits: How Zela Measures and Bills for Call Time](/billing/credits.md)
- [Call Logs: Full History of Every Call Zela Handled](/dashboard/call-logs.md)
- [Zela: AI Voice Receptionist for Home Service Businesses](/introduction.md)
- [Zela Invoices: View, Download, and Manage Your Billing](/billing/invoices.md)