Multi-Line IVR
Custom Call Routing & Dispatch Automation for a Regional HVAC Company
Project Overview
A regional HVAC and mechanical services company operating across three counties was fielding 300+ inbound calls daily with a receptionist-dependent routing model. Peak season demand — summer AC failures and winter heating emergencies — would regularly overwhelm their front desk, leading to missed calls, delayed dispatches, and frustrated customers.
We designed and deployed a custom multi-line IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system that routes, triages, and dispatches calls automatically — handling everything from appointment scheduling to emergency escalation without a single manual touchpoint.
The Challenge
The client was paying $600/month for a third-party answering service that could not integrate with their scheduling system, had no emergency escalation logic, and frequently dropped calls during high-volume periods. Beyond cost, the business needed intelligent routing — different outcomes for a routine estimate request versus a no-heat emergency at 2am.
- No differentiation between routine service requests and emergency calls during off-hours
- On-call technicians were being called manually by a dispatcher reading from a paper rotation schedule
- No SMS confirmation sent to customers after booking — re-call rate was high
- Third-party service cost $600/month with no API, no data ownership, and no customization
The Solution
We replaced the third-party answering service with a fully custom Twilio-powered IVR built in Node.js. The system presents callers with a branching menu, routes based on time-of-day and call type, integrates with the client's scheduling API, and sends automated SMS confirmations on booking.
- Intelligent Routing Trees: Callers select from service type menus; routing logic adapts based on business hours, holidays, and technician availability
- Emergency Escalation: Emergency calls after-hours trigger an automated call chain to on-call technicians in priority order — no dispatcher required
- On-Call Schedule Integration: A lightweight API reads the weekly rotation from a shared Google Sheet, eliminating the paper schedule entirely
- SMS Confirmations: Customers receive an automated text with appointment details, technician name, and a cancellation link
- Voicemail-to-Email: Non-urgent voicemails are transcribed and emailed to the service coordinator queue each morning
Technical Architecture
Key Results
Eliminated the $600/month third-party answering service entirely on day one of deployment — generating over $7,200 in annual savings.
- Missed call rate dropped 82% within the first billing cycle after go-live
- Emergency response time improved by 14 minutes on average — automated escalation chain vs. manual dispatcher callback
- Customer SMS confirmation reduced re-call volume by over 60%
- On-call rotation now managed entirely through a shared spreadsheet — zero IT dependency for schedule updates
- System handles simultaneous inbound calls without queue degradation, resolving the peak-season bottleneck
Interested in a Similar System?
If your business handles high inbound call volume and relies on manual routing or expensive third-party answering services, a custom IVR can pay for itself in the first quarter. We build call systems that match your exact operational logic — not a template.