How do you setup an SMS auto-reply to an IVR phone number?

Before diving into the specifics of setting up a workflow for an IVR extension, it's essential to understand a key limitation: SMS messages can only be sent and received by users, not by IVR extensions. This limitation means that if you attach an SMS received trigger to an IVR menu extension, the workflow will never be triggered.

However, we have a workaround for this dilemma. Follow these steps to ensure your incoming phone calls are routed to the IVR menu while allowing SMS messages to be processed and automated through Workflow Builder:

Workaround Steps

Step 1: Reassign the Phone Number

First, you need to reassign the phone number of the IVR menu to a user’s account.

Step 2: Setup a Call Handling Rule

Once the phone number is reassigned to a user, set up a call handling rule to forward incoming calls to the desired IVR menu. To do this:

• Go to the user's call handling settings in their RingCentral account.
• Configure a call forwarding rule that forwards calls to the IVR menu's extension when a call comes into the IVR menu’s phone number.

Step 3: Create a Custom Workflow

Next, create a custom workflow that is triggered by an "SMS received" event within Workflow Builder from the user's account to which the IVR menu's phone number is reassigned. Follow these steps:

• Login to RingCentral Workflow Builder within the user's account.
• Create a new workflow and set the trigger event to "SMS received".
• Configure the actions you want to automate in response to incoming SMS messages, such as sending reply messages or logging the SMS to a CRM.

Outcome

With this setup, here is what you achieve:

• Incoming Phone Calls: All incoming phone calls to the original phone number will still be routed to the IVR menu as intended.
• Incoming SMS Messages: SMS messages will be received by a user, allowing them to respond manually if needed.
• Automated SMS Responses: Through Workflow Builder, you can automate responses to incoming SMS messages, enhancing your communication handling capabilities.

What if I’m routing to the already designated “operator extension” (in my case that’s me/super-admin). Does this create some doom loop where the IVR, the main number, is really me, and if just goes in circles?