Inbound Calls
Inbound calls are phone calls initiated by external parties to your Crew-managed phone numbers. This guide covers configuration, handling logic, and optimization.How Inbound Calls Work
Phone Number Configuration
Assigning Numbers to Agents
Each phone number can be assigned to one or more agents:Number Sources
Call Handling Flow
Pre-Call Processing
Before the agent speaks, Crew processes:- Caller ID lookup — Identify known callers
- Business hours check — Route to appropriate agent
- Blocklist check — Filter blocked numbers
- Queue management — Handle concurrent call limits
Caller Identification
Match incoming numbers to known contacts:Business Hours Routing
Configure different behavior based on time:Concurrent Call Handling
Crew can handle multiple simultaneous calls:Queue Behavior
When at capacity:Call Quality Settings
Latency Optimization
Crew is optimized for sub-second response times:Audio Quality
Call Events
Crew emits events throughout the call lifecycle:Webhook Configuration
Call Recording
Recording laws vary by jurisdiction. Ensure compliance with local regulations.
Transcription
Real-time transcription is available for all calls:- Dashboard call logs
- API:
GET /v1/calls/{call_id}/transcript - Webhooks:
call.endedincludes transcript
Error Handling
Connection Failures
If a call fails to connect:- Retry connection (up to 3 attempts)
- Log error for debugging
- If persistent, route to fallback
Agent Failures
If the agent encounters an error mid-call:Analytics
Track inbound call performance:Best Practices
- Test your numbers — Call your own numbers regularly to verify behavior
- Monitor answer rates — High abandonment indicates issues
- Optimize greetings — Keep initial greetings under 5 seconds
- Handle silence — Configure appropriate silence detection
- Log everything — Enable full logging for troubleshooting
Next Steps
- Outbound Calls — Initiate calls programmatically
- Call Routing — Configure transfer rules
- Live Transcription — Real-time call transcripts