How to assign and manage phone numbers in Freshcaller for multiple departments

If you run a growing support or sales team, you know juggling phone numbers is a pain. Maybe you’ve got sales, support, billing, and who knows what else—all needing their own phone lines, voicemails, and call flows. If you’re using Freshcaller, setting this up can be straightforward… or a mess, depending on how you approach it.

This guide is for admins, ops folks, or anyone who needs to keep phone chaos under control in Freshcaller. No fluff, just real steps and honest advice.

Why bother assigning numbers by department?

Let’s be real: dumping all calls into a single pool is a recipe for lost leads, angry customers, and confused agents. Assigning numbers to departments:

  • Makes it super clear who should answer what
  • Lets you set up custom greetings and voicemails
  • Makes reporting less of a headache
  • Keeps things flexible as your team (and call volume) grows

If you’re reading this, you probably already know why it matters. Let’s get into the “how.”

Step 1: Plan Before You Click Anything

Before you dive into Freshcaller, take 15 minutes to sketch out:

  • Which departments actually need their own numbers? (Don’t just split for the sake of it.)
  • Who will answer these calls? (Names, not just teams.)
  • What should happen after hours or if nobody picks up?
  • Are you porting existing numbers or buying new ones?
  • Do you need local, toll-free, or international numbers?

Pro tip: Fewer numbers are easier to manage. If you’re not sure, start small—you can always add more later.

Step 2: Add or Port Phone Numbers

To buy a new number in Freshcaller:

  1. Go to Admin Settings → Phone Numbers
  2. Click Buy Number
  3. Search by country, type (local/toll-free), or area code
  4. Select the number you want and click Buy

You’ll be billed monthly for each number, so don’t go wild.

To port an existing number:

  1. In the same section, click Port Number
  2. Follow the wizard—Freshcaller will ask for documentation and your current provider’s details
  3. Expect the process to take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks (not Freshcaller’s fault; number porting is always slow)

Honest take: Porting is usually a pain no matter which provider you use. Make sure you double-check the paperwork, or you’ll be stuck waiting.

Step 3: Create Departments (a.k.a. Teams or Groups)

In Freshcaller, you organize users into “Teams.” Each team can act as a department.

  1. Go to Admin Settings → Teams
  2. Click Add Team
  3. Name the team (e.g., “Support,” “Sales,” “Billing”)
  4. Add the right agents to each team

Don’t overthink this: You can move people around later. Just aim for the main buckets now.

Step 4: Assign Numbers to Departments

Here’s where things can get messy if you’re not careful.

  1. Go to Admin Settings → Phone Numbers
  2. Click on the number you want to assign
  3. Under Call Flows or Routing, choose the team that should receive incoming calls
  4. Set business hours, voicemail, and fallback options for each number (e.g., who gets calls after hours, custom greetings, etc.)

Keep it clear: One number per department keeps things simple for callers and your agents.

Do you need “shared” numbers?

If two departments need to share a number (say, after-hours calls go to a generalist team), set up smart routing in the call flow. But don’t make this your default—shared ownership gets confusing fast.

Step 5: Set Up Call Flows and Routing

This is where Freshcaller gets flexible… and, honestly, a bit confusing if you’re new.

  1. Go to Admin Settings → Call Flows
  2. Create a new call flow for each department’s number
  3. Define what should happen:
    • Welcome greeting
    • IVR menu (e.g., “Press 1 for Sales, 2 for Support”)
    • Direct to team or agent
    • Voicemail if nobody picks up
    • After-hours rules

Pro tip: Don’t make your IVR menus too complicated. If callers get lost in phone tree hell, they’ll hang up.

What works: Simple flows (greeting → team → fallback) are best for most small teams.

What to ignore: Don’t set up advanced call queues or multi-level IVRs unless you know you need them. Most teams never touch these features.

Step 6: Test Everything (Seriously)

Before you tell the team, call each number from your own phone. Walk through:

  • Does it ring the right team?
  • Do voicemails work?
  • Are after-hours rules firing?
  • Are call recordings (if enabled) saving properly?

Pro tip: Ask a couple of colleagues to test too—fresh ears catch things you’ll miss.

Step 7: Train Your Team (But Don’t Overwhelm Them)

Let your agents know:

  • Which number(s) they’re responsible for
  • What the call flows are
  • How to transfer to another department if needed
  • Where to find voicemails and missed calls

Keep it short. Most people just need to know what to answer and when.

Step 8: Monitor and Adjust

Check your Freshcaller reports after a week or two:

  • Are calls going to the right people?
  • Is anyone missing calls they shouldn’t?
  • Do any numbers get almost no calls? (Maybe you can drop them.)

Be ruthless: If a number or flow isn’t working, change it. Don’t let bad setups fester.

Tips, Gotchas, and What to Skip

  • You don’t need a number for every single sub-team. Fewer numbers = less confusion.
  • Don’t over-customize voicemails and greetings. Clear and simple beats clever.
  • Porting numbers takes time—plan for overlap. You might need to run old and new numbers side-by-side for a while.
  • International numbers can be tricky. Some countries have weird restrictions or require extra paperwork.
  • Don’t bother with every advanced feature. Start basic. Most teams never use half the bells and whistles.

Keep It Simple: A Final Word

Assigning and managing phone numbers in Freshcaller doesn’t have to be a project that drags on for weeks. Start by mapping out your real needs, keep your setup as basic as possible, and fix things as you go. Nobody gets it perfect the first time, and honestly, that’s fine. The simpler your phone setup, the less you’ll hate it down the line.