Last Updated on December 10, 2025 by Joy Kyalo
Most businesses use call-answering services, where virtual receptionists answer calls on behalf of the company. Handling many calls requires receptionists to screen calls to know exactly how to handle them and to transfer them to the right department.
Call screening ensures all callers’ needs are handled according to the press of the matter. It also helps to filter soliciting calls to businesses and professionals. This article will highlight what is called screening, its purpose, and how it can benefit businesses and professionals.
Key Takeaways
- Call screening helps businesses filter calls and route important ones to the right department.
- Advanced tools like IVR, caller ID, and call routing improve accuracy and reduce unwanted calls.
- Manual screening uses questions, empathy, and scripts to understand caller needs effectively.
- Call screening boosts efficiency, professionalism, privacy, and overall business productivity.
What is call screening?
Call screening is the process of evaluating incoming calls before you decide to answer them or forward them to the right department. This involves using caller ID or asking specific questions to determine the need, intentions, and importance of the call.
Entrepreneurs mostly rely on caller ID, which is effective in showing the caller’s name and phone number, making it easier for them to decide on whether to pick up the call or dismiss it. However, businesses that do not use caller ID will have to do manual call screening where virtual assistants or receptionists vet the callers by picking up the call and asking important questions.
There are also IVR systems that automatically prompt callers to state their reason for calling or have a menu where the caller can select an option for their call. This helps to ensure that the call is answered by the right department or professional.
How does advanced call screening work?
Just as the name advanced suggests, this call screening uses technology to automatically identify who the caller is and their reasons for calling. The pre-set rules filter incoming calls, making it easier to be directed to the right live person to help their needs be attended to.
Advanced call screening has features such as interactive voice response (IVR) systems, caller ID databases, automated call routing, call queuing, voicemail transcription, and customisable rules.
IVR systems: This is an automated voice prompt with guidelines through the menu to help you identify the reason for calling.
Caller ID: This feature helps identify potential spam or calls controlled with robots.
Call routing: This feature directs calls to the right department or destination depending on the time and day.
Call queuing: Helps manage call volumes by placing all calls on a queue virtually until someone picks the calls.
Voicemail transcription: It helps to automatically transcribe voicemail to text. This helps professionals review messages instead of listening to recordings.
Customisable rules: These are rules such as area codes, caller names, and phone numbers to route the caller to the right person or destination.
Manual call screening: How does it work?
This involves vetting the caller by asking specific questions to understand their needs and intentions. This will ensure that all incoming calls are routed to the right individual or department. To qualify calls effectively, receptionists have to;
- Ask open-ended questions such as:
a) May I ask why you are calling?
b) How can I assist you today?
- Specify your inquiry, such as asking the purpose of the question
- Seek clarification such as;
a) Can you please provide more details of the reason for your call?
b) What assistance are you looking for today?
- Use empathy while call screening to make the callers trust you and feel at ease to tell you the issues. Empathy listening can be achieved by active listening, maintaining a calm tone, validating callers’ feelings, and explaining the transfer process.
- Use a script for proper and consistent communication.
- Offer alternative solutions
- Maintain call logs for easier tracking when needed.
- Constantly monitor and review performance to identify areas of improvement
What are the benefits of call screening?
Enhanced efficiency: Call screening makes the transfer process more effective and efficient, making it easier to focus on high-value conversations.
Increased productivity: Efficiency makes it easier to increase the productivity of the company. Your team will spend less time dealing with unwanted calls and will be able to priotise important calls.
Improve the professional image of your business: being able to effectively and promptly answer your business calls will enhance the professional image of your business. Customers will keep coming back to your business because their needs are met and their concerns are heard.
Ensure privacy: Call screening ensures legitimate calls reach the right receiver. The calls are filtered to ensure that callers who intend to spam or harm the receiver or siphon important or sensitive details from the business are stopped.
Reduced distraction: Call screening will minimise distractions from calls that need deep concentration. It also minimises distraction from important roles, especially those in technical fields such as cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, engineering, and many others.
What are the challenges of call screening?
Sorting calls during peak season
It can be challenging to sort and prioritise calls during peak season. This can create missed important calls, which may lead to angry clients.
To avoid this during peak seasons, you can set up advanced call screening solutions that have reliable databases. The features will make it seamless for the call to be screened and forwarded to the right department. It also offers call queueing, making it easy for every call to be answered.
Poor spam detection
Depending on the type of call screening, spam detection can be inadequate, making it easier for spammers to use their tactics on your business.
For this, you can invest in AI-driven call screening tools that can easily detect spam callers in real-time.
Implementing a call screening system
It can be challenging to implement a call screening system in advanced systems. This can mainly affect small businesses with scarce resources.
The solution to this challenge is to look for service providers who provide support with call screening systems.
Calls may get mis-blocked
Important calls may get mis-blocked, which can be challenging since your business may miss opportunities.
Advanced call screening can fix the mis-blocked issue since it can detect legitimate calls and redirect them to the right individual or department.
How to set up call screening?
Call screening may be built into the device settings. Whether you are using a mobile phone or a virtual phone system, it may come with call screening along with Caller ID and automated responses. You can set up call screening on:
VoIP Phone System:
- Log in to the VoIP system either on your desktop or phone app.
- Navigate to the Settings menu
- Turn on the Caller ID is turned on
- Choose the types of calls you want to block automatically under Call Blocking and Spam Prevention.
Send directly to voicemail in a spam folder
Ask new callers to state their name and announce it to the agent
Mobile Phone:
- Go to the settings menu
- Click Calls, then toggle Screen Calls on.
- Once that is done, the phone will record the caller’s response and announce the information before connecting the call.
To sum up, call screening is important since it helps to detect legitimate calls and direct them to the appropriate individual or department.
Get a UK VoIP Landline number with BusinAssit that comes with a phone screening. We ensure all systems in your phone are set up to seamlessly handle all your calls and never miss an opportunity. It also integrates with other devices, making it effective to answer your calls wherever you are.
For more information on VoIP phones, contact BusinAssist at info@businassist.com.
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Joy is a content writer at BusinAssist with 6+ years of experience in content marketing and social media strategy. She specialises in company formation and virtual operations, guiding entrepreneurs through global markets with clarity, drawing on her marketing and PR background. Business Assist with BusinAssist – your business success partner.