***

title: Directory
description: Manage your agency contacts so Gail can transfer callers to the right people
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

## What is the Directory?

The Directory is where you add all your internal agency contacts—employees, ring groups, call centers, and even external carriers—so Gail can transfer callers to the correct destination.

<Warning>
  **Important:** Ensure no directory contact has its incoming calls forwarded to Gail or to any line that eventually routes back to Gail. If a line inadvertently loops back, your callers may experience an endless transfer cycle.
</Warning>

***

## Contact Types

When adding a new contact to the Directory, you will choose one of the following Contact Types:

### Individual

Use this for specific people such as sales agents, support representatives, or any single employee.

**Example:** John Smith, Sales Agent

### Main Department Line

Use this for whole departments (e.g., Sales Department, Support Department), ring groups, or carrier lines.

**Example:** Sales Department, Allstate Billing Department

***

## Transfer Logic

You must also select **Transfer Logic** for each contact. This determines when Gail can transfer the call:

| Transfer Logic     | When Available                                         | Best For                                                                   |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Business Hours** | Only during your set business hours                    | Employees who only take calls during standard office times                 |
| **After Hours**    | Only outside of your set business hours                | After-hours support or on-call rotations                                   |
| **Always**         | Available 24/7, regardless of time                     | 24/7 call centers or main carrier lines                                    |
| **Never**          | Not available for transfer (stored for reference only) | Rarely used carriers or non-transferable lines (like an internal fax line) |

***

## Adding a New Contact

### Step 1: Click "Add Contact"

1. Navigate to the **Directory** tab
2. Click on the **Add Contact** button
3. A pop-up will appear titled "Add Directory Contact"

### Step 2: Fill Out Contact Details

#### Contact Type

* Choose **Individual** if you are adding a single employee
* Choose **Main Department Line** if you are adding a department or carrier line

#### Transfer Logic

Select from **Business Hours**, **After Hours**, **Always**, or **Never**, based on availability.

#### Name Fields

**For Individuals:**

* Enter the person's **First Name** and **Last Name**

**For Departments:**

* Enter the name of the department or carrier line in the **Department** field

#### Nickname (Optional)

Use this field if the contact is commonly known by a nickname. Gail can reference it during transfers.

#### Pronunciations (Optional)

Provide phonetic pronunciations if a person's name is hard to pronounce or spelled in an unusual way.

**Example:**

* First Name Pronunciation: "lee-ZAYT"
* Last Name Pronunciation: "gar-SEE-a"

#### Department

* If you are entering an employee under a specific department, select the relevant department or create a new one
* For a carrier or ring group, you can label it accordingly (e.g., Billing Department)

#### Email (Optional)

If relevant, add an email for reference or for Gail to share if a caller needs it.

#### Phone Number

Enter the primary phone number.

* **Extension** (if applicable) can help direct the call once the main line answers
* **Type:** Choose from Office, Mobile, Fax, etc.

<Tip>
  Double-check your phone number format to avoid the "Phone number is not valid" error.
</Tip>

### Step 3: Save Your Contact

Once all required fields are filled out, click **Add Directory Contact**. The new contact should now appear in your Directory list.

***

## Using the Directory Library (for Carriers)

For common third-party carrier numbers, you can use the Directory Library to quickly add them to your Directory:

### How to Add from Library

1. Click **Add from Library** in the Directory section
2. A pop-up window will display a list of carriers (e.g., Aetna, Allstate, American Integrity, etc.)
3. Each carrier may have multiple departments, such as Claims, Billing, or General
4. Click the **+** button next to a specific department to add it
5. Confirm or update the **Contact Type** (often Main Department Line), and set the **Transfer Logic**
6. Click **Add Directory Contact** to finalize

<Tip>
  If a carrier you frequently work with is not listed, you can add them manually via **Add Contact**.
</Tip>

***

## Best Practices

### ⚠️ No Loops

Avoid forwarding Directory lines back to Gail. This can cause an infinite loop if Gail tries to transfer to a line that reroutes to Gail.

### ✅ Accurate Names

Use clear names or department titles (e.g., "Claims Department" vs. "Claims") so Gail can better inform callers during the transfer.

### ⏰ Correct Transfer Logic

Make sure your contacts have the right Transfer Logic (Business Hours, Always, etc.) so Gail does not attempt an unavailable line.

### 🧪 Test & Update

Occasionally test your Directory by making a call to ensure each entry still routes correctly and no lines have changed or closed.

### 📚 Use the Library

If you work with multiple carriers, the Directory Library can be a huge time-saver for adding well-known numbers quickly.

***

## Advanced Time-Based Transfers

The Directory's Transfer Logic options (Business Hours, After Hours, Always, Never) provide basic scheduling for when contacts are available. However, they don't support more granular time-based rules like "transfer to John until 2 PM, then switch to Sarah."

### When You Need More Flexibility

If you need to handle time-sensitive transfer logic—such as staff members who are only available until a specific time each day—you can create a **[Use Case](/platform/communications/inbound/setting-up-use-cases)** to achieve this.

### How to Set Up Time-Based Routing with Use Cases

Use Cases allow you to define conditional logic based on the current time:

<Steps>
  ### Navigate to Your Handbook

  Go to **Inbound** > **Receptionist** > **Handbook**

  ### Select Your Script

  Choose the inbound script where callers might request a specific person or department

  ### Create a New Use Case

  Click **Add Use Case** within your script

  ### Define the Trigger

  Set the Use Case to trigger when a caller asks for a specific person or department

  ### Add Time-Based Conditions

  Within the Use Case builder, create conditional logic that checks the current time:

  **Example Flow:**

  ```text
  IF caller requests [Staff Member's Name]
    AND current time is before 2:00 PM
      THEN transfer to [Staff Member's Direct Number]
    ELSE (after 2:00 PM)
      THEN transfer to [Alternate Staff Member's Number]
      OR direct to voicemail
      OR offer to take a message
  ```

  ### Save Your Use Case

  Ensure the Use Case is correctly linked to your script and saved
</Steps>

### Example Scenarios

**Half-Day Coverage:**

* John is available Mon-Fri until 2 PM
* After 2 PM, calls route to Sarah or voicemail

**Rotating On-Call:**

* Morning shift: Transfer to Team A
* Evening shift: Transfer to Team B
* Night/Weekend: Transfer to on-call line

**Lunch Break Handling:**

* Before noon: Transfer to direct line
* 12 PM - 1 PM: Route to alternate or offer callback
* After 1 PM: Resume normal transfer

<Tip>
  By creating a dedicated Use Case for each staff member or department requiring time-sensitive transfer logic, you can make Gail a more adaptable receptionist without the limitations of the basic Transfer Logic settings.
</Tip>

For more information on configuring time-based scenarios, see [Holiday Hours](/platform/knowledge/holiday-hours) for seasonal scheduling and [Use Cases](/platform/communications/inbound/setting-up-use-cases) for detailed conditional logic setup.

***

## Quick Reference

<Steps>
  ### Go to the Directory tab

  Navigate to add or edit your contacts

  ### Choose the Contact Type

  **Individual** for employees, **Main Department Line** for departments or carriers

  ### Set the Transfer Logic

  Specify when Gail can transfer calls to that contact

  ### Use the Directory Library (optional)

  Quickly add third-party carriers by selecting the department or line you need

  ### Verify phone numbers

  Double-check that no line creates a call loop back to Gail
</Steps>

***

## Common Scenarios

### Adding an Employee

```text
Contact Type: Individual
First Name: Sarah
Last Name: Johnson
Department: Sales
Phone Number: (555) 123-4567
Type: Office
Transfer Logic: Business Hours
```

### Adding a Department

```text
Contact Type: Main Department Line
Department Name: Claims Department
Phone Number: (555) 987-6543
Type: Office
Transfer Logic: Business Hours
```

### Adding a 24/7 Carrier Line

```text
Contact Type: Main Department Line
Department Name: Progressive Claims
Phone Number: 1-800-PROGRESSIVE
Type: Office
Transfer Logic: Always
```

### Adding an On-Call Contact

```text
Contact Type: Individual
First Name: Mike
Last Name: Williams
Department: Emergency Support
Phone Number: (555) 456-7890
Type: Mobile
Transfer Logic: After Hours
```

***

## Troubleshooting

### "Phone number is not valid" error

Double-check the phone number format. Ensure you're using a standard format like (555) 123-4567 or +1-555-123-4567.

### Callers experiencing endless transfers

Check if any Directory contact has its incoming calls forwarded back to Gail. Remove any call forwarding rules that create loops.

### Contact not available when expected

Verify the **Transfer Logic** setting matches when you want the contact to be available. Check that your business hours are set correctly.

***

## Next Steps

* Set up [Use Cases](/platform/communications/inbound/use-cases) to define when to transfer calls
* Learn about creating your first Gail in [First Gail](/platform/gails/create-your-first-gail)