How to divert your restaurant's calls when you're busy
The three types of call diversion, the codes that work on most UK mobiles and landlines, and how to set it up so calls are only diverted when nobody can answer.
Call diversion sends calls to another number automatically. For a restaurant, it's the simplest way to stop calls going unanswered during service or when you're closed, whether you divert to a manager's mobile, a second line, an answering service or an AI receptionist.
You don't need new equipment and you keep the number your customers already have.
The three types of diversion
| Type | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| All calls | Every call goes straight to the other number. Your phone doesn't ring. | When you're closed, or on days nobody is in. |
| No answer | Your phone rings first. If nobody picks up within a set time, the call is diverted. | During opening hours. Staff answer when they can, nothing is missed when they can't. |
| Busy | If you're already on a call, the next caller is diverted instead of hearing an engaged tone. | All the time, alongside "no answer". |
For most restaurants, the best set-up is "no answer" and "busy" during opening hours, and "all calls" when closed.
Diverting a mobile
These codes are part of the mobile phone standard and work on the main UK networks. Type them into the phone's keypad as if dialling, then press call. Replace NUMBER with the number you're diverting to, including the area code.
| To divert | Dial |
|---|---|
| All calls | **21*NUMBER# |
| When you don't answer | **61*NUMBER# |
| When you don't answer, after 20 seconds | **61*NUMBER*11*20# |
| When you're busy | **67*NUMBER# |
| When your phone is off or has no signal | **62*NUMBER# |
| Cancel all diversions | ##002# |
The ring time before a "no answer" divert can usually be set between 5 and 30 seconds. Around 15 to 20 seconds gives staff a fair chance to answer without leaving the caller waiting too long.
You can also set diversions in your phone's settings: on an iPhone under Settings → Apps → Phone → Call Forwarding (all calls only), and on Android in the Phone app under Settings → Calls → Call forwarding (all three types).
Diverting a landline
Most UK landline providers, including BT, use a similar pattern of codes, dialled from the landline itself:
| To divert | Typical code | Check it's on | Cancel |
|---|---|---|---|
| All calls | *21*NUMBER# |
*#21# |
#21# |
| When you don't answer | *61*NUMBER# |
*#61# |
#61# |
| When you're busy | *67*NUMBER# |
*#67# |
#67# |
On a BT line, the "no answer" divert kicks in after 15 seconds; you can't change the ring time with the code. Set "no answer" and "busy" together so calls are covered whether the phone is ringing out or already in use.
Some lines need call diversion switching on first, and on BT Digital Voice and other digital landlines it's often managed in your provider's app or online account instead. If a code doesn't work, your provider can tell you how it's done on your line.
Things to know before you switch it on
- You may pay for the diverted part of the call. The caller pays for calling you; you pay for the onward call as if you'd rung that number yourself. Some providers don't charge for diverting to their own numbers (BT, for example, says diverts to BT landlines, mobiles and Digital Voice lines are free), and many business packages include UK calls. Check your tariff before diverting to a mobile.
- Test it. Ring your restaurant from another phone after setting it up, let it ring out, and check the call arrives where you expect.
- Don't divert to a phone that won't be answered either. Diverting to the owner's mobile only helps if the owner can pick up during service.
- Remember to switch it back if you're using "all calls" for closed days, or set it once and leave "no answer" running permanently.
Where to divert to
Diversion moves the problem; it doesn't solve it on its own. Somebody, or something, still has to answer. The usual options are:
- A manager's or owner's mobile. Free, but it pulls the same few people away from the floor.
- An answering service with a person answering on your behalf.
- An AI receptionist that answers in your restaurant's name, takes bookings and passes anything tricky back to your team.
We compare the three in AI receptionist vs answering service vs voicemail. If you're not sure diversion is worth the effort, start by working out how much missed calls are costing you.
When a restaurant signs up to Willeau, we set the diversion up with you, so you don't need to remember any of these codes.