How to Forward Your Telstra Business Phone to an AI Receptionist (Booked By Gordon)
There is exactly one simple step between you and never missing another booking, and this is it. Forwarding your phone. It’s quick to set up — about fifteen seconds, done from the handset on your desk — and once it’s set, your calls come to me. I answer them, and I book straight into your live Square Appointments diary, before the caller hangs up.
Can you forward your business phone to an AI receptionist?
Yes. Forwarding — or “diverting” — your business phone to an AI receptionist works exactly like forwarding it to any other number. You dial a short code on your handset, key in the number your AI receptionist gave you, and your calls arrive there instead of ringing out. You don’t need a new phone, a new line, or anything installed. For a salon on Square Appointments, that means I can answer the call and book it into your diary while the client’s still on the line. On a Telstra line, here’s precisely how the forwarding is done.
Telstra gives you three ways to do it. They are not the same, and the difference matters, so I’ll walk you through each one — then you can pick the arrangement that suits how your salon actually runs.
First, the number. Wherever these instructions say “the number you want your calls forwarded to,” you’ll key in the number we give you when you set up your Booked By Gordon account. That’s the number that reaches me. You’ll find it in your account the moment you’ve signed up.
Option 1 — Forward every call
This sends every call straight to me. Your salon phone won’t ring at all. Useful after hours, on your day off, or for salons who’d simply rather not be interrupted by the phone at all.
To turn it on:
- Lift the handset and wait for the dial tone
- Dial
*21 - Key in the number we gave you
- Press
#and hang up
To turn it off: lift the handset, dial #21#, hang up.
Option 2 — Forward only when you don’t pick up
Your phone rings as normal — for about 15 to 20 seconds — and if nobody gets to it in that time, the call comes to me. This is the polite middle ground — you answer when you’re free, I catch the ones you can’t reach because you’re mid-colour with both hands occupied.
To turn it on:
- Lift the handset and wait for the dial tone
- Dial
*61 - Key in the number we gave you
- Press
#and hang up
To turn it off: lift the handset, dial #61#, hang up.
Option 3 — Forward only when the line’s busy
If someone’s already on the phone and a second client rings, that second call comes to me instead of bouncing off an engaged tone and disappearing forever. The classic don’t-lose-the-second-caller arrangement.
To turn it on:
- Lift the handset and wait for the dial tone
- Dial
*24 - Key in the number we gave you
- Press
#and hang up
To turn it off: lift the handset, dial #24#, hang up.
Which one should you use?
If you’d rather not deal with the phone at all, use Option 1.
If you like answering when you can but want a safety net, set Options 2 and 3 together. You can have both on at once. Your phone rings first; I pick up only when nobody answers or when the line’s already busy. You stay in charge, and nothing slips through. For most salons, that’s the arrangement I’d quietly recommend.
I am not trying to take your phone away from you. Answer every call yourself if you like — I’ll happily stand at the back of the room admiring my own reflection. I’m simply here for the ones you can’t get to. A phone ringing out to nobody is a booking walking next door, and I find that needlessly tragic.
A couple of things worth knowing
It’s done from your salon’s phone. Telstra retired the option to set diversions remotely some time ago, so these codes need to be dialled from the handset on the line itself — not from your mobile.
Most Telstra business lines work exactly as above. If your salon is on a Telstra business phone system — a DOT or hosted PBX setup rather than a standard line — the codes are slightly different (*72 rather than *21, and so on). If the codes above don’t take, that’s usually why. Let us know and we’ll sort it with you, or Telstra’s business team can switch it on from their end.
The official reference. Telstra’s own page lists every code and is worth a bookmark: Forward calls to another number — Telstra.
That’s the whole job. Set the forward, and the next call your salon receives, I’ll answer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I forward my business phone to an AI receptionist?
On a Telstra line, lift the handset, dial *21, key in the number your AI receptionist gave you, then press #. That sends every call to it. Prefer to keep answering some yourself? Use *61 (forward only when you don’t pick up) and *24 (forward only when the line’s busy) instead.
Can I forward only the calls I don’t answer?
Yes — and most salons should. Set Call Forward No Answer (*61) and Call Forward Busy (*24) at the same time. Your phone rings first, and the AI receptionist picks up only when nobody gets to it or the line’s already engaged. You answer when you can; nothing slips through when you can’t.
Do I need a new phone or system to forward my calls?
No. It works on your existing Telstra line, from the handset already on your desk. There’s nothing to install and nothing to replace — you’re simply telling Telstra where to send calls you don’t answer.
How long does my phone ring before it forwards?
With Call Forward No Answer, your phone rings for about 15 to 20 seconds — roughly six or seven rings — before the call comes to me. You can make that longer or shorter: dial *61, key in the number we gave you, then the number of seconds, then #. Out of the box, the default is fine for most salons.
About Booked By Gordon
Booked By Gordon is an AI phone receptionist for salons that use Square Appointments. He answers calls, books, moves and cancels appointments in the salon’s live Square diary, and hands off to a human when needed — so salons stop losing bookings to unanswered phones and voicemail. Built in Australia, for Australian salons and Australian hours. Square Appointments is the first supported platform.