I’m trying to find out if there’s an easy way to replicate a potential client’s existing (manual) call flow automatically with FreePBX. Something in the back of my mind says that I’ve seen something similar in the past but can’t quite narrow in on it.
In their current phone system the calls filter through a basic auto-attendant and then are all answered manually by “not a robot” who basically says good day, you’ll be helped today by XXX at extension XXX and then transfers the call to XXX’s extension where either they’ll answer or fall into XXX’s voicemail.
Now “not a robot” has been doing this for a lot of years so she does make some decisions on the fly of who to assign some calls to based on their caller-id and simply who the caller is. They understand that some of that personal touch is going to be lost by automating but long story short “not a robot” is retiring so her mental database is gone regardless. Initially caller-id (area code) will have to suffice, perhaps in the future being supplemented by an account number capture / database lookup or somesuch.
The two things that they are adamant about is that regardless the ultimate logic that chooses to whom the call is directed they don’t want a queue scenario (I’m quite certain I’ll be run out of town if the phrase “your call is important to us please hold while…” is heard 
), and that there absolutely will be a “your call today will be handled by XXX at extension XXX” announcement before the call is transferred.
I’m pretty sure I can muddle through the call routing itself but how to achieve the “your call will be handled by” announcement is stumping me. Might well be something simple I’m missing but…
Cheers,
Mike