A phone menu, called an IVR, lets a caller press a key to reach the team that can help, and GoHighLevel can route by menu input or by workflow. A practice should keep the menu to four options, put an emergency message first, and always offer a way to reach a person. The bottom line: the menu exists to get the caller to the right team on the first try, so each option must match how the practice actually divides the work.
What GoHighLevel offers
GoHighLevel's help page on incoming call settings says an IVR routes calls based on a workflow or on menu input, and that an incoming call timeout controls how long a call rings before it moves to voicemail or another path. Confirm the exact options in your phone settings.
The menu
| Say | Key | Goes to |
|---|---|---|
| If this is an emergency, hang up and dial 911 | None | Message plays first |
| For appointments | 1 | Scheduling team, or the Voice AI agent for booking |
| For prescription refills | 2 | Nurse line message box, with a workflow that creates a task |
| For billing | 3 | Billing team |
| For everything else or to speak to a person | 0 | Front desk, then voicemail after the timeout |
Why the menu matters
Patients already wait for care: AMN Healthcare's 2025 survey found an average wait of 31 days for a new patient appointment across 15 metro areas, up from 26 in 2022. A patient who has waited a month does not want to wait on hold, so the routing should be quick and the fallback should always be a person or a message that gets a callback.
Build it in GoHighLevel
- Write the menu script and keep it under 20 seconds, with the emergency message first.
- Create the groups: scheduling, nurse line, billing, and front desk, each with a phone number or user list.
- Set the IVR on the main number with the keys from the table.
- For the refill option, send callers to a message box and use the Call Details trigger to create a task for the nurse.
- Add a recording notice to the greeting, since 11 states require all party consent, according to Rev.
- Set business hours so after hours callers hear the hours and an option to leave a message.
- Call the number yourself at different times and from a cell phone, and listen for mistakes.
Menu, voice agent, and live answering compared
| Option | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Keypad menu | Predictable, cheap, and works for any caller | Callers dislike long menus, and some cannot use keypads |
| Voice agent that routes by what the caller says | Understands plain language and can book visits | Needs disclosure, review, and careful limits on clinical topics |
| Live receptionist | Human judgment and empathy | Costly, and limited to office hours |
Most practices end up with a short menu for the main routes and a voice agent or a person behind it. The menu is the stable part. Patients learn that one means appointments and three means billing, and the practice can change what happens behind each key without retraining callers. A voice agent adds flexibility for callers who skip the menu, but it brings the state law and privacy questions covered in our guide on which calls an AI agent may handle.
Worked example
For example, if 500 calls a month reach the front desk and the menu sends 40 percent straight to the right team, the front desk answers 300 instead of 500 (500 times 0.6). The 40 percent is an assumption to replace with the practice's own count after a month.
Mistakes to avoid
- Too many options. Four is enough.
- No way to reach a person. Always offer zero.
- Putting the emergency message last. It goes first.
- Not testing from a cell phone. Test how the menu sounds and works.
How this was handled before
Practices used automated attendants in the 1990s, often with long menus that patients disliked. Patient portals and online booking moved some calls away, but many patients still call. A short menu with a person as the fallback is the current compromise.
What to measure after launch
Track calls by menu option, calls that press zero, abandoned calls, and misrouted calls. If many callers press zero, the menu labels are unclear.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. Confirm the recording notice and accessibility options for callers who use a relay service or cannot use keypad menus. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
What can a GoHighLevel IVR do?
GoHighLevel's help page says it routes calls based on a workflow or menu input.
How long do patients wait for an appointment?
AMN Healthcare's 2025 survey found an average new patient wait of 31 days across 15 metro areas.
Does the menu need a recording notice?
In all party consent states, yes. Rev lists eleven.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.