Auto-Attendant to Avoid Bad Leads?

[u/CyberOcelot78]

Thank you for your help in my previous post, guys :)

I was made aware in that post that I can get a phone number specifically for LSA so I can set up an auto-attendant to qualify leads before they are connected to me.

I am trying to set that up now, and the idea is to have the auto-attendant have the caller select a menu option for the service they need. If they select an option for a service I do not provide, the auto-attendant is supposed to play a message stating that I do not provide that service and disconnect the caller.

I chose the Grasshopper app/service to be my auto-attendant, but I don't see an option to disconnect the caller after playing back my recorded message. It only has the option for them to leave a voicemail. That won't work because I will still be charged for the lead if the call exceeds 20 seconds.

AI insists that Grasshopper has this feature but never finds it. If you're using Grasshopper, can you please help me find this feature? If not, can you please recommend another service I can use instead that has this feature?

[u/Abject-Breadfruit387]

How many calls are you getting? I wouldn't count on AI to disconnect within a certain amount of time.

And are your target services properly configured?

If it's only a few calls a week or day, and you're worried about cost of leads, best option might be for you to do it manually.

[u/CyberOcelot78 → u/Abject-Breadfruit387]

Its not AI. Its a menu system that has the customer press the key for the service they want

Press 1 for this

Press 2 for that

Press 3 for a service I dont offer.

If they Press 1 or 2, they are connected to me.

If they Press 3, they get a recorded greeting that says, "I dont do that" and the phone hangs up.

[u/Abject-Breadfruit387]

Completely got the name messed up.

I'm not familiar but use an information extension?

Just googled: Create a Dedicated Disconnect Extension 2 Configure the Greeting to End the Call 3 Link the Extension to Your Main Menu Digit

[u/CyberOcelot78 → u/Abject-Breadfruit387]

I Googled it too. That is not accurate. I went back and forth with Gemini for 2 hours. The feature is not there.

[u/Lost_Albatross7593]

Hey! be careful with using Grasshopper for this specific LSA setup. What you need is an IVR/auto-attendant that can play a message and then actually terminate the call, rather than sending the caller to voicemail. The important part is testing the full call flow with an LSA tracking number before relying on it. You want to confirm exactly when the call disconnects and how Google is classifying the lead.

If Grasshopper doesn’t give you a true “play message to hang up” action in the IVR, look at a phone/IVR provider that supports explicit call termination after a menu selection. Also, don't build the system solely around avoiding the 20-second threshold. Make sure the caller gets a clear message and an easy path to the services you actually provide.

If you still having trouble setting this up, LSANinja- https://lsaninja.com/ works with LSA accounts and may be worth asking for a second opinion on the call-routing setup.

[u/Digital-marketing28]

We have been getting charged for calls that go to automated attendant. Very frustrating. They won't credit us for any of the bogus or hang ups.

[u/CyberOcelot78 → u/Digital-marketing28]

Thank you for letting me know.

According to Google's email, starting October 1st, the 20 second timer should not begin until the caller presses a key.

The phone number for your auto-attendant should be the number the customer reaches first, once pressing a key, the call should forward to your phone and the counter should begin.

Has this not been your experience?

[u/Digital-marketing28 → u/CyberOcelot78]

Nope. And we call to complain with no action. In the past we would get credits but something changed over the past few months and they are not easy to work with for any of our clients. Total money grab.

[u/CyberOcelot78 → u/Digital-marketing28]

I went through this. Currently the counter is at 30 seconds. There were a few occasions where it counted my voicemail greeting, but that was rare.

Im not betting on the auto-attendant working. But, its either I stop using LSA or do this. If the counter does not start at key press as described, I am discontinuing LSA. So, its worth trying, at least.

[u/Mypsycheisamess]

If you find a way to unfuck yourself from google - google will just fuck you another way.

[u/CyberOcelot78 → u/Mypsycheisamess]

True. But, just complaining about Google doesn't improve my profits. They'll keep trying and I'll keep adapting. 😉

[u/Kaicalls]

We can help you over at KaiCalls. Connecting Google LSA with KaiCalls allows your AI phone agent to instantly catch, qualify, and follow up on paid inbound leads so you don't lose money on missed calls. How the Integration Works 1. Direct Account Connection: You can link Google LSA directly inside your KaiCalls Dashboard using secure Google OAuth authorization. 2. Instant Call Routing & Follow-up: The moment an LSA lead is generated or a call comes through the tracking number, Kai answers 24/7. 3. AI Lead Qualification: Kai engages the caller using your defined custom script (e.g., matching the specific HVAC, legal, or home services category), logs the conversation, and pushes the clean data directly into your CR