A system and a method for automatically routing calls made to an unavailable number to a directory assistance service for further assistance are disclosed herein. An intercept system intercepts these erroneous calls and automatically routes them to a directory assistance service. The directory assistance service then can inform the caller of the unavailable status of the telephone number the caller is attempting to dial. Likewise, the directory assistance service can provide any additional information associated with the unavailable subscriber associated with the unavailable number, such as alternate numbers. The directory assistance service also can provide information regarding other subscribers having similar characteristics to the unavailable subscriber that the caller is attempting to reach. Additionally, the directory assistance service can be adapted to provide general or targeted advertisements to the caller before, during, and/or after providing directory assistance to the caller.