3CX alternative to Gamma Inbound for out of hours divert scheduling

[lowthers]

We have a customer currently using Gamma Inbound to manage an on-call rota. It allows them to schedule, in advance, which staff member should receive out-of-hours calls on specific dates.

We’re looking to replicate this functionality as part of a move to 3CX. Our account manager has suggested using call scripts, with the idea that:
“The script can check the current date/time and automatically route the out-of-hours call to the correct mobile number based on the customer’s rota schedule.”

To give some context on their current setup:

• Out-of-hours calls are routed to a digital receptionist
• Callers can either leave a voicemail or press 1 to speak to the on-call member of staff
• If they press 1, the call is diverted to that day’s assigned mobile number
• There are around 8 users on the rota
• Gamma inbound allows the admin team to schedule this a month in advance, so they simply enter the rota once per month and it runs automatically

Each individual has their own mobile number, there’s no shared on-call device.

As an alternative, I’ve suggested using a call queue with users signing in via the 3CX app when they’re on call. However, the managers are concerned this relies too heavily on people remembering to log in/out, so they’d strongly prefer an automated approach.

Has anyone implemented something similar in 3CX, or found a reliable way to handle rota-based call routing like this?

 

[Evolute IT]

Do you prefer setting the forwarding (on-call) number manually or automatically?

We can do the first one with 2 scripts, we done it a lot, and for automated it's possible as well with a bit more development.

 

[lowthers]

Thank you for your reply. I think at the moment they have the users' mobile numbers stored as contacts and they can select a contact for a particular date that inbound calls should be forwarded to out of hours. I'd just be looking to keep it as close to the current way they are working as possible. Though it isn't essential, I'd be interested to see how the manual way operates.

 

[Evolute IT]

Thank you for your reply. I think at the moment they have the users' mobile numbers stored as contacts and they can select a contact for a particular date that inbound calls should be forwarded to out of hours. I'd just be looking to keep it as close to the current way they are working as possible. Though it isn't essential, I'd be interested to see how the manual way operates.

Feel free to DM me and we can chat about this! We also build custom solutions if necessary.

 

[edossantos_sipcaller]

A CFD app can do this. You route the call to the CFD app when the user presses 1 to speak with the on-call member, and the CFD app can check the schedule and transfer the call accordingly. You can store this schedule in a 3CX parameter for example, so you can easily change it from the 3CX console, no other UI would be required to manage this... Contact @Evolute IT to build this for you if you don't feel comfortable with the idea of doing it yourself.

 

[VoIPTools]

If you want the ability to set up a pre-defined rotation for multiple groups, and you want escalation, support for both live answer and voicemail, and you want logging of who was notified, how they were notified (phone, email, SMS), receive reminders when you are scheduled to be on call, then you may be interested in our 3CX On Call Manager.



The days of struggling with answering services is over. You set up separate recurring schedules for your teams, and you don't need to worry about it ever again. It just happens automatically every time.

This 3CX tool is based on over a decade of development. It would be a huge job to replicate something like this with scripts or a Call Flow Designer application... and we are making enhancements all the time.