After Hours Mailbox

[infused]

Hi guys,

What's the best way of doing after hours mailboxes for a queue? Do I need to create another virtual extension, and if so, does this use a license?

Thanks

 

[leejor]

There are a number of ways of dealing with callers after hours. You may need to explain more about your set-up, and exactly what you want to have happen.

A licence allows a certain number of concurrent conversations (in the basic form). Unless you plan on an increase in calls, then you probably won't require a new licence. Are you using a licensed version or the Free version, that could be a factor?

 

[infused]

Ah sorry, I had a brain fade there...

This is the pro paid version.

I come from a Cisco background. A customer is moving from a cisco system where after hours all calls go to what they call a General Delivery Mailbox.

These were on a fake extension that users of a certain group could log in to their voicemail and then select General Delivery Mailbox.

It doesn't have to be like this though, I was just wondering if there is something similar in 3CX.

 

[leejor]

Again, it will all depend on how incoming calls are routed.

Some calls to a queue, some DID's to extensions, some to a receptionist, etc. You can define "Office Hours", and each "destination" has a way to deal with call during and after office hours, if you choose to use it. There isn't one, single option that deals with all incoming calls unless they are all on the same trunk group, going to a single destination.

A dummy extension can be set up and any voicemail left on it can be accessed by anyone. something such as that could be used for after hour calls. MWI on a mailbox such as this will not notify multiple sets unless they have a secondary key with the mailbox extension number.

 

[ian.watts]

As an example, I have configured office hours for a site which routed calls after hours to the voicemail of a "General Voicemail" extension, which then routed the voicemail as email to a distro group of receptionists, etc. They'd then decide amongst themselves or whatever who did what with the voicemails.. usually whomever started first usually got the brunt of what to do.

 

[tsukraw]

@infused
Short answer to your question is yes a virtual extension is the easy way to do it and no it does not not require any more licenses to do this.

3CX is license by simultaneous calls not the number of extensions like a lot of systems. So unless you are opposite of a normal company you heavy call volume would be during your open hours.

Like @ian.watts stated and with our typical setup, we would create a "virtual extension" that we would then always send its vmail to a email/distribution group of people to handle the voice mail.