CallAssistant Options Grayed Out- Enterprise Edition

[Ryandc]

So I'm running Enterprise Edition of 3cx, latest version (3.1). I've made sure that everyone who has CallAssistant upgraded as well. Ques work.

The problem: CallAssistant won't allow us to transfer calls to voicemail. That option remains grayed out. Any ideas as to how to unlock this?

 

[nb]

Can you try entering the licence key again and notice the results? Does this happen on all the machines on which you have call assistant installed on? And the Transfer to voice mail feature is the only feature that is not working? Are the other features greyed out as well?

In other words I want you to confirm this:
As you know in the free version, call assistant has the features greyed out. Can you confirm that on an enterprise licence call assistant turns out to be with the free features?

 

[Costas3CX]

I hope you realise that call assistant is not a phone. And that the extension needs to be operational and "registered" when you are trying to receive or make a call from call assistant.

Just saying this incase you missed reading about this in the manual.

 

[paragondie]

transfer to voicemail greyed out also

We are also not able to do a transfer to voicemail after answering a call. We are running the enterprise version and the menu item is greyed out in the call assistant. We believe all functions should be available to us with this license if not please list the features that should work.

Thanks,

 

[silentfun]

the call transfer button should only be active if you receive the ringtone but have not answered the call till this time - if you answer (pick up the phone) there is no chance for the assistant to transfer thze call to VM - if you want to do it you then need to use the phone (or phone application if it is a softphone) features.

 

[nb]

Call assistant

We are also not able to do a transfer to voicemail after answering a call. We are running the enterprise version and the menu item is greyed out in the call assistant. We believe all functions should be available to us with this license if not please list the features that should work.

Practically you are right. With the enterprise version all call assistant features should work.

However if you have already answered a call whats the use of transfering to voicemail? You transfer to voicemail before answering.

You transfer to voicemail either when you are not there or else say you receive a call, and you don't want to answer the call because you're busy and therefore you click the Transfer to Voicemail to avoid getting that call personally

New call works in all versions - to make a new call. first your extension will ring, then the IVR transfers you to the extension you want to call.

When you make a call then the HANG UP CALL button is available.
The TRANSFER CALL BUTTON is available and the HOLD button also becomes available. QUEUE BUTTON is never greyed out.

During an active call the hangup, transfer, hold and queue are active.
When you receive a call the only options available are -
Hang up - voicemail and queue.

Hope this makes it clearer.

 

[paragondie]

However if you have already answered a call whats the use of transfering to voicemail?

Our receptionist answers all calls and then transfers the call to the proper individual if he/she is available and wishes to accept the call. If the individual is not available or simply does not want to take the call the receptionist will ask the caller if they would like to leave a voicemail. If the caller says yes she transfers them to the individual's voice mailbox. At least she did on the old system. 3CX does not seem to have this capability so we're forced to use a work around. Currently we have set up a second set of extensions which immediately forward the call to the voice mailboxs of the first set. She then transfers the call to this extension rather than the individual's primary extension. It works but it's a cludge at best.

Two other things that others have requested that would be very helpful:

1) An option to leave someone a voicemail without having to call their extension and wait for the timeout. There are many times when people are working after hours and they leave a message for someone to receive in the morning. This might be in call assistant or in the voicemail system. On uur old system you could dial into the voicemail system and there was an option to leave a message for an extension. You pressed the option key, entered the extension, left your message and hung up.

2) When someone gets forwarded to voicemail the option to press a button to exit the voicemail system and be forwarded somewhere else. In our old system if someone came in through the digital receptionist to an extension and the person was not at their desk they could press 0 when asked to leave a message. This would transfer the call to the receptionist's extension where they could ask to have the person paged.

3CX is a great system. It's just missing a few of the polishing touches that non-voip systems have had for years and users have come to expect from their PBX.

 

[nb]

Our receptionist answers all calls and then transfers the call to the proper individual if he/she is available and wishes to accept the call. If the individual is not available or simply does not want to take the call the receptionist will ask the caller if they would like to leave a voicemail. If the caller says yes she transfers them to the individual's voice mailbox. At least she did on the old system. 3CX does not seem to have this capability so we're forced to use a work around. Currently we have set up a second set of extensions which immediately forward the call to the voice mailboxs of the first set. She then transfers the call to this extension rather than the individual's primary extension. It works but it's a cludge at best.

Paragondie - the workaround is much much simpler -

If the receptionist answers the call and the person needs to leave a voice mail, then the process is simpler - The receptionist will tell the person to hold on - She will transfer the call to the intended receiver normally - blind transfer to 133. The client will hear a ringtone but the person at 133 is not there.

However you would have set the extension previously that if the call at 133 is not picked up after 15 seconds, then transfer to voicemail - and after 15 seconds (4 rings maximum) the client will hear the voicemail IVR and the message is saved.
_________________

For number (1) I am adding this in the preliminary feature list - you are saying that you want to press 999 and one of the options will be
-Press 9 for options
-Press 6 (example) to leave voice mail - you press 6
-Enter extension number (of the person you want to leave a VM) - you enter ext ..
And you leave the VM.

As for 2 you can do this - You have to add another field -
Create Digital receptionist example 800.
And add - press 6 to be forwarded to receptionist - (receptionist is 100 and you will bind option 6 to forward to 100). This is fully possible. You have to add your own voice prompt. The person behind 100 can also be
Digital receptionist, real live receptionist (to be able to send a page), a Ring group to connect to a group of people etc.

 

[paragondie]

If the receptionist answers the call and the person needs to leave a voice mail, then the process is simpler - The receptionist will tell the person to hold on - She will transfer the call to the intended receiver normally - blind transfer to 133. The client will hear a ringtone but the person at 133 is not there.

We did do this originally but when the receptionist is screening calls sometimes the person being called is actually at their desk but simply does not wish to answer the call at that time. We were getting complaints that they had to listen to the phone ring or press the reject call button when on the old system the call was handled entirely by the receptionist and the voicemail system.

As for 2 you can do this - You have to add another field -
Create Digital receptionist example 800.
And add - press 6 to be forwarded to receptionist - (receptionist is 100 and you will bind option 6 to forward to 100). This is fully possible. You have to add your own voice prompt.

In the situation I've described the caller has already been transfered from the digital receptionist to the person's extension. They've waited for the person to answer and have been transfered to voicemail. Are you saying that the digital receptionist is still active at this point? We have tested this and that does not seem to be the case.