Evacuation Mode

[DrainBamaged]

I was asked by senior management to review what happens during fire drills, bomb scares or other extended periods where the building is evacuated on short notice and calls cannot be handled normally.

The traditional force out-of-office dial codes would work, but they don't inform the caller as to what is going on. We would like to set up an evacuation mode that presents a special message different from the out-of-hours message. It should be able to be set by any manager and not just a 3CX admin for practicality reasons.
Is there any way to do this? Custom dial code forcing all calls into a custom IVR or something similar?

 

[leejor]

Depending upon how you currently have out-of-office routing (destination) set-up, you may be able to pass those calls through an extension with an alternative destination (voicemail?), that provides a message used only for this situation. The alternative forward options could then be activated on that extension when required.

 

[Alphabetic]

Surely during an emergency this is the last thing you should be worrying about?

 

[DrainBamaged]

Communication with clients is all important. If they call at 11AM on a Tuesday and get "The office is now closed. Our office hours are 9AM - 5PM Monday to Friday." Then they will be a little confused and we look like idiots.

If they hear "Due to a fire alarm, we have temporarily evacuated the building. Please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as normal operations have resumed."

If you were calling a business, which would you prefer to hear?

 

[DrainBamaged]

Depending upon how you currently have out-of-office routing (destination) set-up, you may be able to pass those calls through an extension with an alternative destination (voicemail?), that provides a message used only for this situation. The alternative forward options could then be activated on that extension when required.

I thought of this, but it requires admin intervention and we need something a customer service manager can do in as few steps as possible.

 

[Alphabetic]

Communication with clients is all important. If they call at 11AM on a Tuesday and get "The office is now closed. Our office hours are 9AM - 5PM Monday to Friday." Then they will be a little confused and we look like idiots.

If they hear "Due to a fire alarm, we have temporarily evacuated the building. Please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as normal operations have resumed."

If you were calling a business, which would you prefer to hear?

Depends really. You saw that plane in Russia where 41 people died because people were trying to take their bags off? I can understand from a customer point of view it'd be a little frustrating. But, I'd say life trumps that. Fair enough for scheduled stuff.

I'd do what leejor said. Have the calls go to an EXT first that can manipulate calls based on EXT status. Have the manager get the 3CX Client with that EXT on it so he can change it onces hes out the building and safe from his mobile

 

[leejor]

If they hear "Due to a fire alarm, we have temporarily evacuated the building. Please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as normal operations have resumed."

If you were calling a business, which would you prefer to hear?

Personally, I don't like having to leave a message for a business and will avoid unless it is absolutely necessary, like calling 5 times already and it keeps going off to voicemail. So , for me, it;s all the same.

 

[BrenttG]

Fireman: Im here to rescue you! There is a fire!
Person: Hold on, I need to activate emergency mode on my phone!
Fireman: (drags Person kicking and screaming with a Yealink phone dragging behind them)
Person: BUT MY PHONECALLS!!!!!!!!!!

 

[YiannisH_3CX]

This is something you should be able to design with the Call Flow designer and make it as complex or as simple as you like.