Manually Divert Ring Groups to Voicemail

[Simon.Clifford]

Hi

I am in the process of designing a new system for a customer.

Their server will be hosted in a data centre and they will be connecting their phones through a VPN on the site firewall.
They will not be using the Windows desktop application.

Their existing system allows the receptionist to put two forms of diverts (explained below) which are activated by dialling a number from the handset.
Can anyone advise the best way to do this from the handset.
I have considered queues but am trying to avoid making too many changes to their existing set up if possible and suspect that there will be issues if people have to start logging in and out of queues.
Also I cannot use a schedule as their hours can sometimes vary.
If the only way is to use a queue then how do users log in/out from the handset? I will most likely be programming buttons for this if this is the only option.

If the external number is dialled then the two reception phones ring, after a period of time and no answer a second group of phones rings.

Night mode - When activated the external number goes straight to a pre-recorded voice mail.

Lunch mode - If all agents are out and only one receptionist is in then lunch mode can be activated, only the main reception phone rings and if this is busy then it goes to a different voice mail message.

Can the voice mail messages be changed from the handset itself or can these only be recorded using the desktop application as they will need to change these frequently as well.

 

[craigreilly]

Maybe add a special extension to all phones required, under account 2.
Then they get dial tone on account 2 and dial the required star code.
This "special extension" is what decides where calls goto.
And if it is *30 then goto Ring Group 1, *31 then goto Ring Group 2, etc.
(*30,31,32 etc.)
This would be setting the status of the extension.

The voicemail can be changed from the handset. Although I do not know if it can be recorded for each presence or only the default.
But an option may be different messages based on presence set.
ie: Available has 1 greeting
Away has another
Out of Office has 1.
Then Custom 1 and Custom 2 as well.

You might have to get a little creative... but what you need hsould work.

 

[Simon.Clifford]

Maybe add a special extension to all phones required, under account 2.
Then they get dial tone on account 2 and dial the required star code.
This "special extension" is what decides where calls goto.
And if it is *30 then goto Ring Group 1, *31 then goto Ring Group 2, etc.
(*30,31,32 etc.)
This would be setting the status of the extension.

The voicemail can be changed from the handset. Although I do not know if it can be recorded for each presence or only the default.
But an option may be different messages based on presence set.
ie: Available has 1 greeting
Away has another
Out of Office has 1.
Then Custom 1 and Custom 2 as well.

You might have to get a little creative... but what you need hsould work.

Thanks for the reply

Could I just add the 'special extension' to the reception device and have away forward it to ring group 1 which forwards to ring group 2 if no answer/busy
Out of Office forward straight to Voice mail 1
Custom 1 forward to reception phone and set reception extension to forward to voice mail 2 if no answer/busy

If I set the forward rule on the reception extension how would this effect a ring group it is part of?
Would it just be best to create ring group 3 with just reception extension and forward to voice mail 2 if there is no answer/busy?

Is it possible to set a programmed button to adjust the status of the second line or would the reception user still need to switch account?
Not really familiar with the ability to set multiple accounts up on one device, sorry.

 

[craigreilly]

You'll need to play around a bit and see what works best for your environment and needs.
Forwarding a phone should not affect the flow of a ring group. this is important.
We have several ring groups - like AR, AP, HR.
If someone calls HR - it rings all 4 desks. If someone is on vacation and set Out Of Office, we do not want the cal to goto their voicemail - we need it to continue ringing the other 3 phones.

 

[leejor]

If I set the forward rule on the reception extension how would this effect a ring group it is part of?

As I recall, and I don't think it has changed with version 12, all individual extension call forwards, are ignored, when an incoming call is a "ring group" call. Otherwise you'd have ring group calls being directed all over without other members of the ring group having a chance to answer.