Office Hours for internal calls

[dcorazon]

Hello,

I would like to know if there is a way to set office hours even for internal calls. A client would like external calls to be forwarded to the receptionist if the extensions of the various DID numbers do not answer. However, the receptionist has specific hours while the others do not. The issue we're facing is that even when the reception is closed(outside her office hours), since the forwarding is considered an internal call(the inbound rule for the reception's DID contains its hours doesn't apply), the receptionist extension still rings. Is there a way to set office hours for internal calls to the receptionist or another method to forward calls to the receptionist while considering her hours?
Bellow the config set for forwarding
"199 File d'atten" is a call queue which itself forward to another queue of other receptionists if the primary one doesn't respond (it's the destination if no answer but all receptionists have the same office hours)

 

[OlegR_3CX]

Hi there.
So for internal calls and routing, you should use the Auto-switch function, so that it will update the status of the extension to Away or DND, and if the call reaches that extension, you can then do the configuration in the "Call forwarding" for each profile on the extension level.

 

[dcorazon]

Hello,

Didn't understand well. i should use the auto switch for wich extension exactly?
My config is for example
Extension 210 (no hours, always available) calls extersion 215 (no hours, always available)
--- if no response forward to call queue 199 (primary receptionnist extension 200 hours 8AM to 5PM) -----> if no response destination of no answer is forward to call queue 196 (extension 201 and 202 simultaneously hours 8AM to 5PM)

External number calls 210 (DID) ---> ring extension 210 if no response ---> forward to call queue 199 (primary recptionist 200 ring)

External number calls call queue (DID) (8AM to 5PM)---> call queue 199 (primary receptionist 200 ring)
External number calls call queue (DID) (Before 8AM and after 5PM)---> IVR

the problem encountered is that
before 8AM and after 5 PM if
External number calls call queue (DID) --> IVR that's OK, WORKING

but External number calls 210 (DID) ---> ring extension 210 if no response ---> still forward to call queue 199 (primary receptionist 200 still ring) not OKAY

 

[OlegR_3CX]

but External number calls 210 (DID) ---> ring extension 210 if no response ---> still forward to call queue 199 (primary receptionist 200 still ring) not OKAY

I am not sure if I understand your call flow correctly as well as the request.
In your case, you don't want extension 200 to ring while it is still in the Queue?
If the agent is in the Queue and logged it will ring, unless you update and change its settings to Away/DND and also ensure that the "Log out from queues" option will be on


To trigger automatic switch of the prfile status of the extension, you can from the Admin panel of the Webclient and you login as a System owner and it will be in the "Schedule" tab of the extension :

 

[dcorazon]

Ah sorry. my bad. I was only using the classic admin panel so i was looking for the autoswitch option (I'm still in v18). I found it.

And to explain the flow (maybe my thing is wrong) I just want to forward internal and external calls to the call queue 199(receptionist) only if the call is between 8 AM and 5 PM.
Beyond these hours direct calls to the queue must go to IVR and forwarded call from external numbers to the queue 199 after another DID doesn't respond must also go to IVR.

I will try the switch auto option. but what will happen when the queue agents are on DND,
The call comes to DID (215) , the user is already online so it will try to forward to queue 199 (which agent are on DND) so it will use the destination if no answer (means try to forward to queue 196), queue 196 agents will be on DND (using switch auto) so if i set the destination if no answer of the queue 196 to IVR i think it must resolve my problem. What do you think about it?

 

[OlegR_3CX]

I will try the switch auto option. but what will happen when the queue agents are on DND,

If it's on DND and the option above it ON, it will log the agent out of the Queue and as a result, he won't receive any Queue calls.

The call comes to DID (215) , the user is already online so it will try to forward to queue 199 (which agent are on DND) so it will use the destination if no answer (means try to forward to queue 196), queue 196 agents will be on DND (using switch auto) so if i set the destination if no answer of the queue 196 to IVR i think it must resolve my problem. What do you think about it?

If the agents in the queue have DND and it is logged out, it should go to the Destination if no answer from the Queue as you say.
And if the same idea is used in other queues, then you know that it will send the call to the next destination.
In your case, from what i can think, you will have a lot of abandoned Queue calls but it should work.

I would think of maybe reorganizing your call flow and routing the call not to the Extension, but to the Department, on the department level you could have set your routing for IN Office, Out of Office, Break, and if it's Out of office it will not even reach the Queue and maybe go to the IVR so you won't have any of the extra Abandoned calls in the Queue to make your statistics to look "bad"
Additionally, the introduction of the Department is something that you will see onwards with the Phonesystem and it's your main go with the next version.

Let me know how it goes