Ring Group to external numbers

[jmd]

I'm trying to create a prioritized hunt group, with external mobile numbers only, no internal extensions.

I have extensions setup which are set to ring for 1 second before forwarding to an external number, this bit seems to be working ok.

When I create a ring group containing these extensions however, the ring group just shows busy and never rings the external numbers.

The end result I am trying to achieve is a ring group containing only external numbers which will work down the list using the rebound function until someone answers and confirms they have answered (to avoid the call going to an external voicemail).

Am I going about this the wrong way?

 

[lneblett]

calls going into a Q or ring group are system owned calls and typically do not follow the forwarding rules associated to the extensions. IN a ring group, the members are defined and the phones ring provided the extension is not already busy. If busy, then the extension is skipped (does not follow the rules) so as to prevent calls from being diverted to voice mail, external numbers and the like when there may be other extensions available to take the call.

A Q does allow for external number use, so you may want to experiment with this feature.

 

[positron]

You could use external numbers in a ring group if you specify the external number in the Mobile Number field and set Forwarding Rules to "ring my extension and my mobile at the same time".

 

[jmd]

The problem with the ring my mobile at the same time is that we then lose the rebound functionality which is a requirement for this scenario.

 

[jmd]

Anyone got any other ideas? Looks like this is going to be a deal breaker for us using 3CX.

 

[lneblett]

Have you considered the Queue?

 

[humansys]

All three of the suggested options don't work at all for this.

1) Ring extension and mobile simultaneously does not work with the Rebound checkbox. It ignores the Rebound checkbox. Still dumps you into the personal voicemail box if mobile is off or out of service range or user swipes left on their smartphone.

2) The call queue and ring groups both have the same issue that they ignore all Rebound settings and blindly transfer any "picked up" call to an mobile number, even if it's a voicemail or cell-phone announcement message.

I'd say about 50% of the PBXes I've used (modern, non-cheap) have this same problem - that you can't call an external number without a Rebound feature because otherwise you'll dump people from a ring group or call queue into someone's personal voicemail box if their phone is out of service range or turned off, or if they swipe left on their smartphone.

This feature was requested multiple times in 2010...

This is also a deal-breaker for us and many of our clients.

 

[leejor]

You have to keep in mind that once a PBX "gives up control" of a call, i.e....call is passed out to an external set, of any kind, over not only VoIP trunking, but possibly a PSTN gateway, you can run into major headaches with call status (answer supervision). In an ideal world, where everyone used VoIP trunks, and external sets (mobiles too) never routed calls off to personal voicemail, and the PBX was always aware of answer supervision, then putting external sets in a ring group or queue, would always work as expected. Unfortunately, there are too many variables involved to guarantee flawless execution, at this point.

 

[humansys]

Actually it's quite simple - you simply make an announcement after call pickup that says "press 1 to accept the call" that repeats until ~30 seconds has passed, then hang up if the DTMF tone hasn't been heard.

This is how most service desks work - see Zendesk and Freshdesk.

Suggesting a mobile softphone is the answer here is laughable if you service rural areas at all - sending voice over 2G or 3G or 4G is a great way to have users complain about horrible call quality.

This is functional in a lot of PBXes - about 40% get it right. 8x8 is probably the best, in that you can route voice over the mobile carrier but let you control the call with the mobile app.

 

[humansys]

<dup post>

 

[eagle2]

The only way to accomplish this is to use call queues with external agents, you may ring several mobiles simultaneously.
All other suggestions in previous replies are simply not working.