Send email notification on forwarded call?

[chillr]

Hi there,

Is there any way to have an email notification sent on forwarded call?

Outside normal hours we have an on call manager who receives forwarded calls once the customer listens to the IVR and presses 1 to agree to generate a chargeable call out.

The problem we have is that on occasions our call out manager will need to know the number that had called but we can not pass on the originating caller ID due to restrictions in place by our VOIP provider (the call out manager just sees it as a call from our office).

The send email on missed call only seems to apply if the call ends up being sent to voice mail or is disconnected. Also I'm trying to avoid using 3CXphone due to poor internet coverage in certain locations the managers can be at.

Any help or different approach would be appreciated.

 

[leejor]

The send email on missed call only seems to apply if the call ends up being sent to voice mail or is disconnected.

So, it would seem that there are two solutions. The caller ends up in Voicemail, leaves a message, and the manager receives the caller ID and calls them back, or...you find yourself a VoIP provider that allows caller ID to be changed. It sounds as if you only require a single line, and if calls were restricted to "call outs", then you may find an inexpensive "pay per minute" provider with no, or a low, monthly fee.

 

[chillr]

Thanks for your input. Due to our customers expectations we really need to attempt to answer the after hours call out phone calls as they come through so the voice mail idea is not an option.

Also not really any VoIP providers here in NZ that openly allow the caller ID to be changed.

I've ended up sending the after hours calls to a queue and triggering an email to be sent with the "SLA time has been breached" option prior to forwarding to the managers mobile number.

I can't help but think it would be a more eloquent solution if there was an extension option to "send email on forwarded call".

Cheers

 

[bardissi]

Take a look @ http://voiptoys.com/products/334-3cx-on-call-manager-by-voiptoys.aspx

 

[lneblett]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the way I understand your last post is that you can't really use voice mail as the client expects the phone to be answered. This seems to imply a couple of things:

That the manager on-duty should answer the call and ask for the proper details and assuming that he is currently servicing a call, the next call will go to his mobile voice mail; where his greeting should spell out the company name and again ask for the needed details. From a 3CX perspective, both scenarios constitute calls that have been answered. I don't know that I consider the idea of an email being sent on any forwarded call elegant as it seems redundant to what the manager on-duty should already be doing.

Bardisi's suggestion of the VoIPToys solution seems viable with the exception that it relies on Vmail and even then the 3CX system can send an email if the need is to simply notify.

3CX has options whereby using the settings in the VoIP provider's area (outbound), it will pass on the original caller-ID and not that of the office. However, your provider may not allow or accept these settings and rely on what the account has for your particular registration. I use these settings to know if it is indeed my office calling or a customer when I have my extension set to forward to my mobile. This is why I really don't find the email an attractive option as I already get what I need, but I understand that you may not be so lucky.

What you might try is to set up an "interim" extension and set the extension in the options tab to send an email on a missed call. I am assuming you could direct the call from the IVR to this extension and then have the settings such that it always constitutes a missed call and at the same time have the forwarding rules set to whatever needs there are. You may have to play around with this a bit to see how 3CX interprets a missed call and then if the corresponding email gives the info you seek. As an example - set an extension with a real phone and make its status available, but only give it a 1second (or very short ring time) before it invokes the forwarding rule. You might also be able to do with a dummy extension (one in which an extension has been created but no physical phone is in place). You may not be able to get around Vmail. If memory serves, I think 3CX only considers those calls that are hang-ups and/or going to its internal Vmail as missed. If the call is actually answered either by mobile (to include its Vmail) or another extension I do no believe this is a missed call by 3CX standards.

 

[chillr]

Thanks for your reply Ineblett,

True, the call out manager should answer these calls but situations do arise such them already being on a call, that mean the call can be missed. Then if no voice mail is left by the customer (as requested in our standard voice mail greeting) the call out manager is in the dark as to who has called.

Also original caller-ID insertion via the 3CX outbound parameters SIP fields is not supported by our VoIP provider so not an option.

The "SLA time has been breached" emails seems to be working well at this stage, had it implemented over the weekend and have had positive feedback from our call out managers.

Cheers