Voicemail to Operator

[greatchoice]

It seems that there is a way that callers are going to a voicemail box that we do not monitor and then getting forwarded to the operator extension. Is there a way to disable someone from reaching the operator from a voicemail box?

 

[AWS2P]

do you mean when caller hear system message asking to press# to return operator ?
If this is that case, then in your PBX create a fake operator extension with no voice mail enabled then go in global settings and replace real operator extension by fake one.
Now when callers will press # theys will be forwarded to fake extension without voice mail and then call is ended.

other heavy way , duplicate prompts set, then edit audio file played and remove part asking to press # to return operator, then set your prompt set to be used instead of default one.

none of these two workaround is a good solution but first one is easy to set or remove.

 

[leejor]

Here has been a suggestion, to disable that option, in the Ideas forum, for a few years..

https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/system-option-prevent-transfer-out-of-voicemail.48735/

Two options per extension with VM enabled, would be nice...
an uncheck box to disable completely, and a field to choose a different destination (extension/ring groups/IVR) if the caller presses *.

 

[nub]

do you mean when caller hear system message asking to press# to return operator ?
If this is that case, then in your PBX create a fake operator extension with no voice mail enabled then go in global settings and replace real operator extension by fake one.
Now when callers will press # theys will be forwarded to fake extension without voice mail and then call is ended.

other heavy way , duplicate prompts set, then edit audio file played and remove part asking to press # to return operator, then set your prompt set to be used instead of default one.

none of these two workaround is a good solution but first one is easy to set or remove.

This is like what I do:

Operator is a dummy ext, all forwarding options from this ext point to a Digital Receptionist named "voicemail menu" this receptionist list all the peoples names and will forward to the voice box is said person and you can not escape from this menu.

 

[leejor]

Unfortunately, some people actually have a real receptionist, using the operator extension, and they end up having to deal with all of the callers that opt out of voicemail.

 

[mgroom]

We have a dummy operator extension that forwards back to the main IVR for the company for this issue.

 

[AWS2P]

that message in voice mail , don't know which country ask for this to be in 3CX ? is it for US use ?
IMO this is really stupid message making a lot of confusion with old people and most of the time this is completely useless when in small companies you have no operator.

 

[leejor]

Many PBXs, have for years, offered a way to "zero" out of voicemail as callers will get tried of continuously reaching VM, and are "certain" that there is probably someone else, in the same department, that can help them. That is why many other systems, allow extensions to select where the call will go, when a caller does that. The outgoing message does not even have to explain that the option is available, people will simply try, it if they become frustrated.

 

[AWS2P]

First case these * or # were generating a problem was in a dental clinic where they answer callers only from 9 to 12h30, in the afternoon they wanted to be on voicemail while on surgery, but some jokers found pressing option # to return to operator and dentists got phone calls in the afternoon while they wanted not.

 

[yanceyworks]

+1, this is an issue for one of our clients now with multiple locations. Only have 2 users at the separate location and seems pointless to have to stand up a separate PBX instance to accommodate this capability.

 

[NickD_3CX]

As leejor pointed out, there is currently an Idea for this:
https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/system-option-prevent-transfer-out-of-voicemail.48735/

Currently the way most people handle this is as mgroom mentioned.
If you don't have a dedicated Operator Extension with a real person there, make a "dummy" extension and set it as the Operator Extension. Because this extension will be always unregistered, set the Forwarding Rule to send all calls going there back to the Main IVR.

I will lock this thread, but feel free to upvote the idea.