Auto Answer and place on hold advice 1

[jnh922]

Good Morning Everyone,
I have a business with 4 incoming pots lines, no phone system, an analog set with 4 incoming ports to answer them. Here's the situation, If they are on line 1 with a customer, and if line 2, 3, 4 ring, they want something that will automatically answer and place them on hold with a greeting/announcement and continue to have them on hold until they select the line.
I've read several threads and saw some similar questions with auto attendent and VM options, but not exactly what this customer's needs are. Hoping you guys can lend a hand. Thanks.

 

[tanderson3733]

You've just described Queuing, and that is a feature of many PBX/Voicemail systems on the market today. With POTS lines direct into 4-line phones, this isn't usually an option unless that's a really crazy advanced phone...I've never seen one, anyway.

 

[jnh922]

ok, what phone systems would do the job? what units/cards would be required? I've setup simple partner 5x9 setups but nothing like this....I do appreciate the tips.

 

[notme11]

A SMALL Nortel CICS will do it or an avaya Partner. this 2 will work fine, there are some NEC , Intertel, Toshiba, etc.
How much do you want to spend and how technichal do you wnat to get?. it all boils down to the cost. usually you can get one of the above with everthing you need in the secondary market for about $600.00, new your talking around $2k. plus installation.

 

[jnh922]

Thank you all for the info. How hard is it to program the Nortel CICS? As far as the Avaya, what unit(s) are we talking about? Thanks again.

 

[baldwincl]

Avaya: IP Office (comes with 2 ports VM)
Combo card (6 digital phones, 2 analog phones, 4 analog trunks)
1408 phones

NEC: 8100 basic package (comes with 8 digital station ports)
CD-4COTB (4 analog trunks)
PZ-VM21, LKS VM Inmail-2,AK Inmail512MAPPCF(voicemail/recordings)

Nortel is out of business and Avaya is phasing out the Partner

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Avaya wise, the old Partner II has "ASA" built in as a standard feature (later revisions), and the ACS has an ASA/DXD card available as an add-on

 

[LkEErie]

The particular part you're looking for is called a CALL SEQUENCER. They can be expensive, but you can find them on eBay or try a pair of Viking TMS-2's. Since call sequencers are pretty obsolete, you can spend hours searching for the Takacom, Skutch, and CMP Quecall. I think I still have a Quecall in the warehouse

If you have a $2K budget, you can replace your phone system with something that has call queueing built in. A Panasonic TDA-50g will do this, with gates and timers and promotions and the whole nine yards. Everything else mentioned so far, doesn't do the answer and hold sequence with any retrieval. The Panasonic TA-824 has a single line "DISA" card in it, which can answer the calls....but you would have to find a landing place for the call when it rings all phones and doesn't get answered.

Of course, you could build a poor man's IVR which would fit onto a Partner or Panasonic phone system. A little 2-line unit would probably be less than $400 for software and hardware. You could then instruct the box to answer and flash (to put the call on hold) and keep the call out there for 90-180 seconds.

Happy hunting and let the forum know what you decide.

LkEErie

 

[jnh922]

Thanks again everyone....TouchToneTommy, I like the Partner scenarios. I guess I'll look around to see how much pricing and availability on those units. Thanks again and I knew I would get an answer here.

 

[Dexman]

The Partner ACS will be sticking around for the time being and hardware is quite plentiful.

Here is the link to an announcement concerning the Partner ACS from Ron Rogers who is the manager of the SMB group at Avaya:

http://socalphonepros.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=482&sid=8061ecd44eb36247c25aa5be4561ca91

If it ain't broke, I haven't fixed it yet.

 

[LkEErie]

Hey TTT. Thanks for the tip! I always wondered what #121 was for

A little ACS 6 or 7 with an ASA/DXD is just the ticket.

LkEErie

 

[Dexman]

With 4 POTs lines, an R7 or R8 processor would be a better fit than the R6.

If it ain't broke, I haven't fixed it yet.

 

[LkEErie]

Actually, I knew that The edit fairy won't let you change R6 and 7 to 7&8. But, since I'm cheap by nature and the $20 for the 2-slot carrier with the 2x6 card I have, it seems that it would be less expensive to get the 6 and card it 5x14.

LkEErie

 

[Dexman]

I wonder how many sets the OP currently has or what the budget looks like . A 3x8 coupled to a 2x6 via a 2 module carrier would work. I just tend to shy away from older Partner hardware .

If it ain't broke, I haven't fixed it yet.

 

[LkEErie]

The weirdest thing, I just did a proposal for someone starting out...$1300 for a R6, 2 18D's, the ASA, and an OHP-8000. He wants the calls to be auto held during business hours and he'll use a cordless/answering machine when he's closed.

Talk about putting your learning to immediate use

LkEErie

 

[jnh922]

too cool....thanks everyone for the info. still waiting to see what customer is going to decide.

 

[LkEErie]

Just a follow up and a thanks to the group. The system I sold with the ASA/DXD card got me another referral. This one 4 lines, 9 phones, and...since they use CID to determine who answers the phones, an upgrade to an R8 processor to talk to their Durafon 4x cordless phones!

Talk about winning the lottery! Just in passing, we sell InnPhone phones with message waiting lights to hospitality.
IFM, but they also work on the Partner systems. Now if they just made flexible numbering....

LkEErie

 

[Dexman]

Cha-Ching!

If it ain't broke, I haven't fixed it yet.