BCM450: AA transfer to hunt group, then to another AA tree? 2

[DWM4]

Hi folks,

Hoping you can tell me if what I'm trying to do here is possible. We use the features in our BCM450 pretty minimally, I think, in comparison to some places, so I'm not fully sure about the capacity to do what I've been requested. Here's my scenario:

We have a PRI, with somewhere around 10 publicly published numbers which are all generally answered by a live body, unless it goes the standard four rings. We have two general business lines (1000 and 1001, for reference) and the rest of the numbers are allocated to different departments throughout the building. What we're finding is that 9 times out of 10, we're just transferring calls that come in on the general business lines to the other departments, so my boss wants to set up an AA to do this for us. My first thought was, make the tree listing each department, and transfer to hunt groups that include the departments' employees. But, I have a couple departments who don't always answer their phones and I don't want it to continuously ring, but I also don't want the operator to have to take the call. My question to you folks is, can an AA answer, give a basic tree (press 1 for this dept, 2 for that department), transfer to a HG, and after 4 rings get answered by an AA with a different tree that lists that particular department's employees?

Does that make sense, and is it possible, or are we overcomplicating things?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give!!

 

[phoneguy610]

I don't think you can send it to another auto attendant, you have to play with the hunt group overflow in system programming.



ddcommllc.com
Avaya/Toshiba/SyntelSolutions

ACIS

"Will work for stars

 

[KE407122]

It's only CO's or Target Lines that can be answered by Auto Attendant.

It's a bit of an Auto Attendant Hell you are building on the basic premise.

"I have a couple departments who don't always answer their phones and I don't want it to continuously ring, but I also don't want the operator to have to take the call."

Let me see, you want to force the caller or customer to essentially make the same choice, a second time, to a group that don't answer their phones, while assuming the caller's know someone in that department who doesn't answer their phone.


Try this.
Call comes in to the AA Greeting Table 1, the CCR Department Menu, the Choice sends it to a Department Hunt Group which will overflow to an ANALOG EXTENSION which is actually connected back into the BCM as a ANALOG CO LINE PORT which can be answered by the AA on Greeting Table 2 for another CCR Department MENU then CCR Department Employee Menu choices. (If you don't resuse the existing CCR Department Menu in Greeting Table 2 you'd end up needing minimally needing a one CO extension and CO line port for each Departmental Hunt Group.)


I'd design it a little differently, I'd just have that department's hunt group overflow to your competitor for the same result.



KE407122

"The phone was working fine before it knocked over my coffee.

 

[gberger]

I think i did a scenario like this few years ago.
Check in Call pilot under Configuration-Service Directory Number Table, in there you can set a service with a given Dn to go to an auto-attendant.
You would point your Hunt group overflow to that service.( i think you need a phantom extension to achieve it.)

Good luck.

 

[KE407122]

Good catch!
If you use the Departmental Hunt Group Overflow DN as a Service Directory Number (DN) as well, it can be pointed to be Answered by another Greeting Table immediately followed by a CCR Tree menu of that Department Employee names.



KE407122

"The phone was working fine before it knocked over my coffee.

 

[DWM4]

@KE407122 - Unfortunately, IT doesn't get to set the policy around who must answer their phones and when. If it were up to me, everyone would have to answer their calls! But alas, I am just a lowly tech. I'm not sure what you mean by "I'd just have that department's hunt group overflow to your competitor for the same result" other than to assume from this and other parts of your post that you don't like the customer service aspect of how my boss wants the AA flow set up, and are suggesting that we might lose business this way. That, of course, wouldn't be the case, because we're a municipality who is underfunded, and understaffed, and is therefore trying to find more cost efficient ways to route calls to their appropriate destinations without using precious staff time to play operator.

@gberger - Thanks! That was exactly what I was looking to do. Works flawlessly - I greatly appreciate your assistance!

 

[KE407122]

Sorry. Within 4 minutes gave Berger credit and star on the use of SCDN.

Forcing the caller to go through another Menu and choices, after already making their selection is not a sound business practice for either a profitable business or a municipal corporation.

Large call centres already build abandonment into their measurements. It doesn't mean it's good service. In my environment, abandonment means inquiry and answers.

Two rules of thumb:
1. Do not redirect callers more than once. (Your Departmental Hunt Group should overflow to a Mailbox for the Department.)
2. Provide a "0" out on that mailbox to a "live" body rather than three rings and another mailbox. (There are calls that must be answered.)



KE407122

"The phone was working fine before it knocked over my coffee.