Best method, please help! 1

[ericb1]

We're a small business (Merlin Magix system), there's 2 people who answer help calls. The calls come in on 1 extension, then the 1st person has a primary cover on the extension, and the 2nd person has the 2nd cover.

Is this the best method, or should I be setting up calling groups?

When I try to set up calling groups in WinSPM, it doesn't allow me any extensions to add. I need a beginner's method of how to add a calling group to go to personA, then PersonB, then to VM.

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[merlinman]

Calling groups 101:

Menu > System Program > Start > Extensions > More > Group Calling > Members > GROUP NUMBER (Pick one not being used such as 772) Enter Then enter your 2 extensions.

Now that gets them in the calling group.

Press BACK.

Now set OVERFLOW > Enter the Extension of the Group (772 in our example) and the Group to overflow to (VM's Group Number)

Now, you got 3 choices:

1) Number - Set that to 99
2) Time - Set this to 25 (To start with)
3) Prompted - Leave this alone for now.....

OK, so now we have 2 members of this calling group, and if no one answers in 25 seconds, it goes to Voice Mail.

Now, we gotta get the MEMBERS phones set up.

Put a button on their phone with code *44. Tell them to press that if they want a paycheck. (OK, it's really just a login button.) Tell them to press it and turn it on when they are ready to take a call, and turn it off when they walk away.

NOW, set up a MAILBOX in the MESSAGING SYSTEM for 772.

AND, back in the Extension Programming, under Group Calling, setup a MESSAGE RECEIVER for 772 to be one of those 2 extensions or whoever you choose.

This should get you started......

 

[ericb1]

Thanks so much MM, you've always answered my posts!!

Quick question, and I probably should have mentioned this before: Our company actually answers calls for 3 others smaller companies. So the way I have it now (and you way seems better with the groups) is that each company we answer calls for has an 800 number that comes in to 1 extension, labeled for that company.

Now, person1 is the primary cover for that extension, and person2 is the secondary cover. But when personA goes on vacation, I have to physically go in, remove them as the Primary, make the secondary person the primary, and then make a 3rd person the secondary cover. The reverse this when they come back from vacation.

The calling group seems much easier to maintain, with the persons logging in and out of the group.

2 questions: Can this be set up multiple times? In other words, can I set up 3 groups (for each of the 3 companies we answer calls for) with the same 2 people in multiple groups?

The other issue is the reason I have it set up the way I do currently, is so I can lable the original extension, so that they can see who's calling before answering "Hello, companyA" or "Hello, company B", etc.

Or can I put a label on a calling group, and then program 3 separate *44 buttons to log into the different groups?

Any help is appreciated, thanks again!

 

[merlinman]

Before I can answer that, I must know the particular release of your Magix.

Go to any disply phone, touch INTERCOM, SPEAKER and Dial * 0 5.

That is, STAR ZERO FIVE.

And see what the release is.

 

[ericb1]

Thanks again MM for your help. The release says:

Legend 7.0 v9.0

Again, what I'm trying to accomplish is 3 separate calling groups (hunt groups) that I can label as such, so the display can identify or distinguish the calls from eachother. However the people in the 3 different goups will be the same people, so they'll need to login to more than one of these groups.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[jgideon]

merlinman may have a better suggestion, but this is one that I've modeled a lot of stuff on....
thread689-294763
let us know where you end up!

 

[ericb1]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I've got the calling group (772) all set up with 2 extensions in it. But How do I route the calls from the extension it's on now to the calling group #772?

Also, I tried *44, and *42 to log in to a group, but it doesn't work.

Thanks again!

 

[merlinman]

Well, you can not accomplish all you want with an R7.

You need to consider upgrading to Magix 3 or 4 to have Multiple Calling Group/Login stuff.

 

[ericb1]

Ok thanks! Here's what I set up on Friday:

The DID line is patched to an internal extension, so a regular phone rings, ext. 152

Then I set up a calling group, #772, and added the 2 people to it.

Then on the phone that rings, I just turned on forwarding to ext. 772.

This seems to work on the limited testing I did. It forwards right over group #772, rings the 1st person, then if they don't answer, it rings the next person, and if that person doesn't answer, it dumps into voicemail for the original ext., #152.

Is there anything wrong with this setup? It seems to work close enough to what I was trying to do.

The only question (which I may be able to test) is can I do this multiple times. Can I set up another calling group with the same people in it.

Thanks again for everyone's help!

 

[merlinman]

First off,the design I proposed would allow the VOICE MAIL for the CALLING GROUP (Not the extension as you have it) to light a Message Light on someone's phone. If you have a PHYSICAL 152, then that;s no issue.

Release 7 does not accomodate one set of "AGENTS" in multiple calling groups. But it kinda' does give you a way to make it happen.

Here's a way you may be able to do it:

First, instead of having your D-I-D point to an extension that is forwarded to a calling group, simply renumber the calling group to the D-I-D number.

This way, you can have multiple calling groups that are tied to D-I-D's.

OK, now set up Calling group 772 as the SUPPORT GROUP for (in this case we will use letters) Group A, B & C.

With an OVERFLOW to Voice Mail.

(Groups A, B & C will be known as HOME GROUPS.)

Again, set up a Voice Mail Box for Group A, B & C.

Also, you can now set up a MESSAGE RECEIVER for A, B, & C.

-AND- you can give A one name (in LABELING), B another name and c can have its own name as well.

SO - When A rings in to GROUP 772, the AGENT will see that name, and know how to answer, likewise with B & C.

If no one answers, overflow sends it to Voice Mail.