Extension Privacy

[CHarrower]

We're having troubles with people picking up lines that others are on (especially when a call is put on hold, and two salespeople pick it up at roughly the same time).

I have Automatic Extension Privacy (#304) Assigned on all extensions, but they can still pick up. Is there another setting I should be using, or do we just have to learn to live with it?

Thanks very much!

-Chris
Choo Choo Barn, Inc.
Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

 

[Rainman10]

Not sure if this helps but exclusive or executive hold allows only the phone that placed a call on hold to take it off of hold.

Depending how your salesmen take turns answering calls, transfering calls to either a hunt group or calling group may help.

 

[CHarrower]

We're not using hunt groups right now...we only have about 18 phones in the whole place!

What happens is that someone answers the call, and pages to say "Thomas order on line one." The sales staff (located in three different parts of the building) then is responsible to pick up the call and take the order.

Is this something we should use hunt groups for? It's not always the same people who take the orders, depending on other responsibilities.

Thanks!

-Chris

 

[Rainman10]

It has been awhile for me so you will want to read your documentation, but group calling may be what you need. This feature would let you transfer calls simultaneously to all extensions in the calling group. The first extension to answer the call is connected to the caller.

If your people are scattered throughout the building or have overlapping responsibilties you can use several groups. This lets your receptionist screen the call and inteligently transfer to the appropriate calling group.

I would imagine this feature was better designed to combat the glare affect you are having using the hold feature.

 

[pyberkley]

Depending on the type of phones you have, you can program each phone to have a PRIVACY button. As I recall, its [intercom] 00 (press the button you want to program) FEATURE 07 (I belive). It might be 04.

By turning that button ON, when a person is on a call, no one else can pick it up. This feature will prevent someone from joining the call, unless the caller controlling that call release the PRIVACY mode.

 

[CHarrower]

Tried setting the buttons up on all phones, but it still allows people to pick up calls at the same time.

Thanks!

-Chris

 

[jeepguy267]

if you have auto ext privacy then the buttons are redundant and, I beleive, override the auto privacy - meaning if they DON'T watch their button and keep it on as needed they have effectively turned the privacy off - this only affects calls in progress NOT calls on hold.

Rainman is pointing you in the right direction with the exclusive hold (the recept must then transfer to the user after he/she knows who's available - adding steps which I don't like), or the calling groups, and then there is also call park/pick.

It has been a while for me as well, but I am pretty sure you put your extensions into a hunt group then dial the group or transfer to the group to reach your users. Example put your sales people into hunt group 1, then dial 71 to call the group. You can even do this from the voicemail or AA.

This may end up being a live with it issue - I would set up a test calling group and ask two other people in the office to help you test.