Extension Question

[nsanto17]

We just recently moved from the 4th Floor to the 1st Floor of our current building.

During the move we purchased a new BCM 400 with the expansion module. I was told by our Phone Technician that we would be able to have our old extensions forwarded to new extensions.

Our old extensions were 201-269
Our New extensions are 601-669

Does anyone have any ideas on how this can be done.

This is only for external calls only... This does not have to apply for internal calls.

Management really wants this done...

Thanks

Nick

 

[bcmpimp]

Are both the 200's and the 600's up and working?

 

[nsanto17]

The 600's are working fine...

I am not sure how to get the 200's to work as well..

for example my old extension is 207 and my new extension is 616. Now when someone calls and types in my old extension of 207 they get a message saying the extension does not exist. I want that call to be forwarded to my new extension 616.

Thanks

Nick

 

[paterson]

Sounds like you have an Auto Attendant/Voice Mail answering incoming calls. If that is the case, I would suggest that you re-record you greetings to let callers know that your extensions have changed. There is an option in the Voice Mail that will allow callers to find an extension by dialing by name. Make sure that you inform customers of this feature.

It works by having the caller dial the first 3 letters of your first or last name using the keypad on the phone they are calling from. The Voice Mail system will match up the dialled numbers with the names attached to each individual voice mail box. If there is more than one match, the system will play the name recording you would have set up when initiallizing your mail box and if it is not the right one, the caller will have the option of hearing the next match. The voice mail system will then transfer callers to the new extension.

If that is not what you are needing, then I strongly suggest calling your service provider for a technical visit.

Good Luck!

 

[nsanto17]

We have already done that...

The problem is that since we were told by our service provider that this could have been done we did not change any advertisments or any business cards.

 

[bcmpimp]

So, you want to keep the old extension numbers? Change them back. You can turn off extension dialing on the Call Pilot and force your callers to dial by name. You do not have the flexability to do an ACDN set up like on a Meridian 1 PBX. Are you ever going to make the new extension numbers known to your customers? If not, change them back...or set up a Auto ATTD to let callers know of the change.

 

[paterson]

I am not as familiar with the BCM as other techs on this site, but I think it might work to do this:

Delete your current voicemail boxes assigned for each new extension. What I think has happened is that the new phone extensions (6XX) have voicemail boxes with the same number assigned (6XX). So, reprogram each voicemail box to be the number of the OLD extension (2XX). Then assign the newly created voicemail box with the old extension number (2xx) to the new phone extension (6XX). That way, when callers call in, they will dial the old 2XX number and the voicemail system will direct them to the new 6XX extension.

I may have lost you there, but your service provider should know what I am talking about. I would not attempt this unless you were given good Voicemail Administration Training by your service provider.

I should point out that I am not 100% sure that this will work, but I am fairly confident. It is what I would try! Try one and see if it works.

By the way, why would you change extension numbers?

 

[nsanto17]

We changed the extension #s to match our New DID's

 

[paterson]

I think that it was wrong to advise you that you could keep the old numbers. If you were getting new numbers, you should have been told to change you business cards. That way everything is clean and in order.

The path that you are going down will only create problems later! Especially if the tech that normally comes down is no longer available or if you change service providers. IT WILL GET UGLY FAST.

Change now and you will not regret it!!!

 

[cigargerald]

Actually, this is possible thanks to a little used feature in CallPilot called Alternate Extensions.

1) you need to set up a ghost extension for the old DN for each phone. Set them up as appear and ring and on no-reply send them to vm. If you don't have the DN in your list, find a range that you are not using and use the DN Change DN feature to create them.

2) For each new ext. add the old DN as an answer key.

3) Finally, this is the important part. Go into Call Pilot and for each new ext, add the appropriate old ext as an Alternate Extension. If you do not do this step, what will happen is that when the phone is not answered it will go in to the General Delivery mailbox. By completing this step, it will go in to the parties' correct mailbox.

We went through the same issue with old and new, and this process works.

 

[acewarlock]

Why didn't you keep your old Ext numbers instaed of changing them?????

 

[3Sixty]

Do you need to keep the old DID number only. Or do you need the extension number as well.You could just assign your extension with 2 target lines one with the old number and one with the new DID numbers.

Marshall

http://www.marshallshouse.co.uk

 

[3Sixty]

If all the calls are answered by voicemail. If you set up the old mailbox with the new number I would think if they dial the mailbox number 2xx it will dial the extension 6xx or the extension number for the mailbox.

Marshall

http://www.marshallshouse.co.uk