How to set up Primary Coverage for operator?

[dphoenix1]

Ok, so what I want to do would seem pretty simple, but I've run into a few roadblocks.

First of all, a description of the system: we have a Merlin Legend PBX, with the majority of phones being leftover Partner 18Ds from our old Partner system, hooked into 3 016-ETR cards. The receptionist, IT department (me), and CEO have MLX phones.

When a call comes in, it is immediately answered by Auto Attendant which prompts for extension and has a dial zero/timeout to go to the operator, at extension 104.

This works fine, except when the receptionist goes to lunch. She wants to program it so that her calls immediately get routed to another employee (who has a partner phone; don't know if that's pertinent or not) during that time.

I tried setting up a Primary Coverage situation for her by using programming a button on my phone for testing purposes with the Primary Coverage feature, *40, and her extension, 104. As soon as I programmed that button, all calls were getting forwarded to me, and I couldn't get it to stop unless I deleted that button programming.

Then I found the "Coverage Off" feature, which, if I was reading correctly, should be programmed to a button on her phone, and when activated, would not forward her calls. Problem was, her phone is a MLX-10D with only 8 buttons, and we have 15 phone lines, so there weren't any buttons to program with that feature (I'd get "Programming Error" whenever I tried).

So now I'm baffled. Do you guys have any suggestions? I'm open to either a way to get around this button problem or even an entirely different solution, it doesn't matter. I always got excellent feedback from this site, so thanks in advance!

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Why don't you just FORWARD the Operator's extension when she is away from her desk?

Feature 33-(the destination extension number) to enable it,
Feature 33-104 (her own extension number) to cancel it.

You could put Forward on a button, she would press the button and dial the destination or her own number. The light next to the button would indicate the status.

OR, at the Partner extension that wants to cover the Operator, have them dial Feature 34-104 (for "Follow Me"), which will bring her calls to the Partner phone. Feature *33-104 to cancel.

 

[dphoenix1]

Thank you so much, that worked! I neglected to mention that I'd tried that before, but for some reason, after forwarding is enabled, the system rings once first at the source extension before it forwards the call to the destination extension, so I quickly gave up on that idea thinking it didn't work.

Thanks again!

 

[SYQUEST]

Just an aside, the one ringy-dingy is a reminder ring to remind the user the station is on Call Forwarding. That has been in existence as long as the Call Forward feature has been around!

I believe this is covered in the Legend/Magix Feature Reference document.

....JIM....