Making Heads or Tails of a Coverage Request

[jasonjthomas]

We have recently done some shuffling at our Front Desk, so a new person has replaced our longtime administrative assistant. Our admin assistant has been promoted, as it were.

As a result of this move, I have been requested to make it such that our Managing Partner's phone when unanswered will ring to the promoted assistant first. Following that, the phone can then ring a hunt group containing all of the administrative staff that cover phones.

Now, when looking at the user object, I cannot see where this configuration is made. I can see that there is a Hunt Group number in the Voicemail Reception, but that would only apply in the instance where the caller hits "0" when entering the desired user's mailbox.

Now, according to our manager, this should all occur before the call enters the voicemail for the Managing Partner. My IPO noob-ness is rearing its ugly head, and I cannot find exactly where I would create such a configuration.

Any help is appreciated, and I will fill in the blanks as much as possible.

 

[Ragnorak]

What Version of IP Office are you running? V2.x handles coverage differently than 3.x

Option 1

You could set the first 2 extensions to call forward on no answer. Manager > Promoted Assist > Admin Hunt Group

This would cause all of the promoted assistant's direct calls to be forwarded on no answer as well so it is probably not what you want.

Option 2

If you are in version 3.x you could assign a coverage (delayed ring) or bridged (immediate ring) line appearance for the managers phone on to the promoted assistant's phone. Have the the manager's phone call forward on no answer to the hunt group.

If I recall the voicemail path for unanswered calls should follow the original dialed number for the manager's phone.

If it does not, create a second hunt group identical to the admin staff and forward the calls to that hunt group. In Voicemail Pro, create a custom Leave Mail action under this Hunt Group to leave mail in the manager's mail box. You may want to create a second Hunt Group anyway so that it is clear to the admin staff from the display on the phone that the current call was for that manager.

I would do it this way but you have to be running 3.x

Option 3

Under 2.x there is a coverage tab under Users. You assign coverage extensions there. Just assign the promoted assistant to cover for the manager and set his calls to call forward on no answer to the Hunt Group

Option 4

Reassign the manager's phone to a different extension and then create a Hunt Group using his original extension. Create a second Hunt Group with only the promoted assistant in it. The Manager's Hunt Group overflows to the assistant Hunt Group and then overflows to the admin staff. You would have to create a custom leave mail action under either the manager's extension or hunt group so that he doesn't end up with two voice mail boxes. The added advantage to this is that calls to his new extension will not follow the forwarding. I set something like this up for a CEO in version 2.1 to work around the limits of coverage and DND exception lists.

Hope this helps.

 

[jasonjthomas]

Ragnorak,

Apologies for the delay in my reponse, but I decided to stay away from the computer for most of the weekend.

We are running v.3.x in our environment, so it looks like what you suggest in Option 2 would be best. If you don't mind helping me in the right direction, where would I setup the coverage (delayed ring) for the manager to the promoted assistant?

I will be testing this today, but I do appreciate your guidance on this.

Jason

Jason J. Thomas
Director, Technology Risk Management
SB & Company, LLC

 

[jasonjthomas]

Looking into this further, I think I have how this should be setup.

From the Promoted Assistant's phone, select Digital Telephony. Set one of the buttons to have the Coverage Appearance for the Manager.

Now, the one thing I notice is that the user in question has moved from a 5410 to a 5402 Avaya phone. Should that matter as far as coverage appearance is concerned?


Jason J. Thomas
Director, Technology Risk Management
SB & Company, LLC

 

[jasonjthomas]

I think I am onto something else with this.

In theory, handsets should not matter. Nonetheless, I decided to swap the Promoted Asst.'s extenion with a 5410. I can get the Coverage Appearance to work for my extension with nary a problem whatsoever.

The problem comes in with the manager. Apparently, his primary extension is a member of a Hunt Group that rings as a group. Furthermore, this Hunt Group is the default destination for the Incoming Call Route to his phone. I have removed the hunt group, and that appears to have resolved the problem of Coverage Appearance working for the assistant. Thus, when I call the Manager, the Promoted Asst. gets calls sent to her. If she fails to answer, the call then goes back to the Manager's voicemail.

The question is how do I add the third part to this. If the Promoted Asst. fails to answer the call, I want to send it to our Main Overflow Hunt Group. How should I do that? The suggestion to use Forward on No Answer does not allow me to specify a Hunt Group (at least not on first pass).

I am still working on this second part, but the first part works as expected.



Jason J. Thomas
Director, Technology Risk Management
SB & Company, LLC

 

[jasonjthomas]

Actually, I got this figured out. For the second part, I merely made the Manager's number Forward On No Answer to the extension for the Main Overflow Hunt Group. It works exactly as advertised.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, Ragnorak.

Jason


Jason J. Thomas
Director, Technology Risk Management
SB & Company, LLC

 

[Ragnorak]

Jason

Sorry for not getting back to you, I've been running around this week.

Glad it worked out.