Manually Answer Incoming Calls

[blcabling]

I have a Norstar CICS with phones configured to app/ring on each line for each phone. Currently, when a call comes in, anyone that picks up their handset answers the call. How can I program it so we can pick up the handset then select the line manually the answer the call?

Thanks so much for your help!!

 

[silver987]

You must turn the ring off on the phones you want to manually answer. If you have a centrally located phone that everyone can hear? Would that work?

http://www.silverlakecom.com

 

[senk1s]

If more than one line is ringing, press the ringing button that you'd like to answer and then pickup the handset

 

[blcabling]

Thanks for the replies! Anyone can think of a way to program the system so that even though the lines are set to appear/ring on all sets, you can still pick the handset and not have it answer the ringing line? The client had their old system go bad and swears that he had this ability before.

 

[jerryreeve]

No, the assumption of the design seems to be that the sysadmin will send the ring only to the phones that will answer the call. when you pick up a ringing phone it will answer the line on the phone that has been ringing longest. If you tap the intercom first then pickup the handset then you will have intercom dial tone. if you tap one of the line buttons first then pick up the handset then you will have CO dial tone. If you just pickup the handset when it is ringing then you will be talking to the ringing line.

If you do not want to have a phone answer ringing calls set the line appearance to appear only.

If you have an overhead paging you could set the lines to trip an overhead bell/pa and then the calls could be answered by the phones manually, but with just a phone system you have to turn the ring off in order to not answer it.

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'Rule 29', "The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy. No more. No less."
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JerryReeve
Communication Systems Int'l
com-sys.com

 

[RikRodgers]

There are some off beat dialing options for outbound calls, but I've got to agree with everyone else. If a person's phone is ringing, just picking up the handset will answer the call.