Multiple operator stations vs. call queuing

[CaptObvious26]

During peek hours in the morning we are starting to see 3 or 4 calls being backed up at the operator station in one of our stores. For years, the setup has always been the same and I've avoided changing it, but management has decided that this is now a problem and we need to fix it. I suggest call queues that let the customer direct the call by pressing 1,2,3 etc for which department they want to speak to. The owners are against it because they feel its impersonal to their customers. The other idea I had was two create a second operator station.

Currently all calls come into a DID in the phone system that forwards to an extension (1300) I was think that I could create another operator station (1301) and put them in a hunt group. Change the DID to point to the hunt group instead of 1300, and that way calls coming in would ring 1300 first, unless it was busy... then they would ring 1301. My question is would the operator at night be able to transfer the hunt group to night service (voicemail)? Currently they transfer the extension 1300 to voicemail, could they continue to do that as long as 1301 is logged off? How do I change the DID to point to a hunt group instead of the station it's currently set to?

 

[montyzummer]

what is your definity/ cm version ??

this setting will either be on the trunk group form Definity

or inc-call-handeling-trmt trunk-group x

in there you would change the destination to your hunt group and you can also add a night service destination , so night service would just need to be activated from the attendant console and will follow current rules.

APSS (SME)
ACSS (SME)
ACIS (UC)

 

[CaptObvious26]

We're on Release 6 I believe

 

[CaptObvious26]

For night service destination in the hunt group, do I put the voicemail system extension?

 

[CaptObvious26]

operators currently dial *2 (their extension) (extension of vmail server)

*2 is our system is Call Forwarding Activation Busy/DA with deactivation being #2 ... so in the morning they dial #2 (Their extension)

 

[montyzummer]

in the incomming treatment table just put the existing operator console in so the calls are redirected before the hunt group comes into play , add a night service button to the console.

APSS (SME)
ACSS (SME)
ACIS (UC)

 

[CaptObvious26]

Now a new problem, the hunt group works for the first two calls, but if both stations are on an active call the third caller will get a busy tone. I don't see where I can tell the hunt group to ring the second call appearance of either station. Is there a way to have caller 3 ring station 1300 appearance 2?

 

[bleebrant]

A hunt group call only rings to an extension if it is available.
On the hunt group form you could set Queue to yes so callers don't hear a busy. If it is a non-acd hunt group you can also add a delay announcement on the second page of the hunt group.
If you want the extensions to handle more than one call at a time, you could remove the extensions from the hunt group so there are no members, and add a coverage path to it.
The first point of coverage is the main answering set, and then the second point would be the backup. Each phone could have a hunt-ns button which can be pressed to send calls directed to the hunt group to the night destination you entered on the hunt group.