Ring Hunt Group, then Auto Attendat (Embedded VM)

[ShakinEakin]

Hi All,

I successfully setup an IPO 406v2 with the embedded voice mail. I upgraded to 3.1(56), and so far so good.

Aside: It took some time to figure out, while in the auto-attendant, if I assign a button "Normal Transfer", but leave the extension empty, it will allow the caller to dial a users extension.

Anyway, what I want to do is have the main number ring in to the receptionist (this is working). But, if they don't answer after a handful of rings, to roll over to the auto-attendant.

Is there such a way? I can do this if the receptionist is on the phone, but I want it to roll over in case they are not at their desk (or forget to turn on DND).

I know I can configure my incoming call route to go to the auto-attendant first, but I'm hoping I can try the receptionist first.

I have created a short code for the auto-attendant, but I just can't figure a way to assign a user or hunt group to a shortcode. I need to do this in order to assign the auto-attendant as the fallback, right??

Is there a better way?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Shakin'

 

[jml2665]

OK, first in your Normal Transfer do you have to dial the preceeding digit before you dial the extension???

Now there may be a better way to do this, but what I did for this was to setup a new user with unconditional forward to the auto-attendant shortcode. This way you can add that user to the hunt group overflow. So your main hunt group would have the receptionist user in the primary, this forwarded user in the overflow and then for nights I did a similar setup to the night auto-attendant. Slapped a night button hunt group toggle on the receptionist phone and my customer was happy, well as happy as one can be with embedded VM. It lasted 2 weeks, I now have a pending order to replace it with VM Pro

 

[avayaconsultant]

Please read the last two sentences that jml2665 wrote. He is fairly accurate in his theory there. We have installed several of the Embedded VM only to come back with a week or so and upgrade the customers to VM Pro. If you look close at most of the docs, the embedded is only built as a basic AA. It is also only designed to be the primary call receiver. Inother words, it is not "designed" to do what you desire. The unconditional forward on the user is one way to get it to roll on over.

 

[ShakinEakin]

Thanks guys, that's what I thought. But, we are a small office, and VM Pro is just over kill.

I will try the unconditional forward. If it works, I will be happy.

And yes, you do need to dial the proceeding digit in order to allow the ability to dial the extension. The problem is, it doesn't offer any prompts. The best I could think of, "Thank you for calling. If you know your parties extension, please press one, followed by their extension". Or, maybe another "poor-man" trick would be to tell external users their extension is 1201 (assuming their real extension is 201, but since you have to press 1 in order to dial by extension... Not the best solution, I know).

Anyway, thanks again jml and avconsultant.

Shakin'

 

[ShakinEakin]

OK, I think I finally got it. It's a little bit kludgy, but here is what I did:

1) Created a short code for the auto attendant (*90).
2) Created a user ((User:AA:Main") that 'Forward Unconditional' and 'Forward Huntgroup Calls'. I need to set the Foreward number to ("AA:Main Shortcode") - Trick: You can't just enter the shortcode on the Foreward Number. Right-click in the box, and select new. Here you can use the shortcode, and a name.
3) Created a Hunt Group (402), and added the user I created in step 2. The tick here was to set the Hunt Type to Linear (the forward huntgroup option under the user account won't forward if the Hunt Group is Group).
4) Updated my Main Hunt Group, to "Overflow" to the Hunt Group I created in step 3 after 5 seconds.

Under the Incoming Route, I has already set to use the AutoAttendant during after hours.

Whew, a lot of steps. But, it seems to be doing what I want it to.

Again, thanks jml for his pointer in the right direction.

Shakin'