Rollover to answering service

[LonnieCT]

How can I have a phantom extension rollover to an answering service?

Here is what I have:

Calls from a phone line come in and get answered by AA1. They typically fall through to an extension 514 (phantom) that has a button on several people's extensions. If nobody happens to be in the office after a specified number of rings (5), I would like that caller to be redirected to an external phone number (the answering service) to take the call rather than going into voice mail.

How can I do this? I'm rather green at programming this thing... Just starting to get into it, so explicit instructions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Lonnie

 

[Pepperz]

Have an extension (adjunct) remote forwarded to the service. On the Night AA the selected option is routed to that extension instead of the other covered extension.

Pepperz@charter.net

 

[LonnieCT]

What I am looking for is if everybody happens to go to lunch at the same time during the day. If that happens, I would like it to ring 5 times and then remote forward to the answering service at an external phone number.

Extension 514 - adjunct 564 - is currently where the calls come in on. So am I looking at an individual cover for extension 514 and have that cover extension remote forwarded to the external phone number?

Thanks!

Lonnie

 

[Pepperz]

Why nor just forward the phone to the answering service immediately? If everyone is at lunch, the calls could go there sooner.

Pepperz@charter.net

 

[LonnieCT]

They're not supposed to be out all at the same time. I got that covered by going to night service. I am looking for the accidental walk aways from their desks and the phone just keeps ringing and ringing...

That's why I am trying to keep the ringing down to a minimum for the customer calling in. So, I figure by 5 rings, someone should have answered it. If not, it should roll to the answering service.

Thanks!

Lonnie

 

[Pepperz]

May be a little trick, but try this: Under the extensions menu, put the forwarding delay to 4 for the operator phone, make sure the operator phone is set to allow remote call forwarding, also in the extension menu, then try it. Forward it to the answering service, and see if it works the way you want.

Pepperz@charter.net

 

[LonnieCT]

Thanks!

I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks for your time.

Lonnie