Hi there. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.
I'm working on a Partner Plus r4.1 system with Partner Mail VS r3 at a small to medium sized business. I have been given the following scenario to try and make work with the system, with the following being the current setup:
- The auto attendant is already configured and is used during overnights/holidays via a night service button.
- Normally, calls are answered at extension 10, or any other extension that is programmed for immediate ringing.
- Calls are typically manually transferred to other extensions as needed.
- There are four incoming CO lines on the system, all of which are setup in a roll-over fashion with one main published number used to call the business, and if that line is busy the phone company automatically rings the next line, etc.
Now, here's what they want to do: Sue is the group event coordinator for the business, and takes calls from people who want to make reservations for group events. Sue has a desk in the upstairs office at extension 15, with a voicemail box set up for that extension. Employees can transfer calls to 15, and either she answers or the caller gets her voicemail. So far so good.
Sue sometimes works downstairs in a different room where phone extension 12 is mounted to the wall. Extension 12 has no VMS coverage.
When calls come in for Sue to extension 10 (in a separate room), employees want to be able to transfer the call to wherever she is, but they don't know if she's in the room with extension 12 or the room with extension 15.
Ideally: the person from extension 10 presses a button to transfer the caller to a calling group that rings both extensions 12 and 15 simultaneously, and if nobody answers, Sue's voicemail handles the call.
Acceptable: the person from extension 10 presses a button to transfer the caller to extension 12, and if nobody answers there, it rolls over to extension 15, and if nobody answers there, Sue's voicemail handles the call.
Here's the squeeze: I can't find a way to make that work with the current configuration. I set up a calling group (71) which rings both extensions, but the voicemail never picks up. I don't want a hunt group as I (1) always want 12 to ring first, if I have to choose, and (2) read in the manual that I can't have VMS coverage with a hunt group. I looked at the Transfer Return Extension function and I think I could set it up that calls transferred to 12 would "ring back" to 15 if nobody answers at 12, but it mentions in the manual that there's no VMS coverage for transfer return calls, so I don't think that will work either.
In my head I've come up with two hacky work-arounds, but I'm not keen on either of them:
Work-around 1: install a standard phone at extension 12 and just split extension 15 to that wall jack. Cons: loss of system buttons for hold and transfer (I know those functions can be accomplished with switchhook flashes on a standard phone, but I'm not dealing with a sophisticated end-user and want to try and keep it simple).
Work-around 2: loop an unused extension to an unused line, include it in the calling group with extension 12, and have extension 15 set to ring immediately with VMS line coverage for that fake incoming line. Cons: I'm low on extensions and out of available lines with the current system setup (2 206E cards), so I'd have to install another 206E card in the system and then dick around with getting the system set up with the Partner Mail VS in the fourth slot instead of the third.
Is there an easier way to do this? In short, is it possible to get a specific voicemail box to answer an unanswered call made to a calling group with system programming?
Sorry for being long-winded, and thank you in advance.
I'm working on a Partner Plus r4.1 system with Partner Mail VS r3 at a small to medium sized business. I have been given the following scenario to try and make work with the system, with the following being the current setup:
- The auto attendant is already configured and is used during overnights/holidays via a night service button.
- Normally, calls are answered at extension 10, or any other extension that is programmed for immediate ringing.
- Calls are typically manually transferred to other extensions as needed.
- There are four incoming CO lines on the system, all of which are setup in a roll-over fashion with one main published number used to call the business, and if that line is busy the phone company automatically rings the next line, etc.
Now, here's what they want to do: Sue is the group event coordinator for the business, and takes calls from people who want to make reservations for group events. Sue has a desk in the upstairs office at extension 15, with a voicemail box set up for that extension. Employees can transfer calls to 15, and either she answers or the caller gets her voicemail. So far so good.
Sue sometimes works downstairs in a different room where phone extension 12 is mounted to the wall. Extension 12 has no VMS coverage.
When calls come in for Sue to extension 10 (in a separate room), employees want to be able to transfer the call to wherever she is, but they don't know if she's in the room with extension 12 or the room with extension 15.
Ideally: the person from extension 10 presses a button to transfer the caller to a calling group that rings both extensions 12 and 15 simultaneously, and if nobody answers, Sue's voicemail handles the call.
Acceptable: the person from extension 10 presses a button to transfer the caller to extension 12, and if nobody answers there, it rolls over to extension 15, and if nobody answers there, Sue's voicemail handles the call.
Here's the squeeze: I can't find a way to make that work with the current configuration. I set up a calling group (71) which rings both extensions, but the voicemail never picks up. I don't want a hunt group as I (1) always want 12 to ring first, if I have to choose, and (2) read in the manual that I can't have VMS coverage with a hunt group. I looked at the Transfer Return Extension function and I think I could set it up that calls transferred to 12 would "ring back" to 15 if nobody answers at 12, but it mentions in the manual that there's no VMS coverage for transfer return calls, so I don't think that will work either.
In my head I've come up with two hacky work-arounds, but I'm not keen on either of them:
Work-around 1: install a standard phone at extension 12 and just split extension 15 to that wall jack. Cons: loss of system buttons for hold and transfer (I know those functions can be accomplished with switchhook flashes on a standard phone, but I'm not dealing with a sophisticated end-user and want to try and keep it simple).
Work-around 2: loop an unused extension to an unused line, include it in the calling group with extension 12, and have extension 15 set to ring immediately with VMS line coverage for that fake incoming line. Cons: I'm low on extensions and out of available lines with the current system setup (2 206E cards), so I'd have to install another 206E card in the system and then dick around with getting the system set up with the Partner Mail VS in the fourth slot instead of the third.
Is there an easier way to do this? In short, is it possible to get a specific voicemail box to answer an unanswered call made to a calling group with system programming?
Sorry for being long-winded, and thank you in advance.
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