We had been using an Inter-Tel Axxess phone system, but it was time to replace it so as of the beginning of this summer we now have a Mitel (formerly Inter-Tel) 5000 phone system instead.
During day mode, incoming external calls ring live at the receptionist's phone (they don't use the auto-attendant; they want a live person to answer). With the Axxess system, if the receptionist was on a call, a new incoming call would keep audibly ringing like a normal call when it came in (which would keep audibly reinforcing to the reptionist that a new call was coming in so she could put the current call on hold). But, with the Mitel 5000, she only gets one audible ring on an incoming call. The caller calling in still "hears" ringing on their end of course, but the receptionist on our end only gets 1 ring.
So, what they need is for the phone to keep ringing on the receptionist's phone like it did with the Axxess for incoming external calls eve when the receptionist is already on the phone. This reinforces to her that a call is coming in and also reinforces it to everyone else in the office since they too hear it keep ringing and pick it up if she is busy (the multiple rings is what catches their attention). We did already program all their phones to show a light when calls are coming in for a visual reinforcement, but the audible reinforcement is very important to them (the light isn't doing it). The others in the office don't want their phone to ring, they just want to overhear the receptionist's phone ringing.
We are using the old phones from the Axxess system since they still work with the Mitel 5000 (the InterTel Axxess Standard Digital phones, model 550.4400). If we needed the receptionist to have a newer phone (i.e. VOIP) to do this, that might be acceptable, though I don't think the phone model itself is the issue.
Anyone know how to do this? Thanks.