User on Leave; Forwarding Calls to User's Phone to Another User

[BBIT]

Greetings, and apologies if this answer is already in another thread. (Tried searching and found this and this but it didn't seem like those were a simple solution to my issue.)
I have an employee on leave and I would like to keep her account active and as it is right now as much as possible so that when she returns she can start using her account/phone right away.

Goal: When outside party calls desk phone user with extension #123 the call actually goes to user with desk phone #456, and then #456's voicemail.

My attempt involved adding a new "Associated Destination" in the "Dynamic Extension Express" settings that added a "Desk 2" phone that when pointed to the destination of the #456 user. This has the unfortunate side effect of forwarding the voicemail box of user #123 to user #456's phone, so that user #456 can no longer check his voicemail on his phone.

Other forwarding threads mention hunt groups and new forwarding paths, neither of which I have setup on the system before and I'm going over the help documentation but I would greatly like a push in the right direction to get this figured out.

[acejavelin]

Is this a DID number or copper trunks into an CRA? Couldn't you just change the Call Routing Table to send DID NXX-X123 to ring x456 and then when she returns change the CRT back to x123?

[BBIT]

These are copper trunks into a CRA.   [System->Trunk-Related Information-> Call Routing Tables]
My experience editing the routing tables is limited to setting up a new table configured for "outside party number" to block telemarketers.

Our main call routing table (#1) has entries for the configured DIDs when the system was first setup, but this user does not have a DID.

[acejavelin]

OK, got it, so then here is one solution...

Make a Hunt Group (lets say x567) that includes a member of x456, and has it's recall point set to a new CRA (lets say x678) and the Recall Timer to ~18 seconds, then go into the CRA and remove all greetings for day and night, and set the Timeout Value to send the call to Mailbox 456, then Call Forward x123 to x567 (the Hunt Group)

Call comes in, outside caller dials 123 (or is transferred via some method to x123), Call Forward send the call to HG x567 which rings x456 then after 18 seconds it recalls to CRA x567 which does nothing but force the call into MB 456.

Should be a done deal, then when the worker returns, just remove the CFA from x123 and all is normal again.

[BBIT]

Thanks, acejavelin. I'm stuck on the "CFA / Call Forward x123 to x567 (the Hunt Group)" settings.

Completed so far:

Make new Call Routing Announcement that forwards to destination user’s voicemail

• Voice Processor -> Devices -> Applications -> [Right Click] Create Call Routing Announcement (CRA)
• Remove Day and Night Greetings from new CRA
• In “Digit Translation” change timeout to “Transfer to Mailbox” and input the destination user’s mailbox number.

Create new hunt group with destination user as a Hunt Group Member

• System -> Devices -> Hunt Groups [Right Click] Create Hunt Group
• Right Click Hunt Group’s  “Recall” and “Change Recall” -> Select Call Routing Announcement -> Choose the new CRA made for this user.
• Members -> add the destination user’s extension
• Timers -> Recall Timer to 24 seconds

[acejavelin]

Go to the phone and dial 355 567 (Call Forward Always FAC + Hunt Group Extension), if the phone has a display it should show something to the effect of "Call Forward Always to 567".

[BBIT]

Wait.... is there any reason why I shouldn't just set the phone's forwarding to the destination user?  It seems like the phone's built-in forwarding is sufficient enough?

[acejavelin]

When it hits Voicemail it would go into mailbox 123, not 456, if you just call forward it.

[BBIT]

Ah, got it. (I hadn't used that before)

Thanks, I have the forwarding working successfully now.     

I am still having a problem caused by trying to configuring two phones in the dynamic extension express where voicemail notifications for the origin user are going to the destination user's phone, even though the origin user has no messages (I cleared them out). I haven't been able to find any way to clear/cancel these phantom notifications, and the voicemail button on the destination user's phone no longer directs just to the user's own voicemail automatically.

I've got my problems solved. Thanks for your help!

[DND ON]

Wait.... is there any reason why I shouldn't just set the phone's forwarding to the destination user?  It seems like the phone's built-in forwarding is sufficient enough?

Calls manually forwarded to another station will never route to voice mail. Any system forwarding will be ignored.

[acejavelin]

I had to test DND ON's info, he is indeed correct, as usual! 

Call Routing Annoucements are very useful tools in the 5000, they can fix lots of weird routing issues when used in conjunction with various other elements, like hunt groups.

Glad you got it taken care of!!!