Need to know how to setup a hunt group to forward calls to an external number

[Bobcat250]

Hi all!

I'm very new to this forum so please excuse if I make any faux pas when posting this request for assistance 

Our phone system (a mitel 5000) is located in a local newspaper. When customers call in with circulation questions,  they press "4" on their phones to get into the Circulation hunt group. However, there is no longer any service reps located in our office to answer the call and the operator must manually forward the calls to another of our offices to help the customer.  My manager has tasked me with finding a way to automagically forward any of these customer service type calls to the service number located at the other office.

Researching this site, I've discovered that hunt groups (by themselves) cannot be set to forward to an external number; a "phantom extension" must first be created and then some magic done to make that phantom then call forward.

I have no clue how to create a phantom extension or if it will, in some way, negatively impact the system operation;as I said I'm a true "newbie" to phone systems.

If someone can give me a step-by-step set of instructions on how to create this phantom extension and then how to set it up to forward, that would be a major help.

Many thanks for your kind assistance 

Dan
bobcat250

[dwayneg]

Glad to help.  Several ways to do it, simplest below.
1. Create a new phantom extension, we'll say it's 12345
2. Manually forward that extension to the outside number.  Assuming feature codes are all at default values, from any on-site phone:
   a. dial 359 (remote programming)
   b. dial 12345 (phantom ext)
   c. dial 12345# (pass for phantom)
   d. dial 355 (forward all calls)
   e. dial 92000 (Automatic Route Selection, tells system to make an outside call) on older software versions might be 9200
   f. dial the outside number, including toll field and area code if needed
   g. hang up phone (spkr key) to save
Now dialing 12345 should get you to the outside destination.  You can use 12345 anywhere you would use any extension, such as a button on console or a choice in a CRA menu.
There are a few things that could prevent you from setting this up such as some flags, but if settings are still default you should be good.  Let me know if you have a problem and I'll list other things to check (rare).

[Bobcat250]

Thanks, Dwayneg; this was a great help  !

Much appreciated!

[mem5449]

The manual call fwd-ing will not work on the phantoms IF they are in a hunt group. You are better off using Dynamic Extension (if your 5000 version is licensed for it) on the original extensions and set them up to twin to the external numbers. I do it all the time on our 5000 and it works great. By preserving the hunt group, you assure the call will get answered quickly.