Mitel 5000 customer wants hunt group to do hat tricks...

[Crowtalks]

Mitel 5000 customer wants hunt group to ring to a few extension, but wants all other extensions able to pick up the flashing hunt group (they are coming from a Nortel that allowed extensions to pick up calls whether it is appear and ring or appear)

Thanks, Jim

[dwayneg]

Important question: how are calls ringing in the HG, All-Ring or one of the distribution schemes?

[Tech Electronics]

Crowtalks,

Anyone can pickup a Hunt Group Call if they either know the extension number or have a DSS/BLF of the Hunt Group on their Keymap; all they have to do is press the feature code for reverse transfer (default: 4) and then dial the hunt group pilot number or press the DSS/BLF and they will get the next call in queue.

Thanks,

TE

[Crowtalks]

Thanks for the replies, the numbers that are ringing are in an extension list (ring group)

The customer is migrating from a few Nortel BCMs to some 5000s. At one location they have a hunt group where 4 phones ring, but the hunt group appears on keys on several non-ringing phones where they can press the flashing key and pick up the call.

Tech Electronics: can I assign a DSS/BLF Key for the hunt group on a phone that is not a ringing member of the group and allow that phone to press the DSS/BLF key and grab the call?

Thanks

[dwayneg]

Here's a cool idea: create a phantom extension and include it in the HG ext list.  Put a Secondary Extension Key representing the phantom on all the phones not in the HG.  Now whenever there's a call to the HG that lamp will flash and pressing the key will answer (must press key, not just pick up handset).  S E Ks have a field for RING WHEN.  If you set to 0 light will flash but no ring.  Set to 1 and phone will ring. Set to any other number and phone will ring only if that many calls are waiting.

For my help desk I built 2 EXT LIST, first has only HG agents, second has agents plus my phantom.  I set HG to linear distribution, put Ext List 1 at top, then several of Ext List 2 (so it doesn't return to top).  Now caller rings HG and if not answered in X seconds continues to ring HG plus everyone else's SE K rings and flashes.

[Tech Electronics]

Crowtalks,

Sorry I have been very busy today and haven't been on the forums, but yes you can put any extension as a DSS/BLF on a phone, but if you want to get a call either holding or ringing you need to use the reverse transfer code (default: 4) first before pressing the key; that part may have been a little unclear in my first response.

As for Dwayneg's solution it will work if the Phantom Extension is in the ring group and it will flash the phone as they suggest, but the catch-22 is that if more than one person presses the secondary key to answer the phone two of them may end up talking to one another.

Explanation: Let's say a call comes into the hunt group and all members are busy so the only phone ringing would be the phantom port. Now let's say that 3 non-hunt group members, lets call them a user, presses the flashing secondary extension key at approximately the same time to try and service the call. What happens is one of those users will answer the actual call waiting in the hunt group and everything works as planned. Another of the users at that point will actually be calling the phantom extension because it works just like any other DSS/BLF and the third user then answers the call ringing the phantom port; hence they are talking to one another.

Now, I am not saying the solution is a bad one, as I have used it several times, but you need to let the users know about that scenario (issue) and that the system is working as designed and that there is not a fix for the problem of the users talking to one another.

Thanks,

TE

[Crowtalks]

Thanks for the answer and that makes sense, as I am well aware of reverse transfer (I usually tag it as call retrieve)

Jim

[Tech Electronics]

Crowtalks,

Not a problem and yeah we don't present it as Reverse Transfer to customers either, we label it call pickup.

Thanks,

TE

[dwayneg]

Tech, the way I prevent the scenario you describe is that I have SYS FWD Immediate in place on the phantom...anyone that presses their phantom key when no call is ringing goes to an announcement "Thank you, another agent has already answered this call".  HG calls, of course, don't follow the SYS FWD path.

[Tech Electronics]

Dwayneg,

I learned my one new thing for today and I am going home now. lol. Really nice solution and I can't believe I never thought of that.

Thanks,

TE

[mem5449]

dwayneg that is an awesome trick!
I've used the SYS FWD IMM a few times over my LONG GMX/IMX/AXX/5000HX career to solve some sticky issues but I had never thought to use it to fire off a CRA in that manner. "You are very clever, grasshopper"