Transfer to another extension during voicemail message?

[Rishi]

According to the CEO of our company, our voicemail system used to be set up so that if you called someone and got their voicemail, you could dial any other extension during the VM message to get transferred to that extension. Pressing an extension now (starts with '5') just goes straight to the voicemail for the original person dialed. This seems to be the case with all phone lines.

It does look like I can press 0 to get the operator though. Did this ability exist in this phone system? If so, any idea what could've turned it off? Thanks.

[acejavelin]

You cannot dial an extension from a mailbox greeting... You can only dial 0 which will transfer you to either the primary attendant or the attendant defined for that mailbox.

[dwayneg]

Perhaps his recollection may be wrong.  You may have had the "dial 0" for each mailbox set to a CALL ROUTING ANNOUNCEMENT which allowed you to dial an extension or directory. Typically mine would say "Please dial an extension now or press # for a directory".  Then make sure all the DIGIT TRANSLATION choices for the appropriate extension ranges lead to TRANSFER TO COLLECTED EXTENSION.

[Tech Electronics]

Rishi,

It could also be that is used to go to the Auto Attendant Recall application instead of Voice Mail. That application would allow you dial from it, access the directory, or press 0 to leave a message in the persons mailbox.

Thanks,

TE