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essensys Platform - Telephony - Main number details - Call settings
essensys Platform - Telephony - Main number details - Call settings

How do I determine the call handling for calls arriving at the main number? | Call settings | in / out of hours | in space | main reception

Stuart avatar
Written by Stuart
Updated over a week ago

The main number's call settings indicate how incoming calls to that number should be handled once they are received, either inside or outside of business hours.

Calls can be redirected to: an in space hunt group (calling all, or a subset of, numbers at the site), a reception number (main reception), voicemail, or a forwarding number. You can also configure the behavior so that a call is redirected again when it is not answered.

Configure main number call settings

Before you begin

The main number must be in the ACTIVE state. That is, the main number must be both allocated to the occupier or operator, and then activated.

Accessing the main number details

Access the main number details for either the operator or an occupier:

  • To access the telephony details for the operator:

    • Click Account in the main menu.

    • Select the Telephony tab.

    • Select the <site>.

  • To access the telephony details for an occupier:

    • Click Occupiers in the main menu.

    • Select the <occupier>.

    • Select the Telephony tab.

    • Select the <site>.

The MAIN NUMBER row on this page shows the details of the main number for the selected organization.

Configure call settings

  1. Check that your main number is in the ACTIVE state.

  2. When hovering your cursor over the main number, click Call settings.
    The Call settings dialog box opens.

  3. Specify how a call arriving at the main number should be handled inside and outside of business hours.
    For details of the options that you can select, and the rules associated with those selections, see Call forwarding: Answer during and out of business hours.
    Note: The default business hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30AM to 6PM.

  4. Indicate what should happen to an incoming call that is not answered within a given time limit.
    For details of the If not answered options, see Call forwarding: If not answered.

  5. If voicemail is selected for any option, and you want to use voicemail to email:

    • Select Voicemail to email.

    • Enter the email address to send a message to.

  6. Click Save.

Your changes are saved and applied. Calls to your main number will now be redirected as described in your configuration.

What next?

  • If you selected Main reception, then you may want to set up greetings and other information to share with the receptionist at the call handling service.
    For details, see Greetings.

  • If you selected In Space, then you may want to edit the phone numbers in the in space hunt group. By default, the group includes all active phone numbers with the same occupier or operator as the main number, and the main number.
    For details, see In space hunt group.


Call settings dialog box

Call forwarding: Answer during and out of business hours

The Call forwarding drop-down lists describe how to handle incoming calls that are received on the main number in the following scenarios:

  • Answer during business hours.

  • Answer out of business hours.

Note: The default business hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30AM to 6PM.

The options that can be selected from these drop-down lists are as follows:

Option

Description

Rules

Available

In Space

Incoming calls are redirected to all of the phone numbers in the In Space hunt group simultaneously. By default, all active phone numbers with the same operator or occupier as the main number are added to the in space hunt group.

If this option is selected for both during and out of business hours, the same hunt group is used in both scenarios.

  • During Business hours

  • Out of Business hours

Main Reception

Incoming calls are redirected to your call answering service.

Only available if your serviced office provides a call answering service.

  • During Business hours (default)

Voicemail

Incoming calls are sent straight to the Voicemail mail box for the main number.

  • During Business hours

  • Out of Business hours (default)

Forward to number

Incoming calls are sent straight to a selected number.

Selecting this option enables the Phone number field, where you capture the number to forward the call to.

The forwarding phone number field accepts a full number without spaces, brackets, plus symbols (+), or hyphens (-).

For more information about the format, see Forwarding number formatting.

  • During Business hours

  • Out of Business hours

Forwarding number formatting

The forwarding phone number field accepts a full number without spaces, brackets, plus symbols (+), or hyphens (-). For examples, see:

Type

Example

Description

UK Number

0207777777

Full number with dialing code, no spaces or characters.

Outside line

90207777777

Prefix the number with 9 to get an outside line if you have to do this on your network.

Redirect to Voicemail

*5535219

(Sends the call to Voicemail at ext 35219.)

Prefix the number with *55 to send calls to voicemail if this is supported on your network.

Call forwarding: If not answered

This drop-down list indicates what should happen to an incoming call that is not answered within 13 or 22 seconds:

  • The options that you can select from this drop-down list are determined by your selection for Answer during business hours.

  • The option that is selected is used when redirecting unanswered calls both during business hours and out of business hours.

If Answer during business hours is either In space or Main reception, you can select from the following if not answered options:

  • Forward to number (after 13 seconds).

  • Forward to number (after 22 seconds).

  • Voicemail (after 13 seconds).

  • Voicemail (after 22 seconds).

  • In space only: Main reception (after 13 seconds).

If Answer during business hours is either Voicemail or Forward to another number, you cannot select an if not answered option.

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