Introduction
Answering Rules are a powerful tool to create powerful call routing applications. The sheer number of options can be daunting at first. However, with a little planning you can fine tune your call routing in a manner that’s just right for your business.
How Answering Rules Apply
The first thing to understand is how Answering Rules are applied. You can create as many rules as you wish. They will always be evaluated from top to bottom, first based on Time Frame. You may only use a Time Frame once per set of Answering Rules. However, two different Time Frames may overlap. For example, You may have a Holiday Time Frame, and a Business Hours Time Frame. If the Holiday took place during Business Hours both would be applicable. However, only the first will be processed. For this reason you can easily reorder Time Frames using the up/down arrows at the left. You can tell which rule is active by the blue Active icon next to the rule name. In the below example the Default rule is active.
Ring Time
The answering rule will process for number of seconds set in your Ring setting before rolling over to it’s Unavailable destination or voicemail. If neither option are selected the caller will hear a busy tone. Note that if voicemail is enabled you do not have to specify it in the answering rule destination. A standard ring time is 30 seconds (5 rings).
Answering Rule Options
The following options are available with each rule:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Time Frame | Time Frame under which this rule will be processed. Additional Time Frames may be created on the appropriate tab |
| Enabled | Default is Enabled. You may disable the rule be de-selecting this box. |
| Do not disturb | This is synced to the DND option on Polycom and Yealink phones |
| Call Screening | If enabled, only numbers listed in the Allowed box will bypass call screening |
| Always | Immediately sends the caller to this destination |
| On Active | No longer supported |
| When busy | Forwards calls if you are on the phone or during DND mode |
| When unanswered | Forwards calls after the Ring timeout |
| When offline | If an endpoint cannot receive a call (usually due to loss of network connection) the caller will be sent to this destination. This is recommended for internet failover |
| Simultaneous ring | Used to create a ring Group |
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Include user’s extension | Adds user’s extension to the ring group, regardless of the list below. Not recommended for Call Routing users |
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Ring all user’s phones | Ring any phones attached to the user. I.e. 100, 100a, 100b, etc. This does not apply to Call Routing users |
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Answer confirmation for offnet numbers | If a non-network number is listed below the receiving party will get a confirmation prompt before accepting any call. |
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Ring members | Enter the phone you would like to ring, one per line. use the + icon to add additional phones. You may also enter outside numbers such as your cell phone |
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Ring delay | Delays ringing to the phone on this line for the number of seconds specified (i.e. 0-30) |
| Just ring user’s extension | Only rings the user’s extension. Not recommended. |