|
IP Office 3.0 Manager |
|
A Hunt Group is a collection of users, eg. Sales - a group to handle all sales related calls. An incoming caller wishing to speak to Sales can ring one number but the call can be answered by any number of extensions that are members of the Sales Hunt Group.
By default all incoming voice calls are sent to a Hunt Group called Main (extension 200), which is configured in Group mode, and contains the first 16 extensions. Therefore all incoming calls ring each extension simultaneously. This is set up as an initial starting point for the telephone system while individual user extensions are configured. Hunt group configuration is done through the Hunt Group configuration form.
The Hunt Group can be given an extension number. This extension number can be used internally or linked to an Incoming Call Route. All the calls received by this extension number can be answered using either:
Group Mode: All telephones in the Extension List ring simultaneously.
Linear/Hunt Mode: Each extension is rung in order, one after the other, starting from the first extension in the list each time.
Circular/Rotary Mode: Each extension is rung in order, one after the other. However, the last extension used is remembered. The next call received rings the next extension in the list.
Idle/Most Idle Mode: The extension that has been unused for the longest period rings first, then the extension that has been idle second longest rings, etc.
If all extensions in the Hunt Group are busy (ie. on a call, logged out or membership is disabled) or not answered, another Hunt Group, called an Overflow Group, can be used to take the calls. The Overflow Time can be used to stipulate how long a call will ring round the members of the Hunt Group before being passed to the Overflow Group.
If preferred, calls can be held in a queue and passed to the first available extension in the group. If an Overflow Group is used, a call is sent to the Overflow Group after it has been held in the queue for the time specified by the Overflow Time.
A Time Profile can be used to indicate when a Hunt Group is operational, (9:00 to 5:00), and another hunt group called a Night Service Fallback Group can be used to provide cover outside of these hours.
If you wish a Night Service Fallback Group to provide cover at irregular times, a Short Code can be used. Once this is done, the status of Night Service can only be changed back via a Short Code (and not Time Profile).
During a holiday period, the Hunt Group can be put into Out of Service mode and another Hunt Group called the Out of Service Fallback Group can be used to provide cover.
Voicemail can also be used in conjunction with Hunt Groups to take all group related messages, play an announcement when the Hunt Group is in Night Service or Out of Service mode and give announcements while a call is held in a queue. Hunt Groups also support Voicemail Email - to pass messages to an email account, and a Voicemail Code that can be used to verify a user when messages are retrieved remotely.