Managing Extension Availability and Privacy
Summary: Privacy: Marking an Extension as "Available" or "Unavailable" (All Calls Go Directly to Voice Mail), Turning "Follow-Me Calling", "Call-Screening", and/or "Password-On-Connect" On or Off
Using the Virtual PBX®, it is possible to completely guard an extension owners privacy while at the same time keeping him completely in touch.
The first level of privacy is the fact that cell phone numbers, home phone numbers, pager numbers, etc. can remain secret yet an extension owner can receive calls at those numbers if he so desires. When a customer calls into the main business 800/888/877 number, he may dial an extension directly, use the company directly to spell the name of the extension owner, choose the menu item for sales, customer support, tech support, or the operator. The designated phone for the extension owner will ring if his extension is dialed or if he is logged into one of the above queues. The caller knows nothing but the extension number. The extension owner may choose to have only one designated phone ring or he may turn on follow-me calling which will try each phone in his list until he is found.
The second level of privacy is that a Virtual PBX® system may be placed in day or night mode before and after each working day by the system administrator. If the system is in night mode, all calls will automatically go to voice mail but the extension owner will receive a new-message page. Thus although he receives no calls, he will know that a call or a fax has come in; and he can check his voice or fax mail at any time that he desires.
The third level of privacy is that an extension owner can mark his extension as "Unavailable" at any time. If this case all calls will be sent directly to voice mail, and he will receive a new-message page.
The fourth level of privacy is "low-level" call screening. When a call comes in to an extension owner, the system announces the source and the calling number. For example if John Smith works for the XYZ Corporation which uses our Virtual PBX®, the system will speak: "XYZ Corporation call for John Smith from 1-415-221-6600". If he is busy at the time, recognizes the number, doesn't want the call, etc., he can press *; and the caller will be sent directly to voice mail. If he wishes to take the call, he presses # and is connected. Low-level call call screening should not be confused with the menu item "call-screening" described below. It is not in the menus and cannot be turned on or off.
The fifth level of privacy is an even more secure call screening measure. If an extension owner so desires, he can set the option which requires the caller to speak his name before he is connected. For example in this case the system will speak: "XYZ Corporation call for John Smith from Jane Doe at 1-415-221-6600". If he wishes to take the call, he can press #; and if he does not wish to speak to the person at that time, pressing * will send the caller directly to voice mail.
The sixth level of privacy is the "password-on-connect" option. Normally when a call comes in and the extension owner has heard a sufficient amount of the announcement described above, he presses # to answer or * to send the caller to voice mail. The Virtual PBX® also has the ability for an extension owner to require his password before the # or * so that others cannot answer his phone if he is not there.
When a new Virtual PBX® is set up, the defaults are day mode, all extensions "Available", "speak-the-caller's-name" ("call screening") off, and "password-on-connect" off.
Marking an Extension as "Unavailable" or "Available"
To mark an extension as "Unavailable", call in to the company's Virtual PBX® and dial #[extension]#[password]#. It is not necessary; but at this point, it is good to stop and listen since the system will announce if there are any new voice or fax messages. After listening dial 2212. (System administrators must dial a 1 before the 2212 to act as an extension owner.) The numbers are: 2, access phone extensions; 2, edit extension options; 1, mark the extension as available or unavailable; 2, mark the extension as unavailable.
To mark an extension as "Available", repeat the above sequence except dial 2211 after the login.
Turning "Follow-Me Calling" On or Off
The default when a new system is set up is "Follow-Me Calling" on. To turn off "Follow-Me Calling", log in as above and dial 2242. The numbers are: 2, access phone extensions; 2, edit extension options; 4, edit follow-me calling options; 2, disable follow-me calling.
When "Follow-Me Calling" is off, it is very important that the default contact phone number is correctly chosen as the system will ONLY ring at that number. To set the default contact phone number, log in as above and dial 211. At this point selecting a number between 1 and 4 will set the corresponding contact phone number as the default.
To turn on "Follow-Me Calling" proceed as above but dial 2241. Do not forget that system administrators must press 1 before either 2242 or 2241 to act as extension owners.
Turning "Speak-Name-Before-Connect" On or Off
This option is known in the menus as "call screening". The "call screening" default when a new system is set up is off. To turn on "speak name before connect" i.e. "call screening", log in as above an dial 2231. To turn off "call screening" dial 2232. A word of warning: This option should be used with caution. Some customers may not like it.
Turning "Password-on-Connect" On or Off
To turn on the "password-on-connect" option, log in as above and dial 225[contact number]1 i.e 22511 for contact number 1, 22521 for contact phone number 2, etc. To turn off the option, use 22512 instead of 22511, 22522 instead of 22521, etc.
Exiting the System
When any of the above changes have been made, it is possible to simply hang up and the system will keep the new changes in memory. Pressing a series of "*'s" will take the system backwards to the management login point, and other changes can then be made if desired.
Dialing Through the Options Without Listening
In all of the examples above, the menu strings to turn options on or off have been shown as a series of numbers. This is because a user has the option of pressing a number and then listening to the menu options or (if he is familiar with the system) of pressing the menu options as a series of numbers without a pause. Thus the system menus meet the needs of both newcomers and people very familiar with the options. In the rare event that the menu options are changed, a warning is included with the menus that there has been a change.