sundance-communications.com/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems Nortel Telephones & Systems Ring the set but don't go to VM except on specific lines

Mainly for customers in a bank. The branch lines can ring on the set, but if the set has a private line and VM to that extension, the complaint is VM is triggered on that set if the generic branch numbers ring. Only allowing the private line to ring is a quick fix, but would a HG or broadcast off that allow the branch lines to ring on the set but not follow through to VM, and only have the private line assigned to that set trigger VM in a CFNA situation?

What is the setting for CFNA on that one set? Why not turn it up a bit?

A HG would work, but remember that you can't represent the lines that are assigned to a HG on a HG set. If it is important for your bank employees to have lines represented, you're screwed.

The easier solution would be to have a CCR tree for the private line with a home mailbox node. Set the private line to be answered after X number of rings by the CCR tree and you're home free!

Would only work if the employee is at his/her desk. We usually give a fair amount of rings before xfer to VM, but if they're not at the desk....I get trouble reports of VM grabbing the branch lines.

Also fun when I find sets with VM enabled, but no mailbox initialized at that set...havoc reigns

How do you figure that?

That's THEIR fault, not yours'.

Unfortunately only HG's let you discriminate ringing lines from following CFNA/CFB settings.

You could force the main lines to an AA greeting before the CFNA timer.

Often the banks do not want an AA greeting, they want employees to answer the phones live and quick (not that they always give useful information to the caller )

MooreTel: not sure about your comment "how do you figure that". If CFNA is set to 4 rings (or whatever), the banker isn't at his/her desk, no one is going to answer their phone when their private line rings. OK, fine, then VM is following the private line; but if it's a branch/main number ringing, and no one catches it within the 4 ring limit at any other set, the call goes to that set's VM/CFNA (or perhaps another set's if it has VM enabled). I often get reports of "the main line is going to Joe Smith's voicemail, can you fix that?" My only sure fix/quick fix has been to appear/no ring on the branch lines on that set, only appear/ring on the private line; let the banker hear the main line ringing on other sets, see it on his/her set flashing, and make the determination to answer it.

How do you figure that?


What don't you understand with the above question? "...would only work if the employee is at his/her desk"

CFNA is usually the other way around.

In a situation as yours, I usually turn all the ringing lines off except for the receptionist & anyone else who is supposed to answer incoming calls. If I was the president of the bank I would make sure someone is answering the lines so I didn't have to, except of course for my private line.

What I mean by I don't understand your question is that if an employee is at their desk, they catch the ringing call, if they are not and CFNA takes over it's going to go to VM. If it's a branch line and they're at the desk, they answer, if it's their private line and they choose not to answer for whatever reason then the VM gets it. If no one is at the desk a branch line will trigger CFNA and the VM will possibly be a branch line with a general inquiry going to a specific person's VM, something that would only confuse the caller.

If on that specific set I re-program CFNA to a large number of rings (say 6 or 8, or even more) I will also get complaints from the manager that they do not want the ringing going on that long before the call is answered. Rock and a hard place, you know...

There is no "bank president" at these banks, doesn't work that way. Maybe in the movies, but for these banks (a major financial bank, not a small local one; never mind about them all having their share of difficulties in this time), there is a bank manager, as well as a service manager (OK, more or less the same thing you're probably referring to). It seems policy throughout the company to have anyone who can, answer a branch call as quickly as possibly, no branch has a receptionist or operator. They don't want any call to ring so long as a customer hangs up. When they have Call Pilot for VM, it is for private lines at specific desks. On those I turn off the ringing except for the private line; when other techs have set up the system, often I am called in because of the VM answering branch lines because of the ringing. Another tech who used to work with me swore that setting a Broadcast Group would allow the branch lines to ring but not trigger the VM on those sets with the private line and CFNA set to VM. I have never tried it (I need the time at a location and the OK from the bank to start messing with their programming during a business day; perhaps one of them will allow experiments some time...), and that was the point of my question herein.

Most of the banks use off-site VM (generally Octel) which is tied only to the private line, therefore we don't have that issue. Probably 10% of the locations use Call Pilot, and there's where we find issues.

Sorry if anything I'm asking is just not making the necessary point; I thought I'd try.

The only solution i have for you is to put the branch lines in a hunt group. Set it to broadcast to all the sets in the HG. If you are not concerned about those lines going ever going to a voice mail, overflow the HG to itself.