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--- RE: forward to digital receptionist on no reply (http://www1.pbxes.com/forum/threadid.php?threadid=1264025220)

forward to digital receptionist on no reply

I want to set an extension, if no answer, to go back to a digital receptionist menu.

I have created an inbound routing of the form accountname-foo which points to the digital receptionist menu I want to use.

I have put SIP/accountname-foo in the if no answer box, also tried SIP/accountname-foo@pbxes.org.

I also tried doing the same in all calls box instead.

However it goes to a different extension instead, which I would expect when pbxes gives a busy here response

Is there something simple I am missing?

RE: forward to digital receptionist on no reply

Please explain the call scenario you have in mind, so I can understand what you are trying to achieve.

An inbound call comes in on one of your Trunks and lands on an Inbound Route, which directs it to:

• an Extension
• a Ring Group
• an IVR (DR) menu.
Let me know to which one of the above 3 choices.

Then if there is No Answer, do you wish to send the inbound caller to an IVR (DR) menu again?

RE: forward to digital receptionist on no reply

An inbound call comes in on one of my Trunks and lands on an Inbound Route, which directs it to an Extension

Then if there is No Answer, I wish to send the inbound caller to an IVR (DR) menu again.

RE: forward to digital receptionist on no reply

Well, I would have totally understood your call scenario idea, if you had not included the last word in your post.

The word "again" implies that the particular inbound caller has been through the IVR at least once, before the call rung a particular extension. If the caller has been through an IVR once, why put him/her through the IVR again?

Why not send their call to a Ring Group or Queue of operators, or end their call on the voicemail of the particular extension they have already reached or to a general delivery voice mailbox?

Sending the caller through any IVR more than once creates a routing loop, which should be avoided at all costs, since it confuses the callers, and can possibly create more complicated issues.

RE: forward to digital receptionist on no reply

Thanks for your reply.

Whilst I can see your point that a hunt may be technically simpler to set up, what I want is actually a simple setup from the user's point of view.

The caller may or may not have come through an IVR to get to that extension (depending on the number called), but if nobody answers, the extension they may want to try next will depend on the caller's personal preference. So a "Sorry there is no reply" message should play with the option to leave a voicemail (one of my extensions) or go back to the main menu where other extensions can be selected. These are the only two menus that a caller on these trunks should ever hear.

It is not clear whether your advice is based on technical complexities or "usability" issues. I am happy that the scenario I want to see is user-friendly, but I am unsure from your message what the technical complications may be. Could you elaborate? Why does looping back to a main menu cause issues?

Thanks for your assistance.