Adding or Adjusting Answering Rules

Adding or Adjusting Answering Rules

This KBA will show an Office Manager how to add or adjust answering rules for users on a domain. This also applies to Basic users.

Begin by logging into the Ally Voice Portal.
NOTE: If you are a Basic User, skip to Step 2 to add a new rule, or to the Edit Existing Answering Rules section.

Adding A New Answering Rule


Step 1 Getting to the correct section:

Navigate to the Users tab, then to the Routing user or the user that needs to be changed:

Click-Saving tip - If you click on the pencil on the right side of the user, you will be able to navigate to the exact tab within the user that you would need. For this example, if you click on the pencil, then Answering Rules, it will take you where we need to go.

Step 2 Adding the rule:

Verify you are in the Answering Rules tab, then click on Add Rule


Click on the drop down for the time frame that the Answering Rule will be active then select what you'd like the rule to do.


If you choose Simultaneous ring and add an offnet cell phone, it is highly recommended to select Answer Confirmation for Offnet Numbers as it allows the end user to confirm they want the call when they receive it.

Step 3 Prioritizing your Answering Rules:

After creating the answering rules, you can prioritize them in the order you'd like them to take effect. If only using the default time frames they should be in this order:
Unexpected Closing
Holidays
Business Hours
Default
*Any "Always" type time frames not in use*

The priority is top-down so the Unexpected Closing date/time would take priority over anything else and if it's not active, it would check for a Holiday time frame. If not active, business hours. If not business hours, it would go to default.
If there are any other "Always" type timeframes in the answering rules, these should live below the Default rule unless they need to be active.

You can rearrange the time frames by clicking and dragging them to the order you prefer, then click on SAVE


If you find that the time frame is active when you would want a different one, check the priority and make sure you have what you want above the other ones. 


Edit Existing Answering Rules



a) Can adjust total ring time before going to voicemail (if enabled on the user), following the unanswered rule if one is set, or ending the call if voicemail is not enabled on the user.
b) Can Block numbers under a user's answering rules.
c) The "Active" will be next to the active time frame, always in real time.
d) The description will list what will be done when that user is called during that time frame.
e) Click the pencil to edit the Answering Rules of a Timeframe that is applied to the user.



1) Timeframe will display based on which one you are editing the answering rules for.
2) Call Forwarding: Only the "Always" and "When Unanswered" rules should ever be set by the user to avoid unintended complications in call behavior.
      If "Always" is being used to forward a call to a personal cell phone, it is recommended they use the Simultaneous Ring section to allow for answer confirmation.
      *"Always" cannot be used in conjunction with the Simultaneous Ring section. It's one or the other. You can set the unanswered rule in conjunction w/ Simultaneous Ring. Unanswered rule will by default go to the user's voicemail if configured.
3) Simultaneous Ring:
Enabled - will be checked if utilizing this section.
Include User's Extension - if checked will ring the user's main phone. If unchecked it will not.
Ring All User's Phones - is checked by default, meaning if the user adds an extension, whether that's another physical phone or maybe a softphone like the ReachUC app, it will automatically add that phone to be rung as well. If this is not desired, answering rules will need to be edited after       the additional extension has been added.
Answer Confirmation - should be checked if forwarding calls to a personal cell number so they know this is a work call before answering. It will say "Press 1 to accept this call" after they initially answer their cell phone. if they do not accept the call, it will go to the user's voicemail if enabled. If not, not accepting the call will end it.
Extension, Number, or Phone - field can be used to add a cell number or additional extension(s) on the domain to ring when the user is called. The clock can be selected to delay the ring time of this additional user or phone. 10s is standard.

Don't forget to reprioritize your answering rules if needed! (see Step 3)


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