Creating a Ring Group in Cloud Phone System: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating a Ring Group in Cloud Phone System involves a series of steps. While the process may seem daunting at first, it’s straightforward once you understand each step.
Step 1: Accessing the Ring Group
Navigate to the ‘Applications’ tab on your Cloud Phone System dashboard. Here, you’ll find the Ring Groups option. Click to open the Ring Groups application.
Step 2: Creating Your Ring Group
From the ring groups page. clicking on the ‘+’ sign located on the top right corner of the application page.
Step 3: Setting up Your Ring Group
You will be prompted to fill in the details of your Ring Group:
- Name: This is a descriptive identifier for the Ring Group. It’s used in the Destination select list and should be meaningful to help you identify the purpose of the Ring Group.
- Extension: This is the specific number assigned to the Ring Group. When this number is dialed, the Ring Group is activated.
- Greeting: This is an optional feature that allows you to play a sound file when the Ring Group extension is dialed. It can be used to provide information or instructions to the caller before the call is connected to the extensions in the Ring Group. This can be blank.
- Strategy: This is a selectable method that determines how the destinations (extensions) are used when a call comes in. Here’s a breakdown of the different strategies:
- Simultaneous: This strategy rings all destinations at the same time. All destinations share the same thread. This strategy ignores any follow-me settings for an extension in the ring group
- Sequence: This strategy calls destinations in sequence, where the order that is lower goes first. It’s akin to a hunt group where a call to the “pilot number” rings extensions one at a time
- Enterprise: This strategy rings all destinations, with each destination using its own thread. Unlike the simultaneous strategy, the enterprise strategy works with follow-me settings for the ring group members. This means that if an extension in the ring group has follow-me enabled, the ring group will ring both the extension and the follow-me destinations
- Rollover: This strategy calls destinations in sequence and skips busy destinations. If a destination is busy or unregistered, the call rolls over to the next destination in the sequence
- Random: As the name suggests, this strategy rings a random destination. Over a prolonged period, this strategy would likely average out so every destination has an opportunity to answer first.
- Destination: These are the extensions that are part of the Ring Group. When a call comes in to the Ring Group’s number, these extensions will ring according to the selected Ring Strategy
- Delay: This is the time in seconds that the system will wait before starting to ring the next destination in the Ring Group. It’s used in strategies like Sequence and Rollover.
- Timeout: This is the maximum time in seconds that the system will attempt to connect the call to the Ring Group before moving on to the Timeout Destination.
- Prompt Enabled: This feature, when enabled, prompts the called party to press 1 to accept the call. This is particularly useful when external numbers are included in the Ring Group.
- Timeout Destination: This is the destination where the call will be routed if the Ring Group does not answer within the specified Timeout period.
- Call Timeout: This is the maximum time in seconds that the system will allow the call to ring before it’s considered unanswered.
- Distinctive Ring: This feature allows you to set a specific ringtone for the Ring Group. It helps users to identify calls coming from the Ring Group.
- Ring Back: This is what the caller hears while waiting for the Ring Group to answer. It could be a ringtone, music on hold, or any other sound file.
- User List: This is a list of users who are part of the Ring Group. These users will be called according to the selected Ring Strategy.
- Call Forward: This feature allows you to forward all calls coming to the Ring Group to another extension or phone number.
- Follow Me: This feature, when enabled, allows the call to be forwarded to a list of other destinations if the initial extension does not answer. It’s particularly useful for ensuring that calls are answered even if the primary recipient is unavailable.
- Missed Call: This feature, when enabled, sends an email notification for missed calls that were routed through the Ring Group but were not answered by any extension.
- Ring Group Forward: This feature allows you to forward all calls coming to the Ring Group to another Ring Group. This can be useful in situations where all extensions in a Ring Group are unregistered or busy.
- Forward Toll Allow: This is a variable that can be set for each extension in the Cloud Phone System. It allows you to limit the type of calls that can be made from each extension. For example, you can prevent certain extensions from making long-distance or international calls that could incur toll charges. However, the default dialplan in the Cloud Phone does not use this variable, so if you want to use it, you’ll need to add statements to the dialplan to enable it.
- Enabled: This field is used to activate or deactivate a specific feature or setting. If a feature is enabled, it is active and functioning. If it is disabled, it is turned off and not in use. This could apply to various features in Cloud Phone, such as call forwarding, automatic replies, and more.
- Description: This field is used to provide a brief explanation or summary of a specific feature, setting, or rule. It helps to identify the purpose of a feature or setting, making it easier to manage and configure the system.
Step 4: Saving Your Ring Group
Once all the details have been filled in, the final step is to save your Ring Group. Click on the ‘Save’ button, and your new Ring Group is ready to go!
Ring Groups in Cloud Phone System serve as a powerful tool to ensure that every call gets answered and no customer is left waiting. By learning how to create and implement a Ring Group, you’re equipping your business with a tool that enhances call management and promotes efficient communication. Be sure to stay tuned for more Cloud Phone System guides as we continue to explore this versatile PBX system.
