How to Manage Call Routing
Managing the Domain's Call Routing
Clarity Voice is committed to customizing your Domain's Call Routing to support your Business.
- The instructions listed here are meant to empower you to make changes to your Call Routing if you should need or want to. Do not hesitate to reach out for major changes, guidance, or just a refresher training.
How Does Call Routing Work?
Call Routing consists of two pieces.
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The Phone Number itself and the Routing User or Extension that it initially points to.
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Where the call should go next (Answering Rules) and when the forwarding of the calls should occur (Time Frames).
Initial Call Routing is set up for you by Clarity Voice.
- Depending on your Permission Level, you may have the ability to change when Routing should activate (by adding Times into Time Frames), where the Routing should go (by editing Answering Rules), or both.
- Permission Levels that only control their own Extension will be able to change their specific Extension's Routing. They will not have access to the Domain's Main Call Routing.
- You must have a "Manager" permission level to change your Domain's Call Routing.
How do I Access my Domain?
If you have a Manager permission level, you will be able to access both your Extension and the Manager View of your Domain with a single Portal login. You do not have to log out and back in to access each View.
To Toggle from Your Extension View to the Manager View
- Click Manage Organization or Manage Call Center, depending on your Permission Level.
- Your View will reload and switch to the Manager View. This gives you access to your Domain's Settings, Reports, and Routing.
To Toggle from Your Manager View to the Extension View
- Click your Profile Name (extension name).
- Choose My Account.
- Your View will reload and switch to your Extension View. This gives you access to your own Extension's Settings, Reports, and Routing. Extension Routing is the routing that occurs if your Extension is called directly.
How Can I Change "when" the Domain Call Routing forwards?
- Time Frames determine "when" Routing occurs. Once a Time Frame has been created, a matching Answering Rule should be created to control "where" calls should go during this time.
- Once a Time Frame has been created, additional Date/Times may be added to the Time Frame at any time.
- Reusing Time Frames helps eliminate multiple, confusing Answering Rules in your Routing. For example, rather than set up a separate Routing for every Holiday, we will generally set up a single "Holiday" Time Frame and a matching Answering Rule that will forward the calls during that time.
Instructions
- While in the Manager View, choose the Time Frames Tab.
- Click the Domain name so that you can edit these Time Frames.
- The list of Time Frames will open. Hover over any of the Time Frames and choose the Edit pencil icon if you would like to make a change to the Time Frame.
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- The Time Frame will open.
- If you would like to add a recurring time, checkmark the day(s) of the week and add the times by using the slider.
- You may add up to two times in a single recurring day of the week. Just click the Add range plus icon to add the second slider.
- If you would like the date/time to be a single date or range of dates, enter the date(s) in the Specific dates or ranges section by clicking the "Calendar" icon.
- You can use the sliders in the pop-up or you may type in the date/time manually.
- Use the Add a date range plus icon if you need to add more than one set of dates.
- When you have all times entered, choose Save.
- If your Permission Level also allows you access to change Answering Rules, you will also want to verify "where" the Routing will go during this time by checking the matching Answering Rule.
How Can I Change "where" the Domain Call Routing forwards?
If your Permission Level has access to manage the Domain's Users, you will be able to access the Main Call Routing Answering Rules.
If you do not have this access, just contact us! We will verify your Call Routing for you, so that you can confidently add times to the Routing in the future.
- You will start with the User that the Phone Number is pointed at. If you don't know which User the number points to, check the Inventory Tab and look for the Destination of the Phone Number.
- All Answering Rules work on a "top-down" Priority. This means that if two Answering Rules occur at the same time, that the Answering Rule that is highest in the list will activate.
- Priority is set this way is by design. For example, if a holiday occurs on a Monday, you will want the "Holiday" Answering Rule to override the "Business Hours" Answering Rule that would usually occur on this day of the week.
Instructions
- Go to the Users Tab.
- Search for the User that your Phone Number pointed to. Click on it. For our example, we are looking at User 3000.
- If you do not see the User, make sure that System Users are not hidden. This option is in the bottom right. Uncheck Hide System Users if they are hidden.
- Choose Answering Rules.
- Highlight the Answering Rule you would like to change. You will see an Edit pencil icon appear on the far right. Click it.
- In our Example, we will be changing the After Hours Answering Rule to route to an external Answering Service phone number.
- We have two options when routing to an External phone number: to forward directly to it with no changes (use Always) or to require the External phone number to "press one" to accept the call (in Simultaneous Ring). Simultaneous Ring is also used to forward calls to more than one destination, whether that is on a delay or at once.
- For our Example, we do not need the Answering Service to accept the call so we will leave it as Always. Save when all changes are completed.
- The last thing we will do when making changes is to check to make sure our changes saved, and that the Answering Rule is high enough in the list to take effect. If it needs to be moved, simply click and drag the Answering Rule up the list and Save.
- If the change is immediate, it is always best practice to call the Phone Number from an outside number and make sure the Call Routing now does what you would like.
I'd like to know more about Routing Options for my Domain.
Absolutely! See this section for a short explanation of just some of the options that are available to help route your calls.
Answering Rule Configuration Options
All Options
| Enabled | By default, this option should always be checked unless a specific type of Answering Rule called a “Toggle” Time Frame is being used. Toggle Time Frames Rule would be set up by Clarity, and you would receive instructions on how to use them at that time. |
| Do not disturb | When this option is chosen, all calls for your Extension will route directly to your Voicemail without ringing or alerting your devices. |
| Call Screening | When this option is chosen, all callers will receive a prompt to state their name prior to the call being connected to you. The call will then connect to you, the recorded name will play, and you will be able to choose whether to answer the call or allow it to follow your “when unanswered” rule. |
| Always | Always is used when you want all of your Call Routing to directly forward to one Device, Extension, Voicemail, or Phone Number without any setting adjustments. This is often used to forward to an Answering Service or directly to Voicemail. |
| On Active | This is used to choose what the Call should do if you are already on an Active call. |
| When busy | This option is not currently in use for Clarity Voice domains. |
| When unanswered | This option should always be set. It controls what happens to the call when your Ring Time has expired. For example, if you are set to a 20 second Ring Time, and the call has already rung your Extension for the 20 seconds, you will want to set the "When Unanswered" option to route the call to the next destination. The "When Unanswered" destination can be to your own Voicemail, an Answering Service number (or other outside phone number), or to another Extension. |
| When offline | This option determines where the call should route in the unlikely event that your system is not registering to our server. Typically, you would choose to either forward the call to your Voicemail, to your cell phone, or to an Answering Service, depending on what type of calls route to your Extension. |
| Simultaneous ring | Simultaneous Ring has the most flexibility for your Extension’s routing as it includes the ability to send the call to more than one destination. Include user’s extension- When checked, your Extension will be included in the Routing. Ring all user’s phones- When checked all devices for your Extension will ring. The device must be online. These devices include any device logged into the Mobile App and/or Web Phone. Answering confirmation for offnet numbers- This option should always be checked if you are including routing to a cell phone. It is sometimes called “press one confirmation”. Additional extensions or phone numbers can be added by clicking the Add plus icon. Ring delay- Any extension or phone number added to the Simultaneous Ring routing can have a Ring Delay included. For example, maybe you would like the call to first ring your Extension and after ten seconds (approximately two rings) you would like the call to also begin ringing your cell phone. Simply click the Ring Delay clock icon and use the slider to adjust when a call should begin ringing the device/number. |
| Just ring user’s extension | This used to send all calls only to your Extension. |
Special Note Concerning "Press One Confirmation/Answer Confirmation": "Press One Confirmation" is one of the options in Answering Rules. When this option is chosen, the call will route to the outside Phone Number.
Before connecting, the recipient/User will hear a "press one to accept this call" message. If they press one, the call will connect to them. If they do not, the call continues to follow all other routing. Press One Confirmation is also known as "answer confirmation".
- Having Press One Confirmation on ensures that not only does the recipient know that this is a Business call and how they should answer, but also ensures that the recipient's personal cell phone number does not apply its own rules to send the call to their personal cell phone Voicemail.
- If the call is being forwarded to an Answering Service or other similar entity, then Press One Confirmation is not needed.
Call Queues and Music/Message on Hold
Call Queues allow us to add additional options to your Call Routing.
- Once an Extension has been added to a Call Queue, their status is controlled by their login/logout of the Call Queues. You will be able to monitor their live calls, manually toggle their status, and even remove them from the Call Queue.
- Extensions/Users may have additional options added to their Routing, such as wrap-up time and max calls.
- We can configure your Call Queues to include Music on Hold that will play while the call is waiting to be dispatched to the Extensions in the Queue. Additional Messages may be programmed to "break in" to the Music. These messages can give additional information about your business, the caller's place in line, and even alternate contact options.
- Depending on your needs, plan, and configuration, you may also have access to:
- Add a non-skippable Message as the caller enters the Call Queue
- Add the option to have the caller hold their place in line and receive an automatic callback (queue call back)
- Change the type of Call Queue used to best optimize your Call Routing (for example, you may want to have the agent idle the longest called or ring groups of agents in a specific order)
- Add a Message to the Agent before connecting the Call (generally used to alert them to the originating location or website)
Auto Attendants
Auto Attendants give your Domain the ability to share information and/or give your caller choices before routing the call to you. Here are just some examples of how our Domains have used Auto Attendants.
- As a way to reduce Spam callers (by requiring the caller to press a choice)
- As a way to route calls more efficiently (by giving department or "reason for calling" choices)
- As a way to share business hours, directions, and/or website information (by using the message option)
- As a way to present specials or offers (by using timed Auto Attendant Greetings that play during specific Time Frames)
- As a way to give information to employees (by creating employee-only Auto Attendants for back office numbers that play weekly work schedules as their Greeting)
Need More Specific Information?
Try our Portal Guides! Each Permission Level has a Guide specifically created for them with an interactive Table of Contents so that you may skip quickly to the relevant section.
Admin/Manager Guides
- "Office Manager" Admin Guide
- "Advanced User" Admin Guide
- "Call Center Supervisor" Admin Guide
- "Site Manager" Admin Guide
Only have access to your own Extension?
Your Extension has access to Voicemail, Profile Settings, Extension Routing, and more!
Want to know more about Training or Routing?
Give our Customer Service Team a call at 1-800-676-3995! We are available Monday-Friday 8am-9pm EST.
We’re here to help you find better, easier ways to run your business.
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