How to Transfer Caller Back Outside

QUESTION:

Can I transfer a caller to another number? Or am I limited to just transferring to another in-house extension?

ANSWER:

An incoming call can be forwarded to another extension, but not directly back out to another number.

However, there is a way to do that with an extra step as follows:

You need to transfer the caller to a mailbox. Then the caller needs to press "0" to return to the main menu, where they can dial another extension – one that forwards to the other outside number.

This method is only useful if you have specific number that you always need to transfer people to.

This is how you program the system to make this work:

1. Program an extension to forward to the outside number. Let's say you use extension 15 for this purpose. Function 16 is used to program extension forwarding.
   
2. You need to leave the forwarding method set to the default, which is to use two lines. Function 37 sets the method, but you leave it as the default.
   
3. Log into mailbox 315 and record the following greeting: "Please press 0 and then dial 15"

Now, if you answer a caller who needs to be transferred to that other outside number:

1. Tell them that you will transfer them but that they need to press 0 and then 15 when they hear it answer. They will hear that instruction again when they hear the greeting that you recorded in step 3.
   
2. Press the flash button on the phone and dial the mailbox of that extension you are using for this purpose. In this example, 315 is the mailbox for extension 15. So you flash, dial 315, and hang up.
   
3. The caller will hear the greeting in mailbox 315 instructing them to dial 0 and 15. When they do that, 0 returns them to the main menu where they can dial any extension. Dialing 15 will transfer them to that other number that 15 is programmed to forward to, as you set up in step 1 above.

Can I transfer a call and conference all three of us?

You can hook-flash on any extension to transfer a caller to another extension or to an outside number.

If you want to join all three in a conference, just press hook-flash again.

How to Use Telephone Extensions

Regular telephones can be plugged into any extension jack. 

Each phone will have its own 2-digit extension number that can be dialed directly or assigned to a menu option for callers to press.

Physical Extensions

The VoicePro can handle up to 12 phone extensions. It uses standard single-line phones. Nothing special or expensive is required. When a regular telephone is connected to the VoicePro it has multi-line capability with flexible professional-quality features as reviewed below.

• Any caller can dial extensions directly or select menu options that you have assigned to ring to specific extensions. 
• You may assign incoming lines to ring to specific extensions if that fits your needs. 
• Menu option zero rings to extension 10 if you want to have a receptionist manage that extension. 
• Dialing a physical extension will ring the phone connected to that jack or can be forwarded to another number.
• When you pick up any extension you get outside dialtone so you can dial any number as usual.
• Callers can be transferred by pressing the flash button and dialing another extension.

Standard telephones can be connected to the extension jacks on the back of the unit. 

• The VP206 supports 6 physical extensions. Numbered 10 thru 15.
• The VP412 supports 12 physical extensions. Numbered 10 thru 21.

Virtual Extensions

Besides physical extensions, extension numbers go all the way up to 99. Those beyond the highest physical extension are virtual extensions, which can be used as voicemail extensions to play a greeting and take a message. Only physical extensions can ring to a phone or be forwarded to another number. 

Single-key Menu Options To Ring Extensions

Each phone has a 2-digit extension number. Callers can dial that directly. 

But you can optionally assign Auto Attendant menu options to ring to specific extension phones or direct to specific voice mail boxes. So your caller just presses a single key from your custom menu to reach a particular department or a specific person. 

Example: 

"For customer support, press 1. To leave a message, press 2." 

Custom Programming

Each extension and its mailbox can be custom programmed...

• Record a personal greeting that plays when your extension is not answered.
• Specify which outgoing lines are permissible by each extension.
• Activate Call Forwarding to another extension or to a remote phone number.
• Call Screening... 
  When call screening is enabled the caller will be asked to say their name. Then it plays that to you while they are on hold. Such as "You have a call from John Smith." You can press # to accept or * to send the caller to voice mail. You can enable call screening on any extension. 

Calling Outside

When you pick up any extension you get outside dialtone so you can dial any number as usual. There is no need to dial 9 first, as required on some other phone systems. 

The system automatically gives you dialtone on any outside line that is available. You don't need to think about which line it is. However, extensions can be programmed to select specific outside lines if that is important to you. 

You can also select a specific outside line on the fly by dialing *8x (where x is the line number) before the number you are calling. But there is no need to do this since you will get dialtone on any available line anyway when you lift the receiver. 

Room-to-Room Calling

• You can call from any extension to another without tying up an outside line. Just press the star key (*) to switch to an inside dialtone and then dial the two-digit extension you wish to reach.
• You can answer someone else's ringing extension by picking up your extension and dialing *50. If you don't get an outside dialtone then just dial 50 without the star.

Caller-ID

Caller-ID (name and number) is passed to extensions to view if your phone has a display. This feature requires Caller-ID service from your phone company.

Music on Hold

When a caller is being transferred to an extension, they will hear Music on Hold if you have a music source connected to the music jack on the Voice Pro. A radio, CD player, MP3 player, or even an Apple iPod can be used. Callers will hear silence while being transferred if no music source is connected.

Group Ringing

If you have a need for ringing several extensions so that any of your personnel can answer an incoming call, you can assign an Auto Attendant menu option for the caller to press that will ring multiple extensions. 

This is known as departmental or group dialing and is normally only found on larger PBX systems. But the VoicePro has it too. 

Group Ringing is also useful to avoid voicemail when a caller selects an extension that is busy. You can program a menu option that will ring multiple extensions. Then if one is busy, the other(s) will still ring. The caller will only go to voicemail if no one answers. The number of rings can be set and the mailbox to use if no answer can be specified (it's the first you assign for your group ringing). 

Transferring & Forwarding

When you answer a call that really needs to be directed to someone else, you can transfer that caller. 

You press "flash" and dial the other extension. Then hang up. The other extension can answer. 

If you would rather announce the call, don't hang up. Do the same as above, but wait for the other person to answer. Then you can tell them you are transferring so and so. When you hang up, they will be connected to the party you put on hold. 

What if you're not in the office to get to your phone and you don't want callers to just end up leaving you a message? What if you really want to get those calls live? 

In that case you can forward your extension to another outside number, such as your cell phone. 

You can take the call and the caller won't even know that you're not in the office. 

Voice Mail

If a caller dials an extension and there is no answer, they will be routed to that extension's mailbox. Each extension has its own mailbox and your personnel can record their own personal greetings. 

The message length is programmable up to the 2-hour storage limit. All messages play the time and date received. Messages can be picked up from any remote phone. All mailboxes are password protected. 

The administrator can check which mailboxes have messages in one step with a single function. So there is no need to dial each mailbox to find which has messages. 

In addition to all the physical extensions, there are additional mailboxes (up to 99) that handle "only" Voice Mail. However, only physical extensions can be forwarded to another location. But all 99 mailboxes have live message alert.

Message Notification

There are several ways the VoicePro can notify you when you have a message.

1. It can call you remotely at another number. It will tell you that you have a message and allow you to log in during that call. 
2. It can use the message light on your phone extension if you have one.
3. It can also give you stutter dialtone if you don't have a message light indicator. 

Remote notification can be done by calling your pager or by calling you live. 

Remote Message Notification

1. Pager Alert can be programmed into any mailbox to notify you that a message was left.
2. Live Message Alert can be specified to call your cell phone, or any number, by voice, to "tell you" that you have messages. And, if you wish, you can log-in with your passcode during that call to pick up your messages. 

Message Waiting Light Indicator

You will also be aware that you have messages by the "Message Waiting Indicator". There are two ways your extension will indicate that you have messages...

1. Message Waiting Light: If your phone has a standard 90 volt message light, it will flash when you have messages.
2. Stutter Dial-Tone: If your phone does not have a message light, just disable the "message waiting light" feature for your extension and the system will give you a stutter dial-tone to indicate you have messages when you pick up the phone.

External Message Waiting Light

If you don't have a telephone with a message waiting light, you can add on an external light indicator.

Viking Electronics makes a Universal Message Waiting Light that connects in line between the extension jack on the VoicePro and the phone. I comes with a short wire so you can mount it right on the phone. Then use the regular length wire you already are using to connect the light to the VoicePro. 

We tested this device and it works great. The light flashes brightly when there is a message in that extension's voice mail. Note that you will need one for each phone if you want a message light indicator for each. Click the image to order direct from Amazon.

Three-way Conferencing

The VoicePro lets you set up conference calls with one outside party and another inside party, or two outside parties and you.

In other words, when you receive a call from the outside, you can conference that caller with another person who is either atanother extension, or a remote person at another number. 

Here's how...

1. While on an outside call, press "flash."
2. You will receive an internal dial tone.
3. Dial another extension, or for an outside number, press 9 and listen for the dial tone. Then dial the outside number.
4. When they answer, press "flash" again and the first party will be included in the conference.

How to Transfer Calls and Set Remote Forwarding

What's the difference between transferring a call and call forwarding?

• When you answer a call and you need to pass the caller to another person, you transfer the call by pressing the flash button and dialing the other extension.
• But when you want your own phone to ring somewhere else, then you enable call forwarding so all your callers will be routed to another extension or to your cell phone.

Now that you know the difference, below we'll go into detail on each...

  

Intructions to Transfer a Caller

You can transfer a caller to another inside extension or to someone's voicemail. 

Transferring to a Person

You can announce the party or you can just hang up and the parties will be connected when the other extension is answered. 

Transferring to a Mailbox

The system knows if you are transferring to an extension or to a mailbox because extensions are only two digits (10, 11, 12, etc.) Voice mailboxes are three digits (301 thru 399). Yes, there are 99 voice mailboxes. 

The caller will not miss the beginning of the personal voicemail greeting because the system will not play it prematurely. The greeting starts to play to the caller only when you hang up after dialing the other extension. 

Transferring to an Announcement

If you have announcement messages and you routinely have the situation where you answer live, but need to transfer the caller to one of your prerecorded announcements, then record those announcements in broadcast-only mailboxes. 

Then you can transfer callers to any specific message. You do that the same as transferring to any mailbox, as explained above. Broadcast-only mailboxes will play the greeting, but will not take a message.

Music On Hold

When you transfer a caller to another extension, the caller will hear silence while the other phone is ringing. If you have a music source connected to the VoicePro, they will hear that Music-On-Hold. 

How To Transfer A Caller

• Announced Transfer
  1. While talking on an outside line, press Flash.
  2. Dial a station extension number.
  3. When the called party answers, announce the call and hang up.
• Unannounced Transfer
  1. While talking on an outside line, press Flash.
  2. Dial a station extension number.
  3. When you hear the ring-through, just hang up.
• Transfer to a Mailbox
  1. While talking on an outside line, press Flash.
  2. Dial mailbox number. You will not hear anything. Just hang up.
  3. Other party will hear the entire mailbox greeting once you hang up.

  

Intructions to Set Remote Call Forwarding

Any physical extension can be programmed to forward callers to a cell phone or to any other telephone number anywhere. The VP206 has physical extensions 10 thru 15 and the VP412 has 10 thru 21. 

Note: If someone answers a call and transfers the caller to another extension, it will ring that extension even if it is programmed to forward calls. Only outside callers will follow programmed forwarding. 

There are four ways the VoicePro can forward calls. You can specify the best forwarding method that is available to you from your phone company...

• Forward on second line (supervised transfer): This will actually tie up two lines. You can decide if you want to accept the call or send to Voice Mail. The caller will never hear your personal greeting on your cell phone or home answering machine.
• Forward on second line (blind transfer): Same as above except it connects when answered. The caller will hear your OGM if you don't answer.
• Three-way-calling: This method uses only one line but holds the line open so the parties remain connected.
• Centrex or Plexar®: These phone company features allow the VoicePro to forward calls by doing what is called a "Hook-flash, Transfer and Release." This is the best method because it frees up the line to accept more calls even while the forwarded call is connected.

How to Enable/Disable Call Forwarding

Any of your personnel can forward their own extensions. Here is how they do it...

1. Dial * # from extension.
2. Dial 1 # to start call forwarding setup or
   Dial 1 # # to cancel call forwarding.
3. Dial off-site number then #.
4. Press 1 # to forward all calls, or
   Press 2 # to forward busy or ring-no-answer calls.
5. Dial * * to exit programming.

See Additional info below explaining how to specify the forwarding number. 

How The Administrator Can Forward Any Extension

Extension forwarding can be done by using Function 16. So it is not necessary to actually do it from that extension's phone. Function 16 will ask which extension you want to program. Then it will ask to enter the number. See Additional info below. 

Finally, it will ask if you want to forward all calls or just busy or no answer.

How To Specify The Forwarding Number

• To forward to another extension, enter the two-digit extension. Then #
• To forward to voice mail, enter 3 followed by the extension, then #. i.e. 312 is the voice mail for extension 12. 
• To forward to an outside number, enter the entire number followed by the # key. If 1 and area code is required then include that too. 

What To Do if Forwarding Does Not Work

You need to be sure you are using the correct method as explained in the "Remote Forwarding Instructions" above on this page. 

If you use three-way-calling, make sure you have that service on all your lines. 

Test doing a transfer manually without using the VoicePro. You may discover that you don't have the correct service. In that case, set the VoicePro to use the two-line method. 

If you still have trouble, it may be possible that the hook-flash time needs to be extended or shortened. The default is 500ms. You can use Function 40 to change this. First try increasing it to 6 (600 ms) and test. If it fails, try setting Function 40 to 7. If that does not work, try shorter flash times by setting Function 40 to 4 or 3. One of those should solve the problem.

How does Music-On-Hold work?

When you transfer a caller to another extension, or when they dial an extension or select a menu option that rings to an extension, they will hear music on hold if you had connected a music source.

The VoicePro has a 3.5 mm phono jack on the back to connect a music source. A cable with a 3.5 mm phono plug on each end is included with the VoicePro to connect to your music device. 

Connect the cable to the headset output of your CD player, MP3 player or a radio and the other end to the music jack on the back of the VoicePro. See the illustration at the bottom of this page. 

The audio from your music source will be heard while the caller is on hold or while being transferred. 

Two useful devices described below that can be used for music on hold are the Apple iPod Touch and the Zoom H2 Handy Portable Stereo Recorder. But most any good quality MP3 player will work. 

Using the Intellitouch Player/Recorder for Music On Hold

We tested the Intellitouch OHP6000 Digital Player/Recorder with the VoicePro and highly recommend this unit for music-on-hold. 

It's a Digital Recorder that saves the music or speech files in MP3 format in its own digital flash memory. Up to three hours storage is available. 

It has a USB interface so MP3 files can be recorded on a computer and transferred over to the OHP6000. You can even play MP3 recordings from an SD card attached to the unit.

This is the best solution for those who want high quality music-on-hold. Click the image of the Intellitouch above to buy it from Amazon.

Using the Apple iPod Touch for Music On Hold

The cable we supply fits the iPod Touch headphone jack. The volume output of the iPod is sufficient for giving enough volume through the phones for a caller to hear while being transferred or left on hold for any other reason.

You can record an MP3 file with your custom company information to be used for the music on hold. Save this to file to your iPod and set it to play repeatedly. 

Connect the supplied cable to the headphone jack on the iPod and the other end to the music jack on the back of the VoicePro. See illustration at the bottom of this page. 

Make a test call and dial an extension. While it's ringing you'll hear the music. Adjust the volume on your iPod to the proper level. 

How to Set Up the iPod Touch for Music On Hold

Go your Albums on your iPod Touch and select the Album you want to play. Or select "All Songs." Then click the Shuffle icon if you want all your songs to play randomly. Or if you just want one song to play repeatedly, select it and click the recycle icon. 

If you want to play all the songs you have in your iPod, you may decide to play them in a random order. You can select to play only the songs in a certain album or you can play all the songs on your iPod.

Using the Zoom Mic for Music On Hold

The Zoom H2, available from Amazon, is an MP3 player but it has so many more features useful for recording 360 degrees in two and four channels simultaneously. More than you need for just playing music on hold. But you'll probably end up using it for other tasks too. 

Connect the audio cable supplied with your VoicePro to the jack labeled "Phones/Line Out" on the side of the Zoom H2. Connect the other end to the music jack on the back of the VoicePro. 

Make a test call and dial an extension. While it's ringing you'll hear the music. Adjust the volume on your Zoom H2 with the Volume Button on its side. You can press this button on either end to increase or lower the volume. 

Click "Buy from Amazon" in the display above.

Volume Amplifier

Some devices don't have enough output power to work with the VoicePro and you will either hear no music-on-hold or it will be very low. 

The Zoom and iPod Touch work fine but the iPod Nano and some low-cost MP3 players have inadequate volume output. 

A solution is to use an amplifier such as the FiiO E6 Headphone Amplifier. This device, sold by Amazon, provides 150mW high fidelity output power. 

It has a 3.5 mm jack for connection to your audio source and another 3.5 mm jack for output to the VoicePro. It also includes two cables, one for the source to the amplifier and another for the amplifier to the VoicePro.

It uses a built-in rechargeable battery and includes a cable to connect to the USB port on your computer to charge the battery. You need to let the battery charge before using it. 

You can also use the USB port or a USB charger for continuous power without draining the battery. 

Testing the unit reveals a much louder and more stable sound coming through the VoicePro from the music source.

Can I transfer a call from one extension to another?

Yes. You can transfer a caller from one extension to another by pressing 'flash' and then dial the other extension. If you don't have a flash key on your phone you can always press the cradle button as if you were hanging up, but just for a second and then release it. This is the same as a flash...you will have placed the caller on hold and you will hear another dialtone so you can dial another number.

After dialing the other extension, you hang up and the caller will be transferred. Or you can stay on the line and announce the caller to the new party before hanging up.