Cloud PBX - Auto Attendant - Transfer to External number

[Austin Ayers]

Hey There! In the process of deploying a proof of concept for auto-attendant at my org.  Wanted to know if there is a way to have a menu option transfer a call to an external number.

My use case...

Caller dials into main Auto-attendant "... press 1 for sales, press 2 for customer service...", when the user presses "2" i would like the autoattendant to direct the call for customer service to an external PSTN number, one that handles our call center.  IS this possible, will it be possible, any workarounds?

Thanks in advance for your input.

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Hi Austin.

That might depend on your location and your configuration.

In my environment (CCE with SIP trunk) this is possible. A user has a forwarding to an external destination (mobile phone). In the call queue set the maximum queue length to 0 and forward call to "Person in your company". Then the call in the call queue is forwarded to the external number, this also works with an org autoattendant.

Hope that helps.

/Kenneth ML

[#3]

Thank you KML,

To calrify we are entirely SfB online; with cloud-pbx, using MS voice services.  

If your method is doable in this scenario, we need a fully licensed user seat; the profile of that user needs to be configured to forward all calls to this destination; does that reflect what you mentioned?

I would think that qualifies as a "work-around".  Are there any more favorable methods?

[#4]

Hi Austin.

That is correct.

It is a workaround so far, I cannot see any more favorable method yet, but as this service is brand new, you might want to put a request to product group, maybe this will change in the future to allow for direct transfer to an external telephone number.

/Kenneth ML

[#5]

agreed, thanks.

[#6]

I second this request.  We have already had potential clients ask to be able to forward an AAs and Call Queues to an external number.  For example they want to have unanswered calls go to an answering service.

[#7]

I think Microsoft would need to modify their consumption billing model to accommodate this as the tfs would incur cost. At the moment a full user licence and plan is needed to not only cover the cost of the call, but also the technology to make it happen.

Maybe it will come in the future.

[#8]

Does anyone know how to architect this in a fully SfB online scenario? In that scenario, you need to assign to a CQ--so how do you get that CQ to fwd to an ouside #?

[#9]

Hi Kenneth,

I was under the impression that CQ/AA does not work with CCE as the solution needed to be purely online. Do you have any MS PSTN numbers here or is it a pure cloud PBX CCE setup? 

Possibly the CCE setup works with CQ/AA but maybe there are odd scenarios that fail and hence it's not a supported setup, could that be the case here?

Thanks

Jed

[#10]

Hi Jed.

You must have a service number for each OAA and CQ, these numbers cannot be a CCE based number, but only MS PSTN number.

Agents can be cloudbased with hybrid PSTN with CCE. It is not a supported scenario, but I have not found any scenario that doesn't work.

/Kenneth ML

[#11]

That makes sense, thanks Kenneth

MS have also told me it's still not supported yet, but I guess that could mean service numbers via CCE aren't supported.

[#12]

I am looking for a similar configuration. 

Serivce Number

Option 1: Goes to a Skype Cloud PBX user

Option 2: Cellphone of a person at the company not licensed for O365

Option 3: Cellphone of a person at the company not licensed for O365

Option 4: Emergency Contact center. Public PSTN number

Is this on the roadmap? 

[#13]

Hi Jeff.

Not that I know of, but let's loop in @Jamie Stark he might be able to give a hint to this.

/Kenneth ML

[#14]

@Jamie Stark

Would love to know if the AA would allow for an option to route to external number!  This is a deal breaker for Small business like us, who want to use a SaaS call center and need an option for "customer service" in our primary IVR/AA

[#15]

We have forwarding to an external number. I’m on vacation today but email me jdb@jdb.net and I’ll send you the configuration that works.

[#16]

The configuration is actually pretty easy.  It does require a license.

1) I created an account called "Operator Frontdesk" 

2) I connected with the Skype for Business client to this user and setup a "Mobile" number then turned on forwarding to the Mobile number.

3) I created a call queue called sales.  The settings in the "sales" call queue forward to "Operator Frontdesk"

I was not thrilled that this requires a complete set of licenses (E3, Cloud PBX, Domestic Calling Plan) as that added $30 a month for each external number I want to be able to forward to.  But, for now that is the only way to make it happen.  Fortunately for us we only need one. 

[#17]

Dear Kenneth

I have a query on similar lines.

Situation:

I have no Microsoft deployment in organisation yet and migration to Exchange Online is in progress. 

Requirement:

Users have On-Premise PBX (analog) with an SBC and Gateway, Organisation requires to configure AA that routes call to these PBX users.

Query:

1. Is it necessary to install on-premise CCE?

2. can i have a direct SIP trunk configured between on-premise SBC and Skype for Business online?

[#18]

Hi Kenneth,

Unfortunately your solution only allows for one mobile to be called. I have AA which calls a callqueue, which then has distribution list with one agent within it. This agent has forwarding option to a mobile which does not work. It works if you call the skype account directly but not within a call queue.

What I want to acheive is out of hours calling system which calls engineer 1 on his mobile and if they do not pick up then it goes to engineer 2 mobile. If engineer 1 and 2 do not pick up then we can push this to skype voicemail. 

Regards

Kwok

[#19]

Still no updates in this? Microsoft you are lagging in the basic fundamentals of converging technologies. If we cannot have these basic features, why release the product AT ALL? Its more of a hindrance than anything. 

[#20]

Echoing @Joe Miller 

Seems sad to have to eat up an E3 license just to forward to an external number. If there are consumption concerns, create a new license called "external number forwarding" that you can sell based on the region similar to the domestic calling plan.