Phone system strategy?

Posts: 13 · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 12:28 am Post subject: Phone system strategy?

Okay...I am looking for some reccomendations on phone systems and strategies. I currently run two businesses with different names out of the same office. I have a receptionist that I would like all calls to go through if possible. If she is on a call and another call comes in, then I could pick it up IF I can see that she is currently on a call. Futhermore, this system would have to let me know which number the incoming call is coming from so that we could answer accordingly.

I was kind of thinking about doing a line for each business and then having a third line my direct line AND as a rollover (and the fourth line as a fax). So, if line 1 is being used it will hunt to line 3 or if line 2 is being used it will hunt to line 3. Is this a good way of doing this?

I would also like this phone system to have built in voice mailboxes so that if I am away my receptionist can just push the caller into my voice mail. I was looking at the Panasonic KX-TG4000B but I'm not sure if this is too much or too little.

Any advice that anyone can give on products and strategy for setting up something like this would be great. I currently have one Vonage Business Unlimited account with the one line and free fax line uisng the Cisco ATA 186.

Thanks!

Posts: 4 · Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 7:20 pm Post subject:

That would work. But the hunt group is just going to search for any of the avialable lines with no regard to which line should be next. Unless Vonage has come up with something for that.

I would say though that it would be important to consider a phone system in which the voicemail unit is able to have two company greetings. Norstar phone systems will do that. Don't know if Panasonic KXT has changed to have a feature like that or not. (not too fond of kxt)

Course in order to do that, you would need dedicated line pools to each business. You're thinking clearly though!

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 20, 2005 Posts: 5

i'm currently doing this with 3 lines (not using the fax line) from Vonage and a nortel phone system. i've installed 5 nortel phone systems in the past 3 years, and have chosen to do this for my home business, as well.

the nortel norstar systems (MICS or CICS) provide great flexibility, easy programming, and rock-solid performance.

just last month, i switched my POTS lines to Vonage and haven't had any problems.

for the hunting... that is a service provider feature, not a phone system feature.. you can do it with Vonage, or any other phone company..

with 3 lines, i'd suggest having all 3 lines appear on the phones.. you can have an auto attendant (up to 4 with the nortel systems). since you only have 3 lines, though (2, if you don't count your personal line), you could only use 2 of the greeting tables..

bottom line.. nortel norstar system is a great system to use for this.. and will provide growth and flexibility as your businesses change and grow.

in the past, i have used 1 system for 2 different companies (my company bought the system and a company in a neighboring office paid us to use the system). the first company (mine) had our own phone lines... our auto attendant was programmed to answer only our lines.. the second company had their own phone lines.. i programmed the second auto-attendant to answer only their lines. each group of lines (pools) can have a primary phone... like a receptionist that calls would "spill" over to as an operator, as well.

the only thing with 1 phone system and 2 or more businesses is that there is only 1 general delivery mailbox.. in addition to being a general catch-all voicemail box for people that may not know who they want to leave a message for, this mailbox is used as a default error box... so that if your auto-attendant isn't programmed properly to handle all possible routes that someone can take, and they error out of the system, they get dumped into the general delivery mailbox so that they can still leave a message.. if you have more than 1 business, you'll just want to make the greeting somewhat generic so your callers won't be confused..

Posts: 4 · Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 12:56 pm Post subject: I agree

I totally concur that the Nortel phone systems are the way to go.

More specifically, the Norstar lineup from Nortel.
Also, Vonage DOES provide Hunt groups correct?

See Norstar Phone Systems Here.http://www.ttechnologyinc.com/norstar.asp

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 20, 2005 Posts: 5

yes.. Vonage does provide hunting with multiple lines.. you can completely confiture it yourself, and the order of hunting.. the only limitation is that Vonage doesn't allow roll-over hunting. i.e. if you have 3 lines, you can configure hunting as:
line 1 -> line 2 -> line 3 (or any order that you like). however, you can't have line 3 go back to line 1.. this is hunting not for no answers, but for busy.. so, since i don't use Vonage voicemail (my nortel norstar system has a call pilot voicemail with it), i just have line 3 ending and not going to vmail.. but that's not really a problem since there would only be a very small window of time that a roll-over like that would be beneficial.. and if all 3 lines are in use frequently, then i should get new lines!

anyway.. i'm totally pleased with my set up...

Posts: 4 · Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 12:27 pm Post subject:

GROOVY! I figured you could probably adjust the hunt group rolling through Vonage's gig. Im happy you are happy Smile