What is a Department Extension?
Department Extensions are simply groups of Employee Extensions. They are 1 digit each (0 - 9).
For example, if your business has a Sales Team and a Support Team, you could create Department Extensions for each team and then add the appropriate Employee Extensions to each Department Extension so sales folks can answer sales calls and support folks can answer support calls.
You also can customize call forwarding and voicemail settings for each department extension.
Watch a quick video on how extensions work in our system here.
Creating a Department Extension
1. Navigate to the Extensions on the left-hand menu.
2. On the Department Extensions section you will see an "Add Extension" button. Click it!
3. A "New Extension" will be added to the bottom of the department extensions list. Open and ready to edit.
Configure Department Extension Settings
You can edit a department extension's settings by selecting the "Edit" button on it.
Here you’ll find several items you can edit:
- General Information
- Forwarding Extensions & Numbers
- Voicemail Forwarding
- Voicemail Greeting
- Recorded Extension Name
General Information
First, inside the edit menu, you’ll see General Information in the top left.
Here, you can edit your extension’s basic info and activate functions such as the Voicemail Transcription and Call Recording.
Please note that Voicemail Transcription and Call Recording are add-ons you can activate in your Settings Menu under Extras.
Forwarding Extensions & Numbers
Here is where you manage the call forwarding settings for the department extension. You can build a list of extensions or numbers to send callers to. You have the ability to reorder the list and select how you would like callers to sent to the list: inorder, random inorder, or simultaneously.
A. Initially, the extension will be forwarding calls to a contact phone number. You can remove it by selecting the "Trash" icon.
B. You have the option of adding extensions or phone numbers to this list. By selecting "Add a forwarding number."
For the best experience, we recommend creating an employee extension for each member of the team and adding the extensions to their department(s).
A popup will allow you to select a forwarding extension or number. Leave the "Ring for" time to 15 seconds and hit "Create"
The employee extension will be added to the list.
If you select "Edit" there are some additional settings. Here you can add set a custom forwarding schedule for the extension or number and activate call announcement. *Note - We recommend not using call announcement at the department extension level. And not at all if you are forwarding to the mobile app on the employee extension.
Voicemail Forwarding
Here, you may add an email address or list using commas. Voicemails for this extension will be forwarded to that email address, notifying you of a message with an attached MP3 file.
Voicemail Greeting
Here you can record and upload a greeting for the extension's voicemail box.
You can learn more about Greetings and how to record them here.
Recorded Extension Name
Here, you should record your first and last name to be played in the Dial-By-Name Directory.