Sometimes there is a need to pass a Jet call to an external answering point. By this, we mean diverting calls to a phone number that is not with Jet Interactive.
This is especially relevant for customers using call tracking services without any Jet Phone users, where all calls are diverted to an external phone system. Other scenarios could include sending all after-hours calls to an answering service or sending all Service calls from an IVR to go an external call centre to be addressed.
You can divert any Jet call to an external answering point at any time, however, there are some limitations on how this call is managed once we pass it over, as well as how this call will appear in your reports.
These limitations are dependent on the settings of each number that we are passing calls to. Please read the relevant info for your answering point type and the specific limitations for this number type and setup possibilities.
In this article, we will cover the information below:
Setting up External Answering Points
External answering points are set up in your Dial widget. They cannot be used as part of queues or any other features.
Any callers receiving calls through Jet callflows will see the caller ID of the person calling, not the Jet number this call has been diverted through.
To use an external AP in your callflow, open your Dial widget and click Add External.
Then enter the number including areacode, name the number and click Add.
Once set up, this will show in your Dial widget like below.
Be sure to check your Timeout length is appropriate for the number you are using, especially for mobiles. More information is below on Using Mobile Answering Points.
Note - the number will display in international format based on the Country you selected during config.
Using Local Answering Points
Local answering points usually mean you have a handset or phone system set up for you to answer the call. It's important to note that when we divert the call to this number, calls coming in will behave exactly the same as any callers dialling this number directly, and there is little Jet can do to change this interaction.
Voicemails
If your local number is a direct line that just has a voicemail on it, you can adjust the Timeout in your Dial widget to either use or exclude this voicemail as needed.
eg: if your ring time on your local number is 30 seconds, you would set your Timeout to be 25 seconds to use the Jet voicemail notifications, and approx 35 seconds to use the voicemail set up on your local number.
If the caller leaves a voicemail on your local number's voicemail system, we will recognise this call as "ANSWERED" in your Jet reports. If the caller rings out and goes to the Jet voicemail system, this call will be classified as "UNANSWERED".
IVRs, Queues or Hunt Groups
If a local number has an IVR, a call queue or a hunt group on it, this system will take control of the call and process/route the call accordingly. Once the system has taken hold of the call, this is classified as "ANSWERED" in your Jet reports and will last for the duration of the call. The Timeout set in your Dial widget will not be applicable in this call scenario, as this affects only calls that are "UNANSWERED" or "BUSY".
Note - any calls where the endpoint is using an IVR, a Queue or a Hunt Group will not be able to utilise the Call Whisper feature. This feature should only be used for calls that are routed directly to a person.
Why are these calls marked as answered?
From a reporting perspective, we recognise this call as "answered" as the call has been accepted by the endpoint.
This could mean that the person receiving the call has picked up the phone, or the phone number we are diverting to has "accepted" the call and processed an action on their end (such as recording a voicemail).
Using Mobile Answering Points
When using a mobile number as your external answering point, you may find some limitations on how the calls interact with voicemail and ring times.
Here are some of the scenarios you may encounter:
- If the mobile device is off, or on another call, the call may go straight to the mobile voicemail without a ring time.
This call will be marked as "ANSWERED" in your Jet reports. - If the mobile device has a ring time that is shorter than the Timeout set in your Dial widget, the call will go to the mobile voicemail. More information here.
This call will be marked as "ANSWERED" in your Jet reports. - If the mobile is set up with any diversion (eg: to a local number or another mobile), this diversion will still occur based on the settings active on this mobile number.
This call will be marked as "ANSWERED" in your Jet reports. The answering point in your Jet Reports will show as the initial mobile number we diverted to, despite any further diversions set up on the mobile itself.
Why are these calls marked as answered?
From a reporting perspective, we recognise a call as "answered" if the call has been accepted by the endpoint.
This could mean that the person receiving the call has picked up the phone, or the phone number we are diverting to has "accepted" the call and processed an action on their end (such as recording a voicemail).
Best practices for using voicemail
To use a Jet voicemail with a mobile number, we need to trigger the voicemail before the ring time is concluded.
Almost all mobile carriers have their default ring time set to 15 seconds, so we recommend setting your callflow timeout to be 12 or 13 seconds if you wish to use Jet voicemails.
Note - this will only affect calls where the device rang out. Calls that occurred when the device was off or busy may still go to the mobile voicemail, and Jet will be unable to collect this information.
Certain carriers can assist you with turning your mobile voicemail on/off, and changing the behaviour of your ring time and behaviour when your device is in use. Please contact your carrier directly to discuss these options.
Extending your mobile ringtime
For most mobile carriers in Australia, you can change how long your mobile phone is set to ring before going to voicemail from 5 to 30 seconds, in 5-second intervals.
Please view the information below to discover how to set or extend the ring time for each carrier. If you have a carrier that is not listed below, please contact them directly to understand how to make this change.
Telstra
To increase (or decrease) the time before your voicemail picks up an incoming call on a Telstra device:
- Open the Phone app on your phone.
- Type the following: * * 6 1 * 1 0 1 * * [15, 20, 25 or 30] #
- Press the call button.
So, if you wanted to make sure your phone only rings for 30 seconds before diverting, you’d open the Phone app and type * * 6 1 * 1 0 1 * * 3 0 #.
Optus
To increase (or decrease) the time before your voicemail picks up an incoming call on an Optus device:
- Dial the following code: **61*321**XX#
- Replace 'XX' with the ring length in seconds. The ring time can be set in increments of 5 seconds to a maximum of 30 seconds. eg. 05, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.
- Press 'Call' or 'Send' (as if making a call).
The change has been made, and your ring time adjusted.
Vodafone
To increase (or decrease) the time before your voicemail picks up an incoming call on a Vodafone device:
- Dial **61*121*10*
- Then, before pressing call, enter the number of seconds you’d like your phone to ring for, followed by #
- Press Call
- A confirmation message will pop up on your screen with your new ring time
For example, setting it to 25 seconds would look like this: **61*121*11*25#.
This applies for both voicemail and Visual Voicemail.
SOURCE: All information was obtained from the Support Centres of each carrier mentioned above.
Please contact each carrier directly if you have further questions.