Groups

RingRx Groups are used for routing communications to teams of users.

Group Features

Call Routing

Groups operate in one of three modes

Basic Call Routing

Calls placed to the extension of the group will:

  1. If calls are recorded and play recording announcement is true a recording announcement will be played

  2. If an entry media file is specified it will be played to callers

  3. Members will be rung for group enable login seconds Each users Call behavior will be evaluated and followed

  • Ring My Phone

    The users desk phone and mobile app will be tried

  • Simultaneous Ring

    The users desk phone and mobile app will be tried as well as their Mobile number at the same time

  • Sequential

    The users desk phone and mobile app will be tried THEN their mobile number

  • Forward

    The users mobile number will be tried

  1. If an exit media file is specified it will be played to callers

  2. If a forward destination has been set, it will be tried

  3. The call will go to the groups mailbox

Announcement Call Routing

Announcement groups are used to create an ad-hoc PA system using the speakers of desk phones in the office. There are two kinds of announcement groups

Announcement

There will be a tone after each member device joins to indicate when to begin speaking

Announcement Mode B

Tones are suppressed for member device joins. Use this for groups with many member devices

Calls placed to the extension of the group will:

  1. If calls are recorded and play recording announcement is true a recording announcement will be played

  2. If an entry media file is specified it will be played to callers

  3. All members will be rung with the auto-answer flag set which will cause their phones to go off-hook on speaker. They will be muted so they will only receive audio from the caller like a PA system.

  4. Any dialed party may press 2 on their phone to end the call and begin a 2-way conversation with the original caller

Note

If your facility includes an integrated announcement speaker, that device may be included in an announcement group to simultaneously announce from both

Queue Call Routing

Queue groups are used to create a more flexible and intelligent method of call distribution as there would be in a call center.

Full details are here: Queues

SMS Routing

If a phone number has their incoming SMS messages routed to a group, any received messages will be sent simultaneously to all group members. In this arrangement the group effectively becomes the person the phone number is having a text message conversation with.

When a message is received to a group:

  • A group message chat will start for all members of the group.

  • The off-network phone number will see replies as coming from the groups outbound SMS number

Note

Take care to make sure that the outbound SMS number routes back to the group to avoid confusion

When a group member responds to an inbound group message

  • All other members of the group will get that message sent to them

  • That message is sent to the outside phone number from the groups SMS number

  • The outside party has no visibility into which member of the group sent the reply keeping the appearance of a single presence.

Note

Copies of all group messages will exist in each group members mailbox. IF a user is removed from a group, they will retain group messages from the time they were a member. Newly added members will only receive group messages going forward.

Group Parameters

group type

Default

basic

Description

The behavior of the group (Basic, Announcement, Queue)

name

Default

empty

Description

The name of the group. Mostly descriptive but it can be used

extension

Default

empty

Description

The dialable extension of the group

group enable login

Default

false

Description

Enables the dynamic login/logout of members of this group using *91 / *92 star codes

call timeout

Default

24

Description

Number of seconds for call legs in the group to timeout

sequential

Default

false

Description

Indicates that group users should be rung sequentially. This only is used for basic groups

cnam prefix

Default

empty

Description

A string of text to pre-pend to the callerID name to be passed to the users. Can be used to add information to the call.

distinctive ring

Default

empty

Description

For Polycom phones only Will cause calls passing through the group to ring with a special cadence

entry media file

Default

empty

Description

A media file from the accounts media library that will be played to callers before users are tried. A key press by the caller will terminate the media file and skip to ringing the users.

exit media file

Default

empty

Description

A media file from the accounts media library that will be played to callers after all users have been tried without the call being answered. A key press by the caller will terminate the media file and skip to ringing the users. If a forward destination is specified or a mailbox, this file will be played before engaging either of those features.

forward destination

Default

empty

Description

An extension or phone number that the call will be offered to after all users have been tried. This destination will be tried for group enable login seconds

mailbox

Default

empty

Description

The voicemail box associated with the group. Calls that are not answered will end up in this voicemail box.

record calls

Default

false

Description

Will record calls to this group. Recorded calls will be found attached to the CDRs

play recording announcement

Default

false

Description

Incoming calls will have an announcement played (before the entry media file) to indicate that calls will be recorded.

tags

Default

empty

Description

A list of tags that will be attached to all of the calls passing through this group

Queue Group Parameters

These parameters only apply to queue mode groups

q_max_callers

Default

20

Description

The maximum number of callers that can be waiting in queue

q_max_callers_dest

Default

empty

Description

The destination extension new callers are sent to when the queue already has the maximum number of callers waiting

q_max_wait

Default

1800

Description

The maximum number of seconds a caller will be permitted to sit in queue. Defaults to 30min

q_max_wait_dest

Default

empty

Description

The destination extension callers in queue will be sent to when their hold time exceeds the max wait

q_moh

Default

empty

Description

Music on hold to be played while users are in queue

q_alarm_on_max_wait

Default

false

Description

Send alarm to all moderators and the queue alarm destination when a call reaches the max wait time

q_alarm_on_max_callers

Default

false

Description

Send alarm to all moderators and the queue alarm destination when a call is rejected because the queue is at max callers

q_alarm_email

Default

empty

Description

Comma separated list of additional emails to receive queue alarms (in addition to moderators)

q_alarm_wrapup

Default

0

Description

How many seconds to allow an agent for post-call activities before making them eligable for another call from the queue

q_alarm_holddown

Default

30

Description

How many seconds to suppress offering an agent a call after they failed to answer one (minimum is 10)

q_agent_dist_alg

Default

Round-Robin

Description

How calls should be assigned from the queue to users

  • Round-Robin: Each user is assigned calls in equal rotation

  • Longest Idle: The agent who has been idle the longest is assigned the next call