Hunt Groups for Digital Voice for Business and how to use them
Hunt Groups for Digital Voice
A Hunt Group is a feature in Digital Voice for Business that helps you manage how incoming calls are distributed among a group of users within your business. Here's a detailed look at what it is and why you might want to use one.
What is a Hunt Group?
A Hunt Group lets multiple phones ring in a specific sequence or pattern when a call comes in to a single number. Calls are then answered by the first available person in the group.
How do they work?
With Hunt Groups, calls can be distributed in various ways. Here are some examples:
- Regular: calls go through the list of members in a set order, until someone answers.
- Circular: calls are distributed in a circular manner, moving to the next person on the list after each call.
- Simultaneous: all phones in the group ring at the same time, and the first person to pick up answers the call.
- Uniform: calls are directed to the person who has been idle the longest.
Why should I use Hunt Groups?
- Improved call handling: calls are answered promptly, reducing the chances of missed calls.
- Efficient resource use: distributes calls evenly among team members, preventing any single person from being overwhelmed.
- Enhanced customer experience: provides a better experience for callers by reducing wait times and ensuring they reach the right person quickly.
- Flexibility: can be customised to fit the specific needs and workflows of your business.
The Hunt Group feature is available with all Digital Voice for Business packages.
How to set up a Hunt Group using the Digital Voice for Business portal
You can set up and manage Hunt Groups through the Digital Voice for Business portal, configuring your Hunt Group settings and add or remove users as needed.
To do this:
- Log in to the Digital Voice for Business portal.
- From the Dashboard, scroll down to Call routing groups (Enhanced) and click Add call group.
- Choose the site you want to set up the Hunt Group.
- Click the plus button (+) next to the Hunt Group option.
- Next, enter the Hunt Group details, such as the Hunt Group name and call distribution method (Regular, Circular, Simultaneous, or Uniform).
For help, tap the Assist me button to open a help article in a new tab.
How to add people to a Hunt Group
Once you’ve set up your Hunt Group, it’s time to add users to it.
To do this:
- Log in to the Digital Voice for Business portal.
- From the Dashboard, scroll down to Call routing groups (Enhanced) and click View groups.
- Select the Hunt Group you want to configure to go to the feature configuration page.
- Edit the Hunt Group by clicking the configure button (three dots) followed by Manage.
- Click on the Assigned Users.
- Enter the requested information and save.
For help, tap the Assist me button to open a help article in a new tab.
How to remove people from a Hunt Group
- First, follow the steps to add people, which you can find above. But instead of searching in Available Users, tick the users in Assigned Users and select Remove.
- Then, select Save to remove them from the Hunt Group.
More help with Hunt Groups
Call Distribution options for a Hunt Group
When you’re setting up a Hunt Group, you can choose Call Distribution to share incoming calls around your Hunt Group. Here are the Call Distribution options and what they mean.
Regular
The call goes through the members in the order that they appear on the list until it finds someone who's free.
Circular
The call tries to connect with the next person on the list after the member who answered the previous call. So, the calls hunt in a circle, eventually getting back to the first person on the list.
Uniform
Calls go first to the member of the group who has been available for the longest time.
Simultaneous
The call rings all idle members of the group at the same time and connects to the first person to answer. If everyone in the group is already on a call, the new caller hears a busy tone.
Weighted
With this option, you can assign different weights so that those with higher weights take more calls. When a call comes in it will search for an available member starting with those with the greatest weight. You can configure the weightings using the Distribution Settings in the Hunt Group Activities which appear when you save your Hunt Group.
Call Settings options for a Hunt Group
When you’re setting up a Hunt Group, you can choose Call Settings options to manage your Hunt Group. Here are the Call Settings options and what they mean.
Enable Call Waiting
Lets you know when other callers are trying to get through. You'll hear a discreet beep when someone is trying to get through to you while you're on the phone. Select this box to enable.
Skip to Next Agent After
If you're using Regular, Circular, Uniform or Weighted call distributing patterns, you need to tick this box so that calls can skip to the next employee. When you've ticked this box you can change the number of rings an employee's phone receives before it skips to the next employee on the list.
Forward To
After a call has cycled through its list for any call patterns, calls will automatically go to this number. It can be any telephone number, extension number, feature code, or voicemail (add *55 before entering the extension number to forward to voicemail).
Forward Calls After Wait Time
Enter a time between 5 and 30 seconds, and enter the number to forward to. If a call isn’t answered by anybody in the Hunt Group in your chosen time, it'll go to your chosen number.
Enable Call Forwarding Not Reachable
If for any reason all the phones in the Hunt Group aren’t available (due to a power cut, for example), calls will automatically route to the Forward To number.
How to set up voicemail for a Hunt Group
You can set up voicemail for a Hunt Group in two stages.
First, check voicemail has been set up using the Digital Voice for Business portal
- Log in to the Digital Voice for Business portal.
- Use the global search tool to find the person you want to receive the voicemails.
- Note down their extension number.
- Select the user’s name.
- Select Features from the left-hand menu.
- Find Voicemail and turn it on if it’s showing as off.
For help, tap the Assist me button to open a help article in a new tab.
You’ve set up voicemail. Now you need to set up a Hunt Group to use voicemail. You can do this using the Digital Voice for Business portal.
- Log in to the Digital Voice for Business portal.
- From the Dashboard, go to the Call routing groups (Enhanced) panel and click View groups.
- Select the Hunt Group you want to configure. You will then be taken to the feature configuration page.
- To edit the Hunt Group, click the configure button (three dots), followed by Manage.
- Click the Profile menu, scroll down to Call settings and select Manage.
- Put a tick next to Forward calls when there is no answer, enter *55 into the number box, followed by the extension number you noted down earlier.
- Select save.
For help, tap the Assist me button to open a help article in a new tab.