Department extensions allow calls to ring a group of employee extensions for a specific department or team.
Examples of departments:
Sales
Customer Support
Billing
1. Review Department Extension 0
By default, Department Extension 0 forwards to the contact number you entered during sign-up.
Because many callers press 0 for assistance, this can significantly impact where your calls are routed.
We strongly recommend that you reassign Extension 0 to your newly created department extensions.
Click the Edit (pencil) Icon next to Extension 0
Scroll down to Forwarding Settings
Delete the default forwarding number from the list 🗑️
Select Add Forwarding Number.
Enter a name.
Select the employee extension from the dropdown menu.
Click ADD.
Repeat this process until you have all the employees you need added to extension 0.
Click Save.
2. Add another Department Extension
Go to Departments.
Select Add.
Enter the extension number you are trying to create in the Department number field.
Enter the Department name.
Example:
Extension 1 – Sales
3. Add the Employee Extensions to the Department
Under Forwarding Settings, select Add Forwarding Number.
Enter the name of the first person in this Department
Select the employee extension from the dropdown menu.
Click ADD.
4: Adjust Extension Forwarding Settings
Select the Edit Icon in the employee extension. There are several additional settings you can and should adjust:
Ring Time - We recommend adjusting to 15 seconds
Display Number & Name Prefix (Optional): This will show a caller ID label when calling your own team. We recommend entering the 3-digit extension number in the Display number prefix and entering the Name in the Display name prefix. External devices may not display these settings, and they may vary depending on the user's carrier.
Active Hours (Optional): Set the days and times that the extension should receive calls. We recommend leaving it set to Always unless you have specific time-of-day requirements. Click here for more details.
Announcement Type: Leave as Unannounced (only for specific setups)
Click OK
Repeat this process until all employees in the department are added.
5. Set Call Routing Behavior
You can control how calls are distributed among department members:
Sequential (In Order)
Random (Shuffled)
You can also reorder the forwarding list.
6. Configure Department Voicemail
Department extensions can also have their own voicemail.
Select Custom to record or upload a department voicemail greeting.
Select Copy to activate voicemail notifications. Then enter the email address you wish to receive voicemail messages.
Note: In the next step, we'll show you an option to use our Voice Talent Studio to get a professional recording for your main greeting and even department greetings...
7. Save Extension
Optional:
Ignore the Dial-by-Name directory settings for now.
Ignore the Permissions settings for now.
Adjust the timezone if needed.
Click Save.