Time Frame Configurations

You may find it necessary to override your main line during a holiday, company meeting, or inclement weather situation. The following examples are the most common ways that time frames and answer rules are configured to enable this override.

Before you begin setting up the forward on your main line you will want to determine where you're going to forward to, and make any necessary configuration changes for that first.

This is the most common option when closing due to an event.

1. Before creating the new inclement weather menu, look at the list of exisiting Auto Attendants and make a note of the highest extension listed. The new menu will be 1 extension higher than the current highest one.
2. Click on Add Attendant - Set the Name (IE: Holiday, Company Meeting, Inclement Weather, etc.)
   1. Set the extension to 1 higher than the one you found in step 1
   2. Always set the Time Frame to "Default," regardless of when this menu will be used.
3. Click on the new menu and configure whatever options you want to configure. Most clients essentially match what their closed menu currently does
4. Record the menu audio

Adding an Intro Greeting to your existing Main Menu is an easy way to add a recording to your menu without creating additional Time Frames and Auto Attendants. It will play your new audio message, and then automatically go in to your normal menu (usually your "Closed" menu). The difficulty with this option is you can't upload the audio until you're ready for it to begin playing. Don't follow these steps until that time or else callers may hear the intro audio before you're actually closed.

1. Follow the Record Menu Audio instructions for the menu you want to record the intro on (we're going to assume it's the Closed menu for this example)
2. At step 4 where you would click on the audio icon for Menu Prompt, click on the icon next to Intro Greetings instead
3. Click Add Greeting and then continue following the instructions from the Record Menu Audio article
   1. Select Default as your time frame regardless of when you will want this to play

This is the simplest option and no additional configuration is required at this step. Continue to Time Frame and Answer Rule configuration.

If you are forwarding calls to a special menu or to a number outside of the system then you do not need to create a Time Frame. You can skip to configuring the Answer Rule.

1. Go to Time Frames and click Add Time Frame
2. Set the name (Holiday, Company Meeting, Inclement Weather, etc.)
3. Select Always or Specific Dates or Ranges
   1. Always: This is the most common type of Time Frame for events like Inclement Weather or Company Meeting. With this setup you must manually enable the time frame when you want to "close" your main line, and disable it when you want to return to normal operations.
   2. Specific dates or ranges: You can use the Specific Dates Time Frame if you know the hours that you are going to be closed, and you want the system to automatically toggle the status for you.
4. Click Save

Answering rules operate in a top-down fashion.

Follow these instructions if you have created an a Time Frame and you're forwarding calls to a new menu or somewhere off the system.

1. Go to Users, select 0 - Main Line and then Answering Rules
2. Click Add Rule
3. Select your Time Frame
4. Select the checkbox for Call Forwarding Always and enter the extension or phone number where you want to forward calls to
   1. Enter the extension of your new Menu if forwarding to there, or enter a full 10-digit phone number if forwarding off the system
5. Click Save

If using an Always On Time Frame then ensure it isn't Active until you're ready to be closed. To prevent it from being active either drag it all the way to the bottom of the Answer Rules list, or edit the answer rule and uncheck the "Enabled" checkbox at the top and click save, then drag the answer rule all the way to the top.

To begin using the Answer Rule you will want to drag it all the way to the top of the Answer Rules list and ensure the "Enabled" checkbox is checked. To return the system to normal operation you can drag it back to the bottom, or disable it.

If using a specific dates time frame, drag it all the way to the top of the Answer Rules list. It will automatically become the Active rule once it reaches your configured dates, and it will disable once it moves outside of those times.

Follow these instructions if you are using an existing menu and you are just adding intro audio to it. This example assumes you're using your Closed menu.

1. Go to Users, select 0 - Main Line and then Answering Rules
2. Your Default time frame should already be configured to go to your Closed Main Menu. Drag the Default answer rule all the way to the top in order to make it Active
3. When you're ready to return the system to normal operation, drag the Default time frame back to its previous location (usually at the very bottom)