Boss-Secretary Solution

Feature Description

The Boss-Secretary solution allows secretaries to monitor the extensions of one or more bosses. Secretaries have the option of answering a call on behalf of the boss, place the call on hold and then picked up by the boss.

Use Case Scenario

Boss phone:

  • Extension 501
  • BLF Key 751 (751 is the designated parking lot position for extension 501)

Secretary phone:

  • Extension 400
  • BLF Key 501
  • BLF Key 751

When there is an incoming call to the boss extension:

  • The secretary can visually see via the BLF key 501. Audio alert and visual alert can also be added.
  • Call can be answered by the secretary on behalf of the boss by pressing the BLF Key 501. 
  • Secretary can place call on hold by pressing the BLF Key 751, Call is now parked at parking lot position 751, BLF Key 751 LED now turns red.
  • Secretary can inform boss there is a parked call. This can be done via intercom call, paging or just calling the boss extension.
  • Boss can pick up the parked call by pressing the BLF Key 751 on the boss phone. BLF Key 751 LED now turns green.

When the parked call is not picked up:

  • If the parked call is not picked up within the specified time period, call returns to the secretary's phone and rings the secretary's extension.
  • The parking lot number can be prepended to the CallerID so secretary knows which parking lot the call is returning from.
  • After answering the call, secretary can press the BLF Key 751 again to re-park the call.

When there is a second incoming call to the boss extension:

  • If a second incoming call rings the boss extension, secretary can answer the call by pressing the BLF Key 501.
  • However if the BLF Key 751 LED shows red, it means the parking lot position is still occupied by the first call. The second call cannot be parked in the same slot.
  • Secretary must wait for the LED to show green before pressing the BLF Key 751.

If there is a need to park more than one call, then reserve additonal parking lot positions and create BLF Keys to monitor each slot.

This solution requires the secretary's phone to have N+1 keys for each boss, where N is the number of parking lot positions reserved for the boss. The secretary can monitor multiple bosses as long as there are enough keys on the phone.

Programming

Step One: Configure Call Park

The following call park configuration allows the lower slot numbers (e.g. 701 to 750) to be used for general group call parking, while the higher slot numbers (e.g. 751 - 799) are used for direct call park.
See Call Park page for more details.

  1. Login to the UCx Web-based configuration tool and navigate to PBX -> PBX Configuration -> Parking Lot
  2. Set the following fields to the desired values:
    • Parking Lot Extension = 700
    • Parking Lot Starting Position = 701
    • Number of Slots = 99
    • Parking Timeout (seconds) = 45
    • BLF Capabilities = Enable
    • Auto CallerID Prepend = Slot
  3. Click on the Submit Changes button followed by the Apply Config bar


Step Two: Configure BLF Key on Boss Phone

For Nortel phones

Program a BLF key to monitor parking lot position 751.

  1. Login to the UCx Web-based configuration tool and navigate to PBX -> PBX Configuration -> Extensions
  2. Add or modify the boss extension, program a BLF key as follows:
    • Select Other feature from the drop-down list
    • Enter 751 in the Label field
    • Enter 751 in the Digits field
  3. If this boss extension has more than one parking lot position assigned, then repeat the above step to program one BLF key for each slot.
  4. Press the Submit Changes button followed by the Apply Config bar

For SIP phones

(The example below is based on the Infinity 5000 Series SIP phone.)
Program a BLF key to monitor the parking lot position 751.

  1. Login to the Infinity phone web interface and navigate to Function Keys -> Line Key
  2. Program a BLF key as follows:
    • Select BLF Type from the drop-down list
    • Enter 751 in the Value field
    • Enter Park in the Label field

  3. If this boss extension has more than one parking lot position assigned, then repeat the above step to program one BLF key for each slot.
  4. Press the SaveSet button

Step Three: Configure BLF Keys on Secretary Phone

For Nortel phones

Program a BLF key to monitor the boss extension 501 and another BLF key to monitor parking lot position 751.

  1. Login to the UCx Web-based configuration tool and navigate to PBX -> Extensions
  2. Add or modify the secretary extension, program first BLF key as follows:
    • Select Other feature from the drop-down list
    • Enter 501 in the Label field
    • Enter 501R in the Digits field (this is a ringing BLF key) 
  3. Program second BLF key as follows:
    • Select Other feature from the drop-down list
    • Enter 751 in the Label field
    • Enter 751 in the Digits field
  4. If this boss extension has more than one parking lot position assigned, then repeat the above step to program one BLF key for each slot.
  5. Press the Submit Changes button followed by the Apply Config bar.

For SIP phones

(The example below is based on the Infinity 5000 Series SIP phone.)
Program a BLF key to monitor the boss extension 501 and another BLF key to monitor the parking lot position 751.

  1. Login to the Infinity phone web interface and navigate to Function Keys -> Line Key
  2. Program first BLF key as follows:
    • Select BLF Type from the drop-down list
    • Enter 501 in the Value field 
    • Enter 501 in the Label field
  3. Program second BLF key as follows:
    • Select BLF Type from the drop-down list
    • Enter 751 in the Value field
    • Enter Park751 in the Label field

  4. If this boss extension has more than one parking lot position assigned, then repeat the above step to program one BLF key for each slot.
  5. Press the SaveSet button

Step Four: BLF Pickup Feature on Infinity 5000 Series SIP Phones

This step is required only if using Infinity 5000 Series SIP phones. Configuration steps below uses the Infinity phone's web interface - see Infinity Phone User Guide for details.

Program BLF Direct Pickup Code
  1. Navigate to Account -> Basic
  2. Select the desired Account
  3. Set the field Direct Call Pickup Code to **
  4. Click SaveSet button

Program One-touch Direct Call Park
  1. Navigate to Setting -> Features
  2. Expand section for Transfer Settings
  3. Change Transfer Mode via DSSkey to Blind Transfer
  4. Click SaveSet button

Program Audio and Visual BLF alerts

In addition to the LED of a BLF key showing the status of a monitored extension, alerts can also be configured for incoming calls.

  1. Navigate to Setting -> Features
  2. Expand section for Call Pickup
  3. For visual alert, set Visual Alert for BLF Pickup to Enable
  4. For audio alert, set Audio Alert for BLF Pickup to Enable
  5. Click SaveSet button