Stratus - Answering Rules

Answering rules can be configured by each user through the Stratus Web Portal. Once logged in, users can navigate to the Answering Rules Tab.

Users with Office Manager access are able to adjust other user’s answering rules on their account. Once logged in as an Office Manager, navigate to the Users tab. Select the User whose rule need to be adjusted. Then click on the Answering Rules Tab.  

Here users can adjust their ring time, allow/block phone numbers, and add and adjust time frame answering rules.

When no answering rules are in effect, calls will ring the user’s extension by default. This means that answering rules do not need to be set up for each user individually in order for their phone(s) to ring.

Ring Time Adjustment

The Ring Time for the user can be adjusted using the drop-down menu. This is the amount of time that the user’s phone(s) will ring for on an incoming call. This Does Not affect the ring time of calls that originate through a call queue.

Options include:

• 5 second intervals from 5 to 90 seconds
• 30 second intervals from 90 to 300 seconds
• 1200 seconds
• Unlimited

Allow/Block

The Allow/Block button will allow users to modify which numbers are allowed or blocked for the user.

Allowed Numbers

Calls from allowed numbers bypass call screening and server side Do Not Disturb (not phone DND). To allow numbers for this user, enter a number in the Enter a number field under ALLOWED NUMBERS, and then click the plus sign next to this field. Repeat this step for each additional number you want to allow for this user.

Blocked Numbers

Calls from blocked numbers receive a fast busy or number disconnected message. To block numbers for this user, enter a number in the Enter a number field under BLOCKED NUMBERS, and then click the plus sign next to this field. Repeat this step for each additional number you want to block for this user.
To block anonymous or unknown numbers, check Block anonymous or unknown.

Spam Calls

Calls that are identified as Spam can be routed in a variety of ways.

• Notify – Lets spam calls through like a normal call.
• Send To Voicemail – Sends spam calls directly to the user’s voicemail
• Drop Call – Disconnects the spam call immediately.
• Screen Call – Screens the spam call by asking the caller for their name before sending the call through.

Adding Answering Rules

Adding additional answering rules allows you specify alternate call answering rules in a different time frame (for example, handle calls differently on a weekend than on a weekday). To add an answering rule for this user:

1. Click the Add Rule button. The Add an Answering Rule pop-up window appears.
   
2. Complete the settings in the Add an Answering Rule pop-up window.
   

• Time Frame - Select a time frame to which this answering rule will be applied. Choices shown are the ones that have previously configured under the Time Frames Tab.
• Enabled
  • Checked - Enabled
  • Not Checked - This time frame for this user is disabled
• Do not disturb
  • Checked - enable Do Not Disturb. Send all calls directly to voicemail (if available), without ringing the phone.
  • Not Checked - disable Do Not Disturb.
• Call screening
  • Checked - enable call screening. System prompts callers to say their name, and then lets you screen the call before accepting it.
  • Not Checked – disable call screening
• Call Forwarding options
  • Always - immediately forward calls to the number specified in the text field. No other forward rules will be followed.
  • On Active - forward calls to the destination if the user's phone is already on a call.
  • When busy - will forward calls to the destination if the reject button is pressed on an incoming call.
  • When unanswered - forward calls to the number specified in the text field if the call is not answered after the specified ring timeout.
  • When offline - automatically forward calls to the number specified in the text field when no devices are registered. This means that no devices, physical or virtual, are registered to Stratus. (for example, during a power outage).
• Simultaneous Ring
  • Simultaneous ring allows multiple phones to ring at the same time. Check boxes allow you to include the user’s extension, ring all user phones at the same time, and use answer confirmation for offnet numbers.
    • Include user’s extension - check to ring the phone with the same extension as the user.
    • Ring all user’s phones - ring all phones associated with this user at the same time. (softphones and desk phones)
    • Answer confirmation for offnet numbers - ensures when conducting a simring to a cell/landline that the answering party is a person instead of voicemail by requesting them to press 1 to accept the call.
      
      
      • In this field, you can enter the extension of another telephone you want to ring.
      • The clock icon allows you to specify a ring delay. A ring delay allows you to enter the amount of time before the call rings at the destination. To add other phones to the simring, click the green plus icon.
    • Just ring user’s extension
      • Checked - Forward calls to the user at the specified extension and follow their user-answering rules.
      • Not Checked – disabled

Destination Options for Call Forwarding

When the destination field is being filled with Text, Stratus will show possible destinations based on the input.

Possible destination types:

• User - Forward calls to the user at the specified extension and follow their user-answering rules.
• Phone - Bypass the user-answering rules and forward calls to the handset associated with the specified user.
• Voicemail - Forward calls to voicemail at the specified extension.
• Queue - Forward calls to the queue associated with this user.
• Auto Attendant - Forward calls to the auto-attendant associated with this user.
• Off-Net-Number – a 10-digit Phone Number can be entered as a destination.

Changing the Active Answering Rule

You can define multiple answering rules, but only one rule can be active at a time. The active rule is the first rule (top to bottom) with a matching time frame.

Best practices dictate that you order answering rules according to how specific they are, with the most specific time frames (for example, Holidays) at the top. The default time frame can be used as a ‘catch all’ or ‘after hours’ timeframe if other timeframes are applied.

Example: Assume today is Monday, July 4th. In this example, the Holidays and Open time frames could match the time and date conditions for July 4th. If Holidays is the first rule, however, it becomes the active rule. But if My Business Hours is the first rule, My Business Hours becomes the active rule. To re-prioritize the timeframes:  

1. In the Answering Rules tab, find the rule you want to re-prioritize.
2. On the left side of the Answering Rules tab, hover the mouse over the up/down arrows for that rule (the pointer changes to a 4-headed arrow).
   
3. Hold down your mouse button, drag the rule to the top row, and then release the mouse button. A message tells you that the answering rules have been reprioritized and prompts you to click Save.
   
4. Click Save. The Active designation appears next to the topmost time frame that is currently active.