Specifications

Routing Calls
4 – 6 ShoreTel, Inc.
Direct All Calls to a Live Operator
Some companies choose to answer all inbound calls during business hours with a live
operator to give callers a more personal experience. If you use a live operator, the most
important thing to remember is that the operator’s telephone must always be staffed.
ShoreTel recommends the following:
• Use the Operator Call Manager, because the standard telephone without OCM
manages only a single call at a time. When a second call arrives, using the Flash
button invokes call waiting, generating a swap hold situation in which calls cannot
be transferred. This problem is eliminated when you use the Operator Call
Manager.
• If the organization is a large one, consider using the ShorePhone-BB24 button box.
The button box provides additional shortcut functions for the ShorePhone IP230,
IP530, IP560 and IP560g phones. The button box behaves like an additional set of
24 custom buttons that can be used by the operator to quickly and easily route
calls to executives and to other employees who receive a high volume of phone
calls. A maximum of 4 BB24 devices can be connected to each IP230/530/560/560g
phone.
• If the operator does not receive a lot of telephone calls and is required to roam
around the office to deliver mail, pick up faxes, make copies, and so on, a two-line
2.4 GHz cordless telephone can be used. The first line is reserved for incoming
calls, while the second line is the operator’s personal extension.
• Create hunt groups to ensure someone is always available to take an incoming call.
• You can choose to have calls initially routed to the operator and then forwarded to
the auto-attendant after a fixed number of rings.
Operators work in either of two modes:
• Answer all calls and transfer them to the appropriate destination.
• Answer all calls and hold them until the parties are found.
If your operator works in the second mode, you should consider installing an
overhead paging system. Without a paging system, the operator’s ability to find
employees and connect them with callers is very limited. The ShoreTel 6.1 system
supports single-zone overhead paging on a per-site basis, using the audio output jack
on the ShoreGear-120/24, ShoreGear-60/12, and ShoreGear-40/8. When you need
multiple-zone paging, please use ShoreLink, ShoreTel’s online knowledge base, to
access the application note on paging on ShoreTel’s web site at www.shoretel.com.
Trunk Considerations
The operator can be reached through analog loop-start, digital loop-start, and T1/E1
PRI trunks by pointing the trunk group directly at the operator. You can also reach the
operator using DID or DNIS entries received over analog wink-start, digital wink-start,
or T1/E1 PRI trunks.
The ShoreTel 6.1 system supports International Caller ID, Caller ID Name, Caller ID
Number, ANI, and DNIS. The Caller ID and trunk group or DNIS information is
provided to the user to assist in answering the call.
NOTE Features available on trunks vary by trunk type. See Chapter 5, “Trunk Planning
and Ordering,” for more information.