With the office phone, you can take a call from another person, put it on hold and move to another desk to handle it, or answer an outside call from the conference room.

This usage is based on the “transfer” function of the business phone.

Recently, in order to respond to changes in work styles, the usage of transferring company calls to mobile phones has also become popular.

In this article, we explain how to forward calls on business phones and recommended services for forwarding calls to mobile phones.

If you are considering improving the efficiency of your telephone business, please refer to it.

What is call forwarding

Call forwarding is a feature that allows you to forward incoming calls to a specific phone to another phone or other phone number so that you can answer them.

I also use the call forwarding feature when I usually pass calls to other people in the office.

This chapter describes the types of call forwarding.

Call transfer type

There are two methods of call forwarding: manual forwarding by a person and automatic forwarding according to conditions.

manual transfer

It is a method of manually performing operations after answering the phone once and transferring it.

You will need to do this every time, but if you do it manually, you can change the forwarding method according to the situation, forward it to any number, and respond flexibly to the situation.

automatic forwarding

In this method, you can set forwarding settings in advance, and the call will be forwarded automatically when there is an incoming call.

Although it cannot be handled flexibly compared to the manual method, it is possible to select conditions such as “only when no answer”, “only when busy”, and “specify time period”, so it can be used according to the personnel system. .

However, the forwarding destination is limited to the number set in advance.

What is extension transfer?

Extension forwarding is a function that forwards an incoming call to another telephone through an extension.

You can also transfer to another floor or conference room within the office.

However, with business phones, extension calls cannot be transferred to other locations even within the same company.

What is external line transfer?

A function that forwards incoming calls to an external landline number or mobile phone.

In the case of external line transfer, call charges will be incurred from the transfer source to the transfer destination, so the charges will be higher for long distances.

How to forward a call with a business phone [extension/outside]

Let’s take a look at how to transfer a call using the features of your business phone.

How to operate extension transfer

There are two methods of extension transfer, depending on the distance to the other party.

If you are within verbal communication distance, you can transfer the call by simply putting it on hold and releasing it on the other phone.

If the other party is far away from you, it is convenient to make an extension call and transfer the call.

hold and forward

1. Press the “Hold” button. At this time, check which lamp is lit.
2. Tell the person in charge what you need to do and the number you are holding.
3. The person in charge can answer the call by picking up the handset at his/her desk and pressing the corresponding number button.

Transfer using extension

1. Press the “Transfer” button.
2. Dial the contact’s extension number.
3. When the person in charge answers the phone, tell them what you need.
4. Hang up the handset to connect the caller and the person in charge.

How to operate outside line forwarding

This is a forwarding method to an outside line number that can be used when an urgent call is received by a person in charge who is out of the office.

1. Press the “Hold” button to put the call on hold.
2. Press the “Outline” button and dial the phone number you want to transfer the call to.
3. When the person in charge answers the phone, tell them what you need.
4. Press the “Connect” button to complete the transfer.

Rapidly increasing number of companies introducing external line forwarding services to promote telework

Business phone forwarding requires operation on the phone, so someone had to come to the office to answer the phone, which was an obstacle to promoting telework.

If you can answer incoming calls to your company’s landline at home, you can answer calls as usual while teleworking.

Therefore, the use of external line forwarding services is increasing rapidly.

The call forwarding service automatically forwards incoming calls to registered numbers, eliminating the need for manual intervention in the office.

Differences from Cloud PBX

In addition to the external line transfer service, there is a service called “Cloud PBX” that can handle fixed-line phones outside the company.

A cloud PBX is a switchboard built on the cloud that enables the extension system of a company to be used via the Internet.

If you install the app, your computer or smartphone will replace your phone, so you don’t need to prepare a dedicated device.

On the other hand, since the external line transfer service uses a telephone line, the transfer destination must be a terminal with a contracted phone number, such as a landline or mobile phone.

Depending on how you use it , the communication charges may be high because you need to pay for the call from the transfer source to the transfer destination .

Introducing the services of each company

Call forwarding services are provided by landline carriers.

Since it is an option for the line currently under contract, if you want to use it, please apply through your carrier.

The monthly usage fee is low, but it is important to note that call charges are separate.

In addition, forwarding to 050 numbers is limited to numbers issued by the carrier itself, so there are conditions for forwarding destinations, so be sure to check carefully when applying.

Here, we will introduce the services of three companies: NTT, Softbank, and KDDI (au).

NTT East/West “Voice Warp”

If you have a phone line contract with NTT East/West, you can add the “Voice Warp” option.

Charges and service contents differ depending on the line type, so please check the plan for your line.

VoiceWarp also supports FAX forwarding, but since it is not possible to distinguish between telephone and FAX at the time of forwarding, a transmission error will occur if the destination device does not support FAX.

Softbank “Multi-Function Forwarding Service”

The external line transfer service provided by Softbank is a “multi-function transfer service”, which is equivalent to NTT’s “Voice Warp”.

Call charges to the forwarding destination are not included, but are cheaper if the forwarding destination is a SoftBank Otoku Line fixed-line phone or a SoftBank mobile phone.

KDDI Hikari Direct (au) “Call Forwarding Service”

If you subscribe to KDDI Hikari Direct (au), you can use the “call forwarding service” with no initial or monthly charges. (Application required)

Internet operation (self-page) is also supported in the usage settings.

Equipped with many useful functions! NEC Networks & System Integration Canario

If you use an outside line forwarding service, you will be able to answer calls on your mobile phone even when working from home, but at the company, the calls that were handled by multiple people will be concentrated in one person.

Also, unlike business phones, it is not possible to freely forward calls, so it takes time to respond to calls and create message memos, and you may find that your work does not progress at all.

In order to achieve both telework and reduce the workload of employees, it is essential to improve the efficiency of telephone correspondence.

NEC Networks & System Integration’s “Canario” uses AI to answer calls on behalf of employees.

You can hear the name of the person in charge and forward it to the cellphone of the person in charge, or send a message memo by e-mail.

You can answer calls to yourself even when you are away from home or telework, which will lead to an increase in customer trust.