The ” transfer ” function is indispensable for office call intermediation .

Office calls are no longer limited to the same floor or location.

Due to the promotion of work style reform, the demand for transfer functions to members who are out of the office or telework has increased recently.

In this article, we will explain the types of functions and how to use them to transfer extensions and outside calls on office phones .

Service to forward office calls

Services currently in use for forwarding office calls include:

• business phone
• Cloud PBX
• call forwarding service

Let’s take a look at the features of each service.

Multi-function phone for office “business phone”

A business phone is a telephone system that combines a multifunctional “dedicated telephone” and a “main device” that controls the line.

The main unit controls extension and outside lines and plays the role of a switchboard, enabling the following uses.

• Calls between extension phones
• Transfer incoming calls to internal lines
• Simultaneous calls on multiple lines
• Sort incoming calls by phone number

Since the maximum number of units that can be controlled by the main unit of a business phone is about 100 units, a private branch exchange (PBX) must be installed in a large-scale environment.

“Cloud PBX”, a cloud-based switchboard

Traditional private branch exchanges are very expensive and require a large amount of money to install and maintain, but cloud PBX does not require equipment installation and can significantly reduce initial investment.

In addition, there is no need to worry about aging or replacement, and the advantage is that it can flexibly respond to additions and changes.

Cloud PBX is different from the switchboard installed in the base, you can manage the terminal that can connect to the Internet in the same way as the extension.

For example, you can use it like this.

• Extension calls between different locations
• Extension of employee’s mobile phone

“Call forwarding service” provided by the line carrier

Once the initial settings are completed, you can switch the forwarding destination or start/stop the service by push operation from outside, so you can operate it freely even if you are not in the office.

You can specify an external number (fixed-line phone or mobile phone) as the forwarding destination, and the content of the service is mainly intended for answering calls from outside when you are out of the office.

• Transfer to a set phone number without ringing the phone
• Call the phone and transfer to the set phone number if there is no answer

General extension transfer method for office phones

Extension forwarding

It is mainly used to transfer to the person in charge at your desk. This is probably the most frequently used function for answering calls in the office.

If you have a telephone set with an extension number, you can also transfer the call to the “reception” or “conference room” in addition to the desk of the person in charge.

2 ways to transfer extension with business phone

Extension calls are transferred using the “Hold” function, which is a basic function of business phones.

The operation is slightly different depending on the phone, but the function itself is installed in all business phones, so please refer to the manual of your phone for detailed operation methods .

Here is a general procedure for transferring extensions .

hold and forward

This is a method of checking the extension number of the person in charge in an extension table, etc., and then calling the extension number while the call is on hold .

1. Press the “Hold” button during an external call.
2. Dial the extension you want to transfer the call to.
3. When the person in charge answers the phone, tell them what you need and ask them to respond.
4. When you have finished speaking, hang up the handset and the person on the outside line will be connected to the person in charge.

Put on hold and release at another seat

If the person in charge is nearby and verbal communication is possible, the hold function can only be used to transfer .

With business phones, you can put multiple external calls on hold at the same time, and when you press the Hold button, the lights of the lines on hold such as “External line 1” and “External line 2” will light up.

You can take the call off hold and answer it at any seat by pressing the appropriate button.

1. Press the “Hold” button during an external call.
2. Check the pending button number.
3. Call the person in charge, tell them what you need, and ask them to respond.
4. Give the agent the number of the button that is being held (for example, “Outline 1”).
5. The caller can answer the call after taking it off hold at their desk.

General method of forwarding office calls to external lines

In addition to the functions of general business phones, external line forwarding can also be done by using services such as ” call forwarding service ” and “cloud PBX”.

Transfer by business phone

Business phone switchboards control multiple lines, and can be used to transfer incoming calls to external lines .

Manual transfer method

Manual transfer is performed by dialing an outside line while the call is on hold.

1. Press the “Hold” button during an external call.
2. Press the button to switch to the outside line (“Taisen” or “Call”).
3. Dial the outside number of the forwarding destination.
4. When the person in charge answers the phone, tell them what you need and ask them to respond.
5. Pressing a button such as “Transfer” completes the transfer.

How to transfer automatically

The setting method for automatic forwarding differs depending on the model, but the basic setting flow is as follows.

1. Push the button corresponding to external line transfer on the main body of the business phone
2. Push forwarding phone number
3. Push the button corresponding to the setting completion

It is important to note that someone has to operate in the office because it is necessary to perform the operation of setting, starting, and canceling the forwarding destination on the business phone itself.

Advantages of business phones

• No additional equipment required
• Can be used with familiar equipment
• The operation is similar to extension transfer and easy to remember

Disadvantages of business phones

• It is necessary to operate from the phone to start / cancel automatic transfer
• Using two lines for incoming calls and outgoing calls for forwarding
• Call charges apply from the transfer source to the transfer destination
• Since the phone number of the transfer source (company) is displayed on the forwarding destination, it is not possible to know from whom the call was made.

use a call forwarding service

Call forwarding services

Carrier call forwarding services are contracted as an option for your current line.

After signing the contract, the service can be opened as soon as one day or several days at the shortest, and can be used without specialized knowledge, making it easy for individual users and small businesses without a dedicated administrator to introduce .

Flow to start using the call forwarding service

1. Apply to contract carrier
2. Register a forwarding number from a landline phone or the Internet
3. Select the transfer destination and start transfer

Benefits of Call Forwarding Service

• Open in a short period of time and start using with simple initial settings
• Even if you are not at the office, you can take calls from anywhere by setting automatic forwarding.
• Transfer start/end/transfer destination switching can be operated remotely
• Eliminates the hassle of building and managing

Disadvantages of Call Forwarding Service

• Forwarding destination must be set in advance
• Call charges apply from the transfer source to the transfer destination
• There is an upper limit to the number of numbers that can be registered as forwarding destinations, and only one of them can be forwarded.

Use cloud PBX

As a result, terminals that can connect to the Internet can be treated as extensions regardless of the installation location.

When using a cloud PBX, the forwarding to a mobile phone, which should have been an outside line, is also performed as an ” extension forwarding “, so there are parts where you have to change the way you think about conventional telephones.

It is an epoch-making system that can be used freely beyond the boundary between internal and external lines, but since the telephone system itself will be replaced, the system construction at the time of introduction is somewhat complicated, and terminal preparation and settings are required. is.

Flow to start using cloud PBX

1. Checking existing facilities and settings
2. Define system requirements
3. Cloud PBX contract
4. get number
5. Make settings on your device

Benefits of Cloud PBX

• If you have an internet environment, you can make and transfer internal calls even outside the office.
• Since communication is via the Internet, there is no call charge for extension calls or transfers
• You can make calls from your mobile phone to your office landline number.

Disadvantages of Cloud PBX

• Construction is complicated due to the renewal of the telephone system
• Requires an administrator to configure and troubleshoot
• It cannot be used unless the user sets the terminal (app)

No complicated settings or operations required! What is “Canario”?

I want to transfer the call to the person in charge smoothly, but it is troublesome to manually forward it to the person in charge every time.

On the other hand, it is not easy to spend money to build a system or to find resources to manage.

For such companies, I would like to recommend the call forwarding service “Canario” provided by NEC Networks & System Integration Corporation.

“Canario” automates the transfer to the appropriate person in charge by entrusting the call response to AI .

• AI is in charge of the office phone number
• Start using with simple settings
• Recognizes the other party’s voice and transfers it to the designated person’s mobile phone
• Calls with an unknown person in charge will be called all at once by the organizational unit.

Please try “Canario”, which you can start using right away and immediately feel the effects.

Article Summary

Introduced how to transfer incoming calls to the office to an internal or external line .

Although it is possible to forward calls using only the basic functions of a business phone , if you are considering a wider range of uses, we recommend that you use an external service that performs call forwarding .

Recommended services differ depending on the size and usage of the company, so please consider referring to the contents introduced in this article.