Announced Transfer

[Guest kparkk]

In order to transfer a call to an outside line, I'm using PBX Announced Transfer. When the call is accepted (press 1) it does transfer as supposed to. If the call is rejected (press 2 or any key), then VG is supposed flash back over (!) to return the original caller to another menu of options. This part works ok as long as the person that rejected the transfer hangs up immidiatly after pressing 2. If they don't hangup quick enough, then when VG flashes over, they are on a 3-way call with the original caller.

 

Question 1: Is there a way to avoid the chance of the call being shortly in a 3 way call between the time the call is being rejected and the hangup?

 

My real problem now occurs when the person receiving the transfer doesn't answer their cell phone and eventually their voicemail from the cell phone service picks up. Since the call doesn't actually get accepted (nobody presses 1), then VG just flashes back to the original caller after attempting the transfer, essentially connecting the original caller and the cell phone voicemail on a 3-way call. What happens is if I set the transfer call module to time out long enough to catch the cell phone voicemail picking up, then the original caller will hear the cell phone voicemail greeting along with the voiceguide menu they're supposed to be hearing.

 

I tried setting the timeout to be short enough so that the cell phone voicemail cannot answer before the timeout. The module flashes over to do the transfer, times out, then flashes back over to send the original caller to the correct menu. That gets rid of the orginal caller from hearing cell phone voicemail playing over the VG. But for some reason when VG flashes back at the module timeout, it doesn't disconnect from dialing the cell phone number, and a message gets left on the cell phone voicemail that is repeating the Annouce Message ("Press 1 to accept, or press 2 to reject the call transfer") over & over again.

 

Question 2: Is there some kind of sequence of hook flashes, or Script that will tell VG to hangup from dialing the cell phone number BEFORE flashing back to the original caller? This transfer occurs using only 1 phone line.

 

Question 3: If I do not want to mess with the timeout time to avoid cell phone voicemail from playing (since sometimes cell phone is off and voicemail comes on automaticly), what would be a solution in order for VG to determine that the call has not been accpeted since noone pressed 1, and hangup the call with the cell phone and return to a menu of options that original caller can chose from?

 

Sorry for the long post, and hope to get that issue resolved ! Thanks for your input in advance.

[SupportTeam]

This part works ok as long as the person that rejected the transfer hangs up immidiatly after pressing 2. If they don't hangup quick enough, then when VG flashes over, they are on a 3-way call with the original caller.

Question 1: Is there a way to avoid the chance of the call being shortly in a 3 way call between the time the call is being rejected and the hangup?

If your phone company uses the same signal (just a single hookflash) to do both a 3-way connection or a retrieval then you will run into such timing based issues. To reduce it's occurrence you should add some pauses (commas) before the hookflash when taking the call back on rejection - this will allow the 3rd party time to hang up before the hookflash is issued – this of course does not fix the voicemail issue.

But for some reason when VG flashes back at the module timeout, it doesn't disconnect from dialing the cell phone number, and a message gets left on the cell phone voicemail that is repeating the Annouce Message ("Press 1 to accept, or press 2 to reject the call transfer") over & over again.

If the call was taken back then that message would not longer be playing - the script would be doing something else other then playing the "Press 1 to accept..." message.

Question 2: Is there some kind of sequence of hook flashes, or Script that will tell VG to hangup from dialing the cell phone number BEFORE flashing back to the original caller? This transfer occurs using only 1 phone line.

You shoudl ask your phone company what they recommend you do to instruct them to hangup the '3rd party' leg of the call.

Question 3: If I do not want to mess with the timeout time to avoid cell phone voicemail from playing (since sometimes cell phone is off and voicemail comes on automaticly), what would be a solution in order for VG to determine that the call has not been accpeted since noone pressed 1, and hangup the call with the cell phone and return to a menu of options that original caller can chose from?

That's basically the same question as above. The same answer applies.

[Guest kparkk]

Thank you for your reply, it was very helpful. Unfortunately my phone company doesn't seem to know a way to force a hang-up on the flash-over for 3-way calling. Would the following work if I do the announce transfer using more than 1 phone line? Let's say a call comes in on Line 1, then the script dials out to transfer to a cell phone on Line 2 and waits for call accept/reject.

 

Question 1: If the call is accepted, can I transfer the caller on Line 1 to the cell phone on Line 2? Will Line 1 and 2 be free after the transfer is complete?

Question 2: If a cell phone voicemail answers, could I use the Line_Hangup syntax for VBscript to force the Line 2 to hangup & then Line 1 would still be connnected & then run whatever module is next?

 

The following is from the VG helpfile.......

 

Line_Hangup VoiceGuide COM Reference

 

End the call on the specified line.

 

Syntax

object.Line_Hangup iLineId

Part Description

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

object Required. VoiceGuide object

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

iLineId Required. Identification number of the line. If set to 0 then the first device controlled by VoiceGuide will have it's call terminated. If set to -1 al devices controlled by VoiceGuide will have the calls terminated.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Remarks

 

There must be an incoming call on the line.

 

Example

 

set vg = CreateObject("VoiceGuide.CommandLink")

vg.Line_Hangup $RV_LINEID

set vg = Nothing

 

[SupportTeam]

Would the following work if I do the announce transfer using more than 1 phone line? Let's say a call comes in on Line 1, then the script dials out to transfer to a cell phone on Line 2 and waits for call accept/reject.

Yes. Using 'Dial and Conference" is usually the best way to go.

Question 1: If the call is accepted, can I transfer the caller on Line 1 to the cell phone on Line 2? Will Line 1 and 2 be free after the transfer is complete?

No. "Dial and Conference" ties up both lines for length of call.

A '3-way Conference' ties up one phone line, and normal transfer does not tie up any after the transfer is made...

Question 2: If a cell phone voicemail answers, could I use the Line_Hangup syntax for VBscript to force the Line 2 to hangup & then Line 1 would still be connected & then run whatever module is next?

Yes, that would be possible.

[Guest kparkk]

I really would like to utilize the full capabilities of the call transfer, and that is why mainly I have interest in VG. In summary the telco does not have the capabilities of releasing the phone line if the 3rd party does not hangup the call (which is not possible in my case since the cell phone voicemail cannot hangup the call) causing a 3 way call with the voicemail. The telco does support call transfer, but not an annouced. I am also not much interested in bridging calls, or dial & conference because I do not want to tie up the line, and I would like to take advantage of the call transfer feature of the telco once the call is accepted. In no response, or gets voicemail in the transfer process, I need VG help on this. I have done a lot of research and I do not want to give up.

 

Can I kindly get your suggestions or hints on what I need to do or look into in order to get this accomplished properly and profesionally? Is there any additional equipment that I could use in conjunction with VG (such as PBX) to make this a happen? Is it something that your Group could make a customized solution for? Thanks.

[SupportTeam]

If your Telco does not implement the features to let you use their transfer facilities to your satisfaction then looks like you will have to look at other alternatives.

 

PBX is a viable alternative. Most PBXs support blind hookflash transfers.

 

Dial and Conference is however usually in the end the best option.