Essential Call Controls
Basic feature codes control fundamental call behaviors like Do Not Disturb, Call Waiting, and Caller ID privacy.
Do Not Disturb (DND)
Enable DND: *78
Disable DND: *79
Activate Do Not Disturb:
Steps:
- Dial
*78from your phone - System plays confirmation: "Do Not Disturb enabled"
- Hang up
What Happens:
- All incoming calls rejected
- Calls sent directly to voicemail
- Phone does not ring
- Caller hears voicemail greeting
- Status shows "DND" on display/panel
Use Cases:
- In important meeting
- Focusing on critical work
- After hours (personal time)
- On vacation/out of office
- Training/presentation
Scheduled DND
Some systems support scheduled DND (e.g., automatically enable 6pm-8am). Check with administrator for availability.
Deactivate Do Not Disturb:
Steps:
- Dial
*79from your phone - System plays confirmation: "Do Not Disturb disabled"
- Hang up
What Happens:
- Phone returns to normal operation
- Incoming calls ring normally
- Status shows "Available"
- All features resume
Tip: Remember to disable DND when you're available again, or calls will continue going to voicemail!
Missed Calls
Calls received while DND was active went to voicemail. Check voicemail messages when disabling DND.
DND Behavior Details:
Call Routing:
Incoming Call
↓
DND Enabled?
↓ Yes
Send to Voicemail (immediate)
Caller hears greeting
Can leave messageFeatures Affected:
- ✅ Direct calls: Voicemail
- ✅ Ring group calls: Skipped
- ✅ Queue calls: Agent unavailable
- ✅ External calls: Voicemail
- ✅ Internal calls: Voicemail
- ⚠️ Emergency override: May still ring (configurable)
Still Works:
- Outbound calls (you can still call out)
- Voicemail access
- Other feature codes
- Web portal access
DND vs Call Forwarding:
- DND: Sends to voicemail (you)
- Forward: Sends to another number
- DND + Forward: Forward takes priority
Group Impact
When in ring group, DND makes you unavailable. Other group members still ring. Won't affect team coverage.
Call Waiting
Enable Call Waiting: *70
Disable Call Waiting: *71
Per-Call Disable: Dial *70 before number
Enable Call Waiting:
Steps:
- Dial
*70from your phone - System confirms: "Call waiting enabled"
- Hang up
What It Does:
- Allows second call while on active call
- Hear beep when new call arrives
- See caller ID on phone display
- Can switch between calls
- Can reject second call
Default: Call waiting typically enabled by default
Disable Call Waiting:
Steps:
- Dial
*71from your phone - System confirms: "Call waiting disabled"
- Hang up
What It Does:
- Second caller hears busy signal
- Or goes to voicemail (if configured)
- No interruption during calls
- Single call at a time
Use Cases:
- Important calls (no interruptions)
- Conference calls (avoid confusion)
- Training/presentations
- Troubleshooting call quality
Disable Call Waiting for One Call:
Temporary Disable:
- Dial
*70+ phone number - Example:
*70-555-1234 - Make call normally
- Call waiting disabled during this call only
- Re-enables automatically after hangup
Use Case: Important call where you don't want interruptions, but want call waiting back afterwards.
Using Call Waiting During Calls:
When Second Call Arrives:
- Hear beep-beep tone
- See caller ID on display (if available)
- Choose action:
Actions:
- Press Flash/Hook: Switch to new caller (puts first on hold)
- Ignore: Continue current call, second goes to voicemail
- Press 1: Answer second call (first on hold)
- Press 2: Send to voicemail
- Press 3: Conference both calls
Switching Between Calls:
- Press Flash or Hook button
- Alternates between callers
- Each time you switch, other is on hold
- Can transfer or conference
Flash Button
On most desk phones, Flash button switches between calls. If no Flash button, quickly press and release the hookswitch (hangup button).
Anonymous Calling (Caller ID Block)
Enable (Block Your Number): *67 + phone number
Disable (Show Your Number): *82 + phone number
Always Block: Configure in user settings
Block Your Caller ID (Per-Call):
Steps:
- Dial
*67+ phone number - Example:
*67-555-1234 - Call placed with caller ID hidden
- Recipient sees "Private Number" or "Anonymous"
What Recipient Sees:
- "Private Number"
- "Anonymous"
- "Restricted"
- "Unknown"
- (Varies by carrier)
Use Cases:
- Personal privacy
- Calling from company number but want privacy
- Avoiding callbacks
- Testing call flows
Show Your Caller ID (Override Block):
Steps:
- Dial
*82+ phone number - Example:
*82-555-1234 - Call placed with caller ID shown
- Overrides "always block" setting
Use Case: Your number is set to always block, but you want to show caller ID for this specific call.
Always Block Caller ID:
Configuration (User Settings):
- Log into user portal
- Go to Settings > Caller ID
- Enable "Block Caller ID on Outbound Calls"
- Save settings
Result:
- All outbound calls show as private
- No need to dial
*67each time - Use
*82to override per call - Applies to all devices
Use Cases:
- Executive privacy
- Personal preference
- Company policy
- Sensitive calls
Caller ID Privacy Limitations:
What It Doesn't Do:
- Doesn't hide from emergency services (911)
- Doesn't hide from toll-free numbers (800/888)
- May not work internationally
- Recipient with ANI service may still see number
- Call logs still show number (internal)
Legal Considerations:
- Some jurisdictions restrict caller ID blocking
- Emergency calls always show caller ID
- Business lines may not allow blocking
- Check local regulations
Recipient Options:
- Some people reject anonymous calls
- May go to voicemail automatically
- Business lines often block anonymous
- Consider before blocking important calls
Emergency Services
Caller ID blocking does NOT work for emergency services (911, 999, 112). Your location and number always transmitted for safety.
Call Return
Call Last Caller: *69
Return Last Call:
Steps:
- Dial
*69from your phone - System announces: "The last call was from [number] at [time]"
- System prompts: "Press 1 to return the call"
- Press 1 to dial or hang up to cancel
What It Does:
- Retrieves last incoming call number
- Announces number and time
- Optionally dials number for you
- Works for answered or missed calls
Use Cases:
- Missed call, don't know who called
- Return call quickly
- Check who called before deciding to call back
Call Return Details:
What Number:
- Last incoming call (answered or unanswered)
- Resets when you make outbound call
- Works with internal or external numbers
- Shows blocked numbers as "private"
Announcement Examples:
"The last call was from 555-123-4567 at 2:45 PM. Press 1 to return the call."
"The last call was from extension 1234 at 3:10 PM. Press 1 to return the call."
"The last call was from a private number at 4:00 PM. Cannot return call."Privacy: Only you hear the announcement. Shared phones remember last call to that phone.
Call Return Limitations:
Doesn't Work For:
- Blocked/anonymous callers (no number available)
- Very old calls (system may not store)
- Shared phones (last call may be for someone else)
- After outbound call (resets memory)
Alternative: Check Call History in phone display or web portal for complete list of calls.
Call Rejection
Reject Incoming Call: (varies by phone)
- Most phones: Reject or Decline button
- Feature code:
*60(add to reject list)
Reject Current Call:
During Ringing:
- Press Reject or Decline button on phone
- Or send to voicemail: Press Voicemail button
- Or ignore: Let ring until voicemail
Result:
- Caller hears: "The person you're calling is unavailable..."
- Call sent to voicemail
- Can leave message
Call Rejection List (Block Numbers):
Add Number to Reject List:
- Receive call from number to block
- Dial
*60after call - System prompts: "Enter number to block, then press #"
- Enter number:
555-1234# - System confirms: "Number added to rejection list"
Remove from List:
- Dial
*80 - System prompts: "Enter number to unblock, then press #"
- Enter number:
555-1234# - System confirms: "Number removed"
Result:
- Blocked callers hear busy signal or rejection message
- Call does not ring your phone
- Not sent to voicemail (blocked entirely)
Use Cases:
- Spam/robocalls
- Harassing callers
- Ex-customers/clients
- Personal privacy
Rejection List Behavior:
What Gets Blocked:
- Exact number match
- Internal extensions
- External numbers
- Both display number and actual CLI
What Isn't Blocked:
- Emergency services
- Different numbers from same caller
- Spoofed caller IDs (may vary)
Management:
- Most systems: Web portal shows reject list
- Can add/remove via portal
- Export/import lists
- Max 50-100 numbers (varies)
Spoofing
Caller ID spoofing may bypass reject list if spammer changes displayed number. Consider additional spam blocking methods.
Quick Reference
| Feature | Enable | Disable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do Not Disturb | *78 | *79 | Send all calls to voicemail |
| Call Waiting | *70 | *71 | Allow second call while on call |
| Block Caller ID | *67 + number | *82 + number | Per-call privacy |
| Call Return | *69 | - | Return last caller |
| Reject Call | *60 | *80 | Block specific numbers |
Custom Codes
Your organization may use different codes. Check with IT department or see user guide for your specific codes.
Best Practices
- DND Reminders: Set phone reminder to disable DND after meetings
- Call Waiting: Disable during critical calls or presentations
- Privacy: Use
*67when privacy needed, but consider recipient may reject - Reject List: Regularly review and clean up blocked numbers
- Documentation: Keep reference card with codes at desk
- Status Checking: Use web portal to verify DND/forward status
- Team Communication: Let team know when using DND for extended periods
Troubleshooting
DND Not Working:
- Verify enabled: Check phone display shows "DND"
- Check overrides: Some settings bypass DND (emergency, boss override)
- Call forwarding: If also enabled, forward takes priority
- Test: Call yourself from different phone
Call Waiting Issues:
- Not hearing beep: Check phone audio settings
- Can't switch calls: Press Flash/Hook button
- Confused: Disable call waiting for simpler experience
Caller ID Block:
- Still showing number: Some carriers don't support
- International calls: May not work
- Emergency: Always shows (intentional)
- Recipient blocking anonymous: Call won't complete