Call Pickup Codes

Group Pickup: *3
Directed Pickup: *4 + extension
Park Retrieve: *6 + park slot

Group Call Pickup

Answer Any Ringing Call (*3):

How It Works:

1. Hear phone ringing nearby (colleague's desk)
2. Dial *3 from your phone
3. System connects you to oldest ringing call in your pickup group
4. Answer call as if it rang on your phone

Pickup Groups:

• Configured by administrator
• Typically: Department or team members
• Example: All sales team in one group
• Defines which extensions you can pickup

Use Cases:

• Colleague away from desk
• Covering during lunch/break
• Urgent call needs immediate answer
• Team collaboration
• Customer service coverage

Example Scenario:

John's phone ringing (extension 1234)
John away from desk
Sarah nearby, dials *3
Sarah answers John's call
Customer doesn't know call was transferred

Directed Call Pickup

Answer Specific Extension (*4):

How It Works:

1. Know which extension is ringing (see caller ID panel, or hear it)
2. Dial *4 + extension number
3. Example: *4-1234 (picks up extension 1234's ringing call)
4. Connects to that specific call

Advantages:

• Pick up specific extension (not just any call)
• Works across pickup groups (if permitted)
• Choose which call to answer
• More control than group pickup

Use Cases:

• See specific extension ringing on panel
• Know call is for you (forwarded, expected)
• Pick up boss's phone (assistant)
• Emergency situations (grab ringing phone)

Permissions:

• May require permission to pickup outside group
• Typically allowed within department
• Administrator configures restrictions

Call Parking & Retrieval

Park Retrieve (*6):

What is Call Parking:

• "Park" call in shared slot
• Anyone can retrieve from any phone
• Useful for mobile calls (move between offices)

Retrieve Parked Call:

1. Call parked in slot (e.g., slot 701)
2. Announcement: "Call parked in slot 701"
3. Go to any phone
4. Dial *6-701 (retrieve from slot 701)
5. Call connects to you

See Call Parking for full parking instructions.

Pickup Groups

Group Members: John (1001), Sarah (1002), Mike (1003)

Customer → Sarah's extension (1002)
Sarah away from desk
John hears ringing
John dials *3
System: Connects John to Sarah's call
Customer: Talks to John (doesn't know difference)

Sarah's phone: Ringing (Call 1)
Mike's phone: Ringing (Call 2)
John dials *3: Picks up OLDEST call (Call 1)

Best Practices

1. Know Your Group: Understand who's in your pickup group
2. Quick Response: Pickup ringing calls promptly (don't let wait)
3. Identify Yourself: "Hi, this is John from sales..." (not their name)
4. Take Message: If call for specific person, take detailed message
5. Professional: Treat picked-up calls as if they called you directly
6. Follow Up: Inform colleague of picked-up call and message
7. Coordinate Coverage: Team should coordinate who's covering
8. Use Call Panel: Visual display of ringing calls helps
9. Don't Abuse: Only pickup if you can properly handle call
10. Emergency Priority: Pickup priority for urgent/important calls

Common Scenarios

Colleague's Phone Ringing:

• They're away from desk
• Dial *3
• Answer: "Hi, this is [your name] calling on behalf of [colleague]"
• Take message or assist

Boss's Phone (Executive Assistant):

• Boss in meeting
• See their extension ringing on panel
• Dial *4-[boss extension]
• Screen call, take message, or transfer if urgent

Team Coverage:

• Sarah on lunch, John on break
• Mike covering both
• Multiple phones ringing
• Mike dials *3 repeatedly to answer each

Urgent Situations:

• Fire alarm, everyone evacuating
• Phone ringing (could be emergency)
• Grab call with *3 before leaving
• Take brief message or promise callback

Troubleshooting

Pickup Not Working:

• Check you're in pickup group
• Verify call is ringing (not on hold)
• Try directed pickup (*4) instead
• Confirm feature enabled
• Contact administrator

Wrong Call Picked Up:

• *3 picks oldest ringing call in group
• Use *4 for specific extension
• Check which phones are ringing
• Coordinate with team

No Calls to Pickup:

• Verify calls are ringing (not just blinking)
• Check pickup group membership
• Calls may be answered already
• Verify not on DND (can't pickup if DND active)

Permission Denied:

• May not be in same pickup group
• Administrator restrictions
• Try directed pickup
• Request access from admin