Bootcamp 2 – Manage Your Inbound Calls

The second in a series of four bootcamps to help you fully leverage your SIPcity Cloud PBX.

With SIPcity you can manage your VoIP calling and features from within one simple software application. From managing your inbound and outbound calls, to setting up voicemail to email, call recordings, and more. To help you get the most out of SIPcity we’ve created four Bootcamps:

1. Personalise and Customise

2. Manage your Inbound calls

3. Manage your Outbound calls

4. Understand Advanced Features

In this second BootCamp, we’re looking at how SIPcity helps you manage your inbound calling with its Cloud PBX features.

Overview

1. Direct your call

2. Understand Auto Attendant

3. Call Flow Priority

4. Setting up Voicemail to email

5. Adding Media files

Direct your Inbound Call

With an inbound call the simplest thing you can do is pick up the phone and take the call. There are however, some really useful features that can help out with the way you direct your call.

Explore the Inbound Feature Guide

1. Log into YourCloudPBX account and click into the CloudPBX menu.

2. Select Inbound Calls from the menu on the left. You will see a range of options in the drop down. Some of these you may be familiar with – some may be new.

3. Click one of your numbers and you will now be updating the settings just for that number alone. Note that when you first click the number you will see the Messages for that number which is the top menu item for the Cloud PBX options for that number. You will need to click Inbound Calls again to see the options available.

A few things to make note of:

Multiple functions can be applied
You can apply one or many of the functions to an individual number, however some functions may stop another from working if not set up correctly. Mostly, this relates to Call Flow Priority which we will cover in this bootcamp lesson.

Save options
Every time you make a change, remember to click Save to enable the changes to take place. Some changes happen instantly, and some may take a few minutes to replicate throughout the system, particularly when tied into other numbers.

Call Flow Priority

This is one of the most important areas for you to understand. Now that you know what features are available to for your inbound calls, the Call Flow priority is a simple hierarchical structure used to control the way calls are managed by our CloudPBX.

First, let’s take a look at what Call Flow Priority actually does.

• Every inbound call “hits” the Cloud PBX

• The Cloud PBX has a set order of steps that the call must pass through checking along the way whether anyone single feature has been enabled by you.

• Even before a call is actually connected there may be tasks that the Cloud PBX is asked to perform which may be set by you, eg Call Rejection. This means that a call hits the Cloud PBX but it isn’t connected because you have instructed it to be rejected.

• Post Dialling: After a call is handled by a first feature, under certain circumstances it can automatically transfer to a second function, which we refer to as “post dialing”. An example could be an Auto Attendant (IVR) that isn’t answered within a specified number of seconds, which will post-dial to a voice mailbox, or Call forward to another number altogether.

The Call Flow Priority rules are:

1. Auto-Attendant

2. Agent Queuing

3. Do Not Disturb

4. Call Screening

5. Call forward Always

6. Simultaneous Ring

7. Hunt Groups

Setting up Voicemail to Email

You may be unavailable when an important voicemail is received. By having this voicemail sent directly to your email inbox, you can pick this up on any device. Alternatively, you can have all your voicemails sent to another person or central team email so your company never misses out on important messages.

• Select CloudPBX and the number you want to add the Voicemail settings to.

• Follow the instructions to set up your voicemail settings and recordings.

• In the section “Send a copy of my voicemail messages to the following email address:” add the email address where you want the voice message sent.

• You can also turn off the option for the CloudPBX to store your email in your account and only have these sent to your email.

You can send your caller to another phone number’s mailbox directly. This is useful if you want to use a central mailbox for all messages.

Adding Media Files

You can upload your own recording messages to your account and have these played to your callers when specific features are implemented, eg your Voicemail recording.

You can add your media files when you set up each feature or you can manage all your media files from one place.

• In the Cloud PBX, select your number.

• Click Media in the left menu and you will see the options appear for you to upload your files.

• The media files you upload will work with only the number you have currently selected, not across your entire account.

You can upload media files to apply to these features:

• Auto Attendant

• Voicemail unavailable

• Voicemail busy

• Music on hold

• Caller tunes