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Voice Mail - Transfer Mailboxes

A transfer mailbox is used when you want one voice mailbox to take messages from more than one telephone number.

The voice mail system normally routes calls based on the original number dialed.  A transfer mailbox is needed whenever the desired mailbox number does not match the number dialed.  The function of a transfer mailbox is to point the call to the correct mailbox within the voice mail system.  It is only needed when the mailbox number is different than the number originally dialed.

A transfer mailbox is most likely needed if callers are hearing the default greeting instead of the appropriate mailbox greeting.   The default greeting, sometimes called open trees, is “Welcome to Octel voice information processing.  Please dial the number of the person you are calling.  If you have a mailbox on this system, please dial #”. 

Some examples:

1. Person A has voice mail, Person B does not.  When Person B leaves for a meeting, they forward their phone to Person A’s telephone number using the *116 Centrex forward feature.  A call to Person B will now ring on Person A’s desk, then forward to voice mail if busy or not answered.  When that happens, the voice mail system will look at the original number dialed and see Person B’s number.  A transfer box on Person B’s number would tell the system that even though the caller dialed B, use mailbox A.  Without that transfer box on line B, the caller would hear the default greeting.
2. A department has several staff members responsible for answering calls from multiple published numbers.  These calls ring sequentially among staff phones in a hunt arrangement.  If no one is available, or if all staff are busy, calls drop to a single voice mailbox.  Each of the multiple published numbers would need a transfer box pointing to the single voice mailbox.

Worth Noting:

1. Message waiting indication (MWI) is not available with a transfer mailbox.  MWI is available with any voice mailbox capable of accepting messages, however, it can only be applied to one number per mailbox.  The MWI telephone number does not have to match the mailbox number.  This means that you can get MWI on the line with the transfer box instead of the line with the real mailbox if you prefer.  The only limitation is that you can only send MWI to one phone, so you need to choose.  By default MWI will be set up on the real mailbox number, unless requested otherwise.
2. Most transfer mailboxes are invisible – callers do not even know they are being transferred.  This is the way a transfer mailbox is set up by default.  However, it is possible to record a greeting on a transfer mailbox which will play to the caller before the call is transferred into the real mailbox.  If this feature is desired for your situation please discuss it with Voice Services as you go through the order process.

To Order
You can order voice mailboxes through DoIT Voice Services.  They will advise you when a transfer mailbox is appropriate. 

See Also:

• Voice Mail - Message Waiting Indication
• Voice Mail - Default Open Trees Greeting
• Voice Mail - Types of Voice Mail Boxes