Knowledgebase

Time Conditions let you redirect calls based on time, date or day of the week.  Think of it like a "fork in the road", where you can direct calls to either of 2 destinations.

Example: If someone calls during business hours, send them to your main menu.  If they call outside hours, redirect the call to a special menu or to a cell phone (see Virtual Extensions).

This feature can also be combined with Call Flow Control feature, which would provide a manual override option, in case you want to close early or stay open later.

Before we start, there is some important concept to understand.  

1) Time Groups - This is where you name and define your various time/date schedules.  You might have one called "Open Hours", where you define what hours you are open, and another called "Holidays", where you define exceptions where you are closed throughout the year.

2) Time Conditions - This is where you route calls to either of two different destinations, based on if call is within a certain Time Group or not.  You can also have a "yes or no" feature, so if you need to have 3 conditions, you can just link them together.  Example, first send calls to a Holiday condition check.  If it is a holiday, send it to your holiday destination (menu, voicemail, cell phone, etc).  If it is NOT a holiday, send it to the next time condition, such as Open Hours.  If it is open hours, send calls to your menu, receptionist, or ring group of phones.  If it is NOT open hours, send it to your closed menu, voicemail, cell phone, etc.  By using 2 conditions, you can get 3 destinations.  With 3 conditions, you can get 4 destinations, and so on.

Ok, let's set those up...

A. Time Groups

1. Log into your voiSip phone system.
   
   
2. Go to Applications > Time Groups and click the "+ Add" button to begin.
   
   
3. Enter the start and finish times, dates or days of the week that you are OPEN.
   
   This should be in 24 hour time format.  So if you are open 9am to 5pm, Monday-Friday, you'd enter the following...
   Time to Start: 9:00
   Time to Finish: 17:00
   Week Day Start: Monday
   Week Day Finish: Friday
   
   If you are also open a few hours on Saturday, click the "Add Time" button at bottom of page and add the following...
   Time to Start: 12:00
   Time to Finish: 16:00
   Week Day Start: Saturday
   Week Day Finish: Saturday
   
   
4. Click the Submit button to save your changes.
   
   
5. If you want to create a Holiday group, then repeat the steps above, but this time enter the dates you will be closed for Holidays.
   
   Example, to be closed New Years Day, enter the following...
   Month Day Start: 1
   Monday Day Finish: 1
   Month Start: January
   Month Finish: January
   (you don't need to enter time of day, but if you are open part of the day and leaving at 2pm, you could set the Time to Start as 14:00)

B. Time Conditions

Ok, now that you have your times entered, you just need to create conditional routes.

1. Go to Applications > Time Conditions and click the "+ Add" button.
   
   
2. Enter Time Condition Name.  We recommend using the same name as your Time Group, to make it easier to match them up.
   
   
3. Set the Time Group to the corresponding rule you setup in previous section above, such as Holidays.
   
   
4. Destination Matches: Set this to any destination in your system, such as an IVR Menu, a Ring Group or Queue, an individual Extension (operator/receptionist), or any other option.
   
   
5. Destination non-Matches: Set a destination for calls that do not meet the group condition, such as another Time Group.
   
   
6. Click the Submit button to save your Time Group.
   
   
7. If you need multiple Time Groups/Conditions, then repeat the steps above.  Link multiple groups in a row to kind of "peel" calls off... if it is a Holiday, reroute the call, otherwise go to next time group, Open Hours.
   
   Hint: Start with your Holiday group/condition, then if it is NOT a holiday, send it to your Open Hours group/condition.
   
   
8. Note that you're not quite done... be SURE to set your Inbound Route, see below, or you calls will not process through your Groups or Conditions.

C. Inbound Routes

Inbound Routes are kind of the starting point for your inbound calls.  Just set your calls to route to your first Time Group, such as Holiday.  If you previously had calls going directly to an IVR Menu or an Extension, then you must change the Inbound Route to send calls to your Time Group, otherwise calls will ignore the new Time Groups you've created, and continue going to whatever destination you originally set.

1. Go to Connectivity > Inbound Routes
   
   
2. Assuming you already have an Inbound Route setup previously, you will click the Edit icon to adjust it.  If you have NOT yet created an Inbound Route, click the "+ Add" button to create a new one.  You may want to refer to the Inbound Routes FAQ for details.
   
   
3. Set the Set Destination field to your new Time Group, such as Holiday.  Now your inbound calls will process through your Time Group(s) and re-direct according to time, date, day of the week.
   
   
4. Click the Submit button to save the changes.
   
   
5. Once ALL changes have been completed, click the Apply Config button to make the changes active.  Your next inbound call will flow through your Time Groups and Conditions.

Alternative: If you prefer to manually control your calls, you can use the similar Call Flow Control feature.  This lets you toggle between two destinations by pressing a programmable button on your phone, or dialing a feature code.  Call Flow Control can be linked to Time Groups to provide a manual override.

We hope you will enjoy using the Time Groups and Conditions features.

Let us know if you have any questions or corrections on this FAQ.