The FAQ below should give most new users a basic understanding of the functions and features of the County phone system. If you have a question that isn't addressed below, please contact support@colletoncounty.org.
Similar to the previous phone system, everyone is assigned a 4-digit extension. The one major benefit to your new extension is everyone also has a Direct-In-Dial (DID) or basically a direct line. And, your direct line is easy to remember. All direct lines are 843-898-####, where #### is your extension. For example, if your extension is 1111 then your direct line will be 843-898-1111.
This makes doing business with someone much easier as you can just ask them to call you back on your direct line if you are regularly making calls with a specific individual. This will also make it much easier for coworkers out of the office to call in directly to specific staff members. NOTE: We are not making direct DID lines public; it is left to the discretion of each department head if they want to publish staffs’ direct line to the County website, include them on business cards, etc. ALSO: no pre-existing DID as going away. All pre-existing DIDs have been transferred into the new system
When you receive a call, to answer simply pick up the handset or press the speaker button on the phone to answer hands-free. If needed to answer a call going to coworkers extension, dial ** and their extension
To answer a caller that is ringing to someone else's extension, dial * * and their extension.
Placing a call on the new phones is much easier.
- It is not necessary to dial 8 before dialing the phone number.
- It is not necessary to dial 1 before the area code
- If the number is local (843 area code only) it is not necessary to dial the area code
- I have run into only one or two cases where this failed to work, but usually it works fine.
For all other numbers, simply dial the 10 digit number (###-###-####) and the call button
- Similar to answering a call, you can also place a call without picking up the handset. The call will initiate on speakerphone. Then, if you want to switch to the handset, simply pick it up.
- To switch from the handset to speaker, push the speaker button before hanging up the handset.
- Everyone should set up a voicemail recording. To do this:
- Dial *97 & enter your password (the default should be either your 4-digit extension or 6666)
- Follow the prompts listen to and manage your voicemail recordings
- Follow the prompts (press 0) to manage your recordings. You have 2 types of greetings to set up:
- UNAVAILABLE - The greeting that is played to callers when you do not answer your phone and they go to your voicemail box. Also used for after hours (if time conditions are in use).
- BUSY - The greeting played to callers when you have on Do Not Disturb or Decline the Call.
**when you are done recoding each message, press # to stop the recording
- Voicemail to Email is simple to set up, just send a request to support@colletoncounty.org
- Group Voicemails - some department heads requested group voicemails. To manage these, dial *98, then the mailbox number, and the password
With few exceptions, each department has a standard set of programmable keys (called templates) which were provided by each respective department head. If you would like something added to the programmable keys, please put the request in through your department head because it will affect all the phones in your department.
If you choose to, you can program or change your programmed keys from your phone, however if an update to you departments template is pushed out, any personalized changes WILL be overwritten.
Most users have the touchscreen models and to view all of your programmed keys you can swipe up and down to scroll through the list or click “Expand All” to view the full list.
While on a call, to transfer a call to another person, department, or even outside line:
- Simply press the transfer button
- Then select the destination. There are a few possible options:
- If you know it, you may enter\dial the number or extension to transfer the caller to
- You can select a programmed DSS key to transfer the caller to
- Depending on the model phone you have, you may have a physical DSS key you can select
- Or, you may have to navigate to DSS keys from the touchscreen before selecting the destination
- Your third option is to navigate the Remote Phone Books and select a destination to transfer the call to
This is commonly used when attending conference calls, but can also be used to speak to a co-worker without the caller on the line hearing you talk. Press the mute button to put yourself on mute, then press it again to unmute yourself.
While on the call, if you need to place someone on temporary hold you can press the hold key
To pick the call up again, press the hold key again.