- Schedules Usage, Types, and Priorities
- Existing Schedules and Schedule Status
- Creating a New Schedule
- Schedules Settings and Affected Numbers---
- Assigning Schedules with Schedule Route Settings
Schedules Usage, Types, and Priorities
Schedules are an automation tool that lets you set up times (referred to as events) for when certain features of the phone system will be enabled or accessible.
Unless your organization works around the clock all year, one schedule you will need is for your IVR to route calls based on your business and holiday hours. For example, on weekends or holidays, such a schedule will route calls to a general mailbox instead of the main IVR.
Other common uses are with queues, hunt groups, mailboxes, phone numbers, or any other feature that depends on staff's availability.
There are three types of schedules you can create:
- Weekly Schedule: You select hours for each day during the week or weekend when the schedule is active. The schedule will automatically repeat every week.
- Holiday Schedule: You build the schedule by adding events where you can select specific hours, days of the week, days of the month, months, and years for the schedule to be active.
- Custom Schedule: Works the same as a holiday schedule, except that you can also assign a priority to the schedule. If two or more custom schedules take place in the same time period, the system will use the one with the higher priority.
Holiday Schedules have the highest priority (10) and Weekly Schedules have the lowest (1).
Existing Schedules and Schedule Status
Access your list of existing schedules from Admin Center Menu>Voice Features>Schedules. Existing schedules are listed by Name, Type, Description, Status, and Numbers Affected (see adding affected numbers below). Clicking 
on the Starred column will add a schedule to the home page Starred Features panel for fast access.
You can delete schedules by checking them and clicking 
, but be aware that this cannot be undone.
Select 
on the top-right to download a CSV file of existing schedules showing a schedule ID, name, description, priority, and schedule type. Use 
to search for schedules by name, type, description, or the ID from the CSV file.
Schedule Status
An active schedule status appears as SCHEDULED, meaning it includes valid future scheduling events and days that will effectively trigger it. An EXPIRED status indicates one or more events in the schedule are set in the past and are no longer relevant.
If a schedule has expired and non-expired events, its status will be listed as expired! Also, a custom or holiday schedule is listed as expired if it has no scheduling events. A weekly schedule is listed as expired if it has no toggled-on days.
Schedules Settings and Affected Numbers
Selecting or creating a schedule shows its settings and affected numbers screen with two expandable categories. When making changes you need to SAVE each category separately.
The arrow buttons let you select the next or previous schedule without going back to the schedule list.
General Settings
- Name/Description: Add or change the name and description (optional) of the schedule.
- Priority: Priority will only show for custom schedules. You can select a priority from 2 to 9. Priority 10 is reserved for Holiday Schedules. Priority 1 is reserved for Weekly Schedules.
Set Schedule
Here you build or modify the schedule. The available choices depend on the schedule type.
For Custom/Holiday schedules, you will see the option to ADD EVENT. Each event defines specific days and times when the event takes place. You can combine several events to create flexible schedules as needed.
Weekly schedules do not have events. Instead, you will see a list of the days of the week where you can select a time range for each day.
Weekly Schedule
Toggle the days of the week you want the schedule to apply to. Select the Start time and End time for each day by rotating the clock's dial and selecting AM or PM hours. The minutes dial will show after you set the hour. Click SET to confirm the time. You can click 
to switch to keyboard entry and select 
to switch back to dial entry mode.
You can apply the same hours for other days of the week by selecting Copy and Copy to weekdays (Monday-Friday) or Copy to all days.
Custom/Holiday Schedule
Select 
to edit an existing scheduling event or select ADD EVENT to create a new one.
You can create and combine multiple events, for example one event to cover all the holidays of the year.
Enter the event's Name, Description (optional) and set the Start time, End time, Days of the week, Days of the month, Months, and Years when the event will apply. Select SAVE to keep the event.
Note that you have to make a selection in all the date fields. If you don't have a specific selection in mind for a field, you would Select All of its items. For example, if you want to create an event that happens every 10th of the month, you would select 10 in "Days of the month" and select Select All for the other three date fields.
Affected Numbers
Here you activate the schedule by assigning it to ten-digit phone numbers or extensions. You can also assign schedules from the Phone Numbers or Extensions pages (see below). Schedules cannot be assigned directly to a user's line, but instead you can assign them to the user's extension.
If you edit (
) an existing affected number, you can only change where it routes calls to. If you need to change the phone number or extension it affects, delete and add the affected number.
Schedules can be assigned to multiple numbers using either the ADD or BULK ADD options.
If you select ADD:
- For the System feature, select if the schedule will affect a Phone Number or an Extension.
- Select the extension or phone number from the Affected number drop-down list.
- In the Route To field, select the type of routing option or feature to direct calls to during the active time period(s) of the schedule. Common routing choices include IVRs, mailboxes, queues, or hunt groups, but there are over 60 routing and system features available.
You need to select or enter the actual Destination for most features, except for some features (like "Music", "Hang up call", "Busy tone", etc.) that function as the destination. - If you want to apply the schedule to another number or extention, check the Continue adding destinations box.
- Select SAVE.
If you selected to continue adding destinations, the window will remain open with the routing option you selected, letting you choose another phone or extension and save it.
If you select BULK ADD:
- In their drop-down lists, check any Phone Numbers or Extensions to add the schedule to.
- Set up the Route To and Destination fields, just as explained for the ADD option.
- Select Save to add the schedule to all selected numbers and extensions.
Creating a New Schedule
To create a new schedule, select ADD SCHEDULE from the Schedules List screen or the Features Shortcut menu.
Enter the schedule Name and select the Schedule Type, and select Create. For a Custom Schedule, you will also have to choose a Priority.
You will be directed to the schedule settings screen (see above) so you can finish setting up the schedule – the periods for when it is active and the numbers that it affects.
Assigning Schedules with Schedule Route Settings
Schedules are applied and activated by assigning them to phone numbers or extensions.
You can do so from the Schedules Affected Numbers tab, or the Phone Numbers/Extensions the schedule route setting.
To apply a schedule from the Phone Numbers or Extensions page:
- Go to the Phone Numbers page or the Voice Features>Extensions page and select the relevant phone number or extension.
- Expand the Routing and Forwarding category.
- Select Add Schedule Route under the Call Routing Schedule options.
- For the Schedule field, select the schedule to assign to the number or extension.
- In the Route To field, select the type of routing option or feature to direct calls to during the active time period(s) of the schedule. Common choices include IVRs, mailboxes, queues, or hunt groups, but there are over 60 routing and system features available.
You need to select or enter the actual Destination for most features, except for some features (like "Music", "Hang up call", "Busy tone", etc.) that function as the destination. - Select SAVE.
- Repeat the last four steps to assign more schedules.
