In the article below you will find guidance about how to make and receive external calls using Teams Softphone. You can also find a list of best practices and useful tips at the end of this article.

 

Calling and receiving calls 

The Dial Pad can be used to dial someone who is outside of the University. To contact internal staff, you can use Teams Chat or Teams meetings.

If you have Softphone, to activate the Dial Pad, click on the 'Call' icon.

Making a call

1. Navigate to Calls from the left-hand navigation in Teams

2. Select the 'Calls' icon: a dial pad will appear. Using the Dial Pad (or your keyboard Dial Pad), type in the number that you wish to call

3. Start the call by clicking on the Call Button

Selecting from a menu of options whilst on a call

If you are on a call and you are asked to add an option or an extension number, select the Dial pad icon to bring up an additional dial pad. This button is located at the top of the calling window.

Receiving a call

If a call is coming to you, Teams will open a call window for you to accept or reject the call. 

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View or add contacts

Viewing your contacts

To view your Teams contacts

1. Select Calls   
2. Choose the View Contacts tab.

There you will find an A-Z list of all your contacts and a search bar that you can use to find someone specific.

Adding contacts

You can add a new contact to your list as follows:

1. Select Calls  
    
   
   
2. Select View contacts  from the top-right corner of the screen
   
   
   
3. Select the Add contact icon 
   
   
   
4. Enter the name or the number
5. Fill out all the fields you need 
6. Select Save 

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Teams Status

You can set your status as follows:

1. Select your account icon
2. Select the arrow close to the status to open the drop-down menu
3. Select the status you want
4. If you need, you can also set up a duration

If you set your status in Teams to "Do not disturb" then no calls will be routed through to you. All other statuses will allow calls through.

You can also forward all of your calls to your voicemail or you can set a Focus Plan for between 1 to 4 hours each day to protect you from any disruptions by following Microsoft Viva Insights

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Voicemail in Teams

By default, your Voicemail is turned on. You can record your own message, playback or read any messages left for you.

Configuring your Voicemail

1. You will need to access your Calls settings in Teams to configure your Voicemail. Select the ellipsis (3 dots called Setting and more) next to your profile picture

2. Select Settings

3. Select Calls

4. From there, turn on the option to forward incoming calls to your voicemail

5. Configure your Voicemail to use the standard greeting or record your own greeting

6. Choose what happens when the call is redirected to voicemail by selecting one of the options available from the drop-down menu

Your recorded Voicemail messages are accessed via the Calls icon on the left-hand Teams menu.

Voicemails will be displayed in chronological order: click on the name or number to select the message. You can receive voicemails from both internal and external callers.

 

Checking your Voicemail

1. Navigate to the Calls section

2. Select Voicemail from the History section

3. Voicemails will be displayed in chronological order: select the name or number to open the message

4. Select the Play icon to play the message

You can now check your Voicemail messages unless you have the Teams application on your PC or mobile phone.

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Forwarding calls to Voicemail, another number or a colleague

If you want to transfer your calls to your voicemail, another number such as your mobile or to one or a group of your colleagues:  

1. Select the ellipsis (called Settings and more, "...") next to your profile picture

2.Select Settings

3. Select Calls

4. Open the section Call handling and forwarding

5. Lock the Forward all calls if you want to forward every call, or leave it unlocked it you want to customise your forwards

6. Open the menu When you can't answer a call.

From the drop-down menu select the better option for you between:

• Do no redirect calls
• Redirect to voicemail
• Redirect to a new number or contact

If you select Redirect your calls to a new number or contact, you will need to enter a name or a contact. The phone number can be a private phone number.

7. Select how many second the call should ring before being redirected. You can select from 10 seconds to 60.

Notes about call forwarding:

• At the moment it's not possible to set up customised forwarding (for example, forwarding specific calls to the voicemail and other calls to a contact / number)
• If you switch from a forward to another and vice versa (for example, from "forwarding to a new number or contacts" to "forwarding to voicemail" and then to "forwarding to a new number or contacts"), you will need to enter the number again 

 

Setting up a delegate to take all your calls - PA can answer calls for the manager

1. Select the ellipsis (called Settings and more, "...") next to your profile picture

2.Select Settings

3. Select Calls

4. Open the section Manage delegates

5. Select Add a delegate

6. Enter the name of your delegate 

7. Select the actions they can do on your behalf

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Transferring and holding a call in Teams

How to transfer a call using the 'Consult then Transfer' option

If you want to check in with someone before you transfer a call, you can use the function Consult then Transfer. It will only work if the colleague you are trying to Consult is also using Teams softphone. 

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Select the Transfer icon on the toolbar

2. Select the option to Consult then transfer

3. Type the name of the new receiver. 

4. Select the arrow next to the Chat button to consult your recipient through a Teams audio call or a message

This conversation is not heard by the caller. While consulting, the caller will hear on-hold music. You can lock the option to ring back if there's no answer from the recipient.

When you are finished speaking to your colleague, press Transfer and choose Work to send the call through. If you need to return the call, you can press Stop Consulting.

 

How to hold a call

To hold a call that you have received:

1. From the toolbar, select the Hold button

2. To get back to the caller, press the Resume button at the bottom of the window.

4. To transfer a call to another person

1. Select the Transfer button
2. Select either Consult then transfer (if you want to check in with someone before you transfer a call) or Transfer

Transferring without consultation puts the call straight through. Only do this if you know the other person is ready to receive the call.

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Call queues (previously called Hunt Groups)

Overview

A call queue is a method of routing callers to a group of agents who can help with a particular issue or question. What happens when a call queue is set up:

• The call to that number will go to a group of people in that queue
• If none of these people in the queue answer, the call can be diverted to another number at the University.

Call queues are helpful because they reduce points of failure - calls can be answered by more than one person.

 

How to request a call queue

If you require a new queue or the membership of a queue requires amendment, please raise a ticket to ServiceLine. 

You will need to provide:

• Details of the staff that should be part of the queue, including their names and UserIDs (for example: ab1c23)
• Provide a name for the call queue, for example "First Aid for 1GS". This will be seen by the recipient of the call and will help them see that this is a first aid call for 1GS.
• If you want calls to this call queue number to be diverted to a number if no one in the queue picks it up, please provide the number. 
• All members of a call queue need Teams app turned on or they will not get any calls.  

 

Adding or removing members

Staff with administrator access to a call queue can add or remove members from their queue.

 

Opting in and out of Call Queues (previously called Hunt Groups)

If you are a member of Call Queues, you now have the ability to 'opt in or out' of queues as required from Teams Calls settings:

1. Select the ellipsis (called Settings and more, "...") next to your profile picture

2.Select Settings

3. Select Calls

4. Select the tab with the name of the queue you are in (for example, "UOSCallqueue test" as you can see in the picture below)

5. Lock or unlock the option Receive calls from this queue

 

Setting up a Welcome message or Voicemail message in a Teams Call Queue

Before starting the procedure you need to be set as an "Authorised user". This is in addition to being a member of the Call Queue. To request this feature, please raise a ticket to ServiceLine.

1. Select the ellipsis (called Settings and more, "...") next to your profile picture

2.Select Settings

3. Select Calls

4. Select the tab with the name of the queue you are in

5. Go to the section Greeting and music

6. From the drop-down menu, select Add a greeting message and enter your message 

If you would prefer to upload your audio recording , select the option Play an Audio File.

Accepted file formats are:

• MP3
• WAV
• WMA

Files must be less than 5 MB (5 megabytes).

Please note: if your sound recording is in M4A format, you will need to convert it to MP3. Convertio is a very easy to use free website that you can use to convert your audio files.

7. Select Save

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Extending the time Teams (or your phone) rings before redirecting

You can extend the time the phone rings before you pick it up. There are options for 10 seconds up to 60 seconds.

To change this setting:

1. Select the ellipsis (called Settings and more, "...") next to your profile picture

2.Select Settings

3. Select Calls

4. Open the section Call handling and forwarding

5. Select to redirect your calls to voicemail or to a number / contact when you cannot answer to a call

6. Select how many second the call should ring before being redirected. You can select from 10 seconds to 60.

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How to manage your Softphone while you are away

If you are going to be away for a period of time, you can set up your Teams Softphone to: 

• Set up your Voicemail message
• Forward all your calls to Voicemail
• Forward all your calls to a delegate

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Video tutorials from Microsoft

• Overview of Teams calls
• Make calls
• Set up a delegate to take your calls
• Tips for Teams calls

Please be aware that Teams will have been updated since Microsoft produced these videos, so buttons may not be located as shown. For instance, Teams settings are now available by selecting the ellipsis (...) located to the left of your profile picture and not by clicking your profile picture.

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Calls ring on your PC and headset (secondary ringer)

If you want to be able to hear your incoming calls ringing through your PC device as well as your headset, you can set up a secondary ringer option from Device settings.

If you have a laptop you can do this very easily because your laptop will also have an in-built speaker. If your device does not have a speaker, you will need an external speaker.  

How to set it up:

1. Open your Teams setting by:

   1. Selecting the ellipsis  ("...") next to your profile picture
   2. Select Settings
2. Select Devices
3. Scroll down to the section Secondary Ringer
4. Open the drop-down button and select the option that fits better for you.

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Best practices and useful tips

• Update Subscribe with your phone contact details and ensure you have set appropriate permissions. Avoid using your mobile as your primary number, if you want calls to go to your mobile, we recommend setting up call forwarding from your university number to your mobile number
• Set up your Voicemail so that messages can be left when you are not available
• Optional and useful: download Teams to your mobile – this will allow you to pick up and make calls from your mobile via Teams
• Change your settings on Teams before going away, so you will not be disturbed by calls. Find all information you need in the section "How to manage your Softphone while you are away"
• Set up a secondary ringer to hear your phone ring via laptop and headset. Find full guidance in the section "Calls ring on your PC and headset (secondary ringer)"
• If you are part of a Call Queue, you can opt-in and out of this queue. Find full guidance in the section "Opting in and out of Call Queues (previously called Hunt Groups)"

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Related content

External calling using Teams Softphone

Teams Calls - How do I?

Teams Softphone

Microsoft Teams Softphone – Support and FAQs

"Getting to know Teams Softphone" (video)

Telephony Requests form