Similar to Inbound Routing Users, regular users have answering rules. Answering rules determine where calls should be forwarded when a user's extension number is dialed during specific times and dates. 

If you want callers to be sent to someone's mailbox when Iris is prompted to transfer to that user by a caller, you can create a call routing schedule for them using answering rules. 

Step 1: Create an “Office Hours” Time Frame

To tell the system the day and times that the user should receive calls, you can create a time frame on the Time Frames page of the Stratus web portal. 

1. Navigate to the Time Frames page.
   
2. Do one of the following:
   • If the time frame you are creating will be used by multiple users, select Domain.
     
   • If the time frame will only be used by a specific user, find and select the user using the list or search bar.
     
     

     Note: If you are not able to see the user in the list, unselect Hide Users Without Time Frames.

     

      
3. Click the Add Time Frame button.
4. In the Add a Time Frame menu, do the following:
   
   
   • Name - Type a unique, identifiable name for the time frame.
   • When - Select Days of the Week.
5. On the Days of the Week tab, select the days and times the user(s) should receive calls. 
   
   

   Quick Tips: You can add a break/lunch period by clicking the Add icon.

   

   If you need to apply a change you have made to the rest of the selected days, click Copy to all.

   

   If you need this time frame to start being active on a future date, you can set a custom start date by using the Recurrence dropdown to select Custom. Using the Starts box, select the date.

   If this schedule should happen at a different frequency (e.g., every 2 weeks, every other month, etc.) use the Recur Every options to select that frequency.

   

    
6. Click the Save button.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 for each additional time frame a user will need. 

Step 2: Add an “Office Hours” Rule for the User

To set where calls should go for a user when their extension number is dialed outside of their work schedule, an answering rule will need to be created that uses their new "Office Hours" time frame. 

1. Navigate to the Users page.
   
2. Scroll down or search for the user that needs their hours set.
   
3. Click the Edit icon next to the user and select Answering Rules.
   
4. Click the Add Rule button.
5. In the Add an Answering Rule menu, use the Time Frame dropdown to select the user's new time frame.
   
6. If this time frame should be ready to use immediately, leave Enabled selected.
   
7. Do one of the following to set where calls should go depending on what the user prefers
   

   To All Devices

   If every device registered to a user's extension number should ring, select Simultaneous ring. Make sure that Ring all user's phones is selected. 

   

   Use the table below to learn more about the different options available for configuring Simultaneous Ring:

   Option	Description
   Include user’s extension	Ring the phone that uses the user's main extension number.
   Ring all user’s phones	Ring all of the user's phones (i.e., mobile apps, softphones, and desk phones) at the same time.
   Answer confirmation for offnet numbers	Request that the person answering press 1 to accept the call to ensure that the answering party is a person instead of voicemail.
   Extension, number or phone	Type the extension number or phone number of another device to ring.
   Ring Delay (sec)	Set a how long (in seconds) the system should wait before calling the device set in the Extension, number or phone box.
   Add	Click to add additional phones to the simring.

    

    

   To Their Desk Phone

   If only the user's desk phone should ring, select Just ring user's extension.

   

    

    

   To a Softphone

   If the user only wants a specific softphone (e.g., StratusHUB, StratusWEB PHONE, or Stratus mobile app) to ring, you can use the Call Forwarding section to set the device the calls should route to. Select Always and type and select the extension of the device/softphone that should ring.

   

   You can select other forwarding rules to fine-tune how a call should be handled when certain conditions are met.

   For this example…  Calls will be forwarded to x121's StratusHUB desktop app. When calls are rejected or unanswered, the call will be forwarded to x121's desk phone. Calls not answered on the desk phone will go to x121's voicemail.

   

    

   Use the table below to learn more about these other call forwarding options:

   Option	Description
   On Active	Forward calls to the destination if the user's phone is already on a call.
   When busy	Forward calls to the destination if the reject button is pressed on an incoming call.
   When unanswered	Forward calls to the number specified in the text field if the call is not answered after the specified ring timeout.
   When offline	Automatically forward calls to the number specified in the text field when no devices are registered. This can be helpful if all of a user's devices are offline due to an internet or power outage.

    

    

   To a Different User

   If the user's calls should be forwarded to a different extension number, you can use the Call Forwarding section to set this user's calls to forward to a different user's extension number or a telephone number.

   

   Option	Description
   Always	Forward calls to the number specified in the text field. No other forward rules will be followed
   On Active	forward calls to the destination if the user's phone is already on a call.
   When busy	Forward calls to the destination if the reject button is pressed on an incoming call.
   When unanswered	Forward calls to the number specified in the text field if the call is not answered after the specified ring timeout.
   When offline	Automatically forward calls to the number specified in the text field when no devices are registered. This can be helpful if all of a user's devices are offline due to an internet or power outage.

   Destination Options for Forwarding

   When the destination field is being filled with Text, Stratus will show possible destinations based on the input.
   

   The different destination options that may appear for a name/extension number include the following:
       •  User - Forward calls to the user at the specified extension and follow their answering rules.
       •  Phone - Bypass the answering rules and forward calls to the device associated with the specified user.
       •  Voicemail - Forward calls to voicemail at the specified extension.
       •  Queue - Forward calls to a call queue associated with that extension.
       dant - Forward calls to the auto-attendant associated with this user.
       •  Off-Net Number - Forward calls to a 10-digit Phone Number, such as a cellphone or answering service.

    

    

    

    
8. Click the Save button.
   

   ✔ You should now see an “office hours” answering rule that shows the time frame and destination for calls that you selected.

   

    

Step 3: Update the User's Default Rule

Now that an “office hours” answering rule has been added for the user, the user's Default answering rule will need to be adjusted to ensure after hours calls are routed according to the user's preference.

To adjust the user's afterhours routing by editing the Default answering rule…

1. Click the Edit icon next to the Default answering rule.
   
2. In the Call Forwarding section, select Always.
   
3. In the box, type the name, extension number, or phone number of the user or mailbox that after hours calls should forward to.
   
   

   Quick Tip: If you need to send after hours calls directly to a voicemail, select the Voicemail option that appears.

   

    
4. Click the Save button.
   

   ✔ The user should now have answering rules that route calls for their office hours and after hours (Default).