Multi-Line Hunt Groups Demystified
Avid’s Hosted PBX service includes Multi-Line Hunt Group (MLHG) capability. MLHGs can be used to support Sales, Service and other main number functions for a business, where a single number is called and the calls are distributed to a group of people.
A MLHG consists of several people who answer can answer the same line. For example, a company can publish a Customer Service number, and have 15 agents in a group that answer the calls coming in on that number.
Each agent (or hunt group member) can log in and log out of the MLHG. When a call comes in, the system distributes the call to members who are logged in according to one of three distribution algorithms:
- Linear–call goes to the first member on the MLHG list. If that agent’s phone is busy, it goes to the second one on the list, and so forth until a non-busy line is found.
- Uniform–the hunting starts with the first member on the list after the line that was selected by the previous hunt. If the hunting reaches the end of the list, it starts at the beginning of the list until it reaches the number it started with.
- Longest idle–the hunting starts with the member who has been idle (off the phone) the longest.
If a call to the main number isn’t answered or all members are on the phone, the call can be forwarded to a) another number, b) an automated attendant, c) another group or d) voicemail.
The MLHG can also queue calls if all members are busy. The time any call spends in the queue can be limited and the total number of calls in the queue can be limited. If the limits are reached, the call gets the “busy” treatment, which means it is forwarded as above. Calls in queue hear a message or on-hold music.
A supervisor has web-based control of the MLHG, including which lines are members of the group. The browser interface provides statistics on the MLHG that aids in management of call flow and staffing levels.
View MLHG statistical report :
For sophisticated call control, MLHGs can be combined with other types of groups and with the Automated Attendant function. Avid’s rates include all of this functionality and the consulting time needed to tailor all of this to your exact business needs.