Dietitians Australia phone system Intro and FAQ

Dietitians Australia phone system info

Setting up voicemail greeting

Using the 'On Hold' function on desk phones

Transferring calls internally on desk phones

Using the 'On Hold' function on the Softphone app

Transferring calls internally on the Softphone app

Tips for taking a message

Forwarding a desktop phone to another phone number

Dietitians Australia phone system info

The Dietitians Australia phone system consists of a main phone line and individual phone numbers for most staff. The main phone line number is 02 6189 1200 and individual phone line numbers are formatted 02 6189 12XX.

When calling the main line phone number, the call will go through the triage system to split calls. Callers are given the following options:

1. Membership: rings for both Member Care phones (208) and (234)
2. Credentialing: rings for Sam (212) then Bridget (227)
3. Education: rings for both Sean (222) and Daphne (231) then Sarah (202)
4. DSR: rings for Fiona (204)

A full list of extensions and phone numbers can be found in Sharepoint.

If no option is selected, or the call is not answered from one of the triage lines, the call will ring on all phones in the triage groups, plus a few extras. 

If you are in that main call group, calls will ring on your phone as normal however you will see the word MAIN on the screen before any call details such as a name or phone number.

The main phone line is only active between 9AM and 5PM Canberra time, Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours the call will go unanswered, with callers encouraged to email info@dietitiansaustralia.org.au.

Staff can have either physical desk phones or make use of the Softphone app for smartphones, which allows staff to receive and make calls on their office number from a mobile app.

Setting up voicemail greeting

Desk phones are connected to your individual phone line number and allow you to record a greeting for callers that got to voicemail. This voicemail can be adjusted when staff are out of office for extended periods or on leave to advise callers of other appropriate channels. To set a voicemail greeting:

• Press the Message button on your desk phone

• Press 0 to change your voicemail greeting
• Say your new greeting (or out of office wording and include your return to work)
• Press # to finish
• Listen to the recording
• Press 1 to save and hang up afterwards, or
  • Press 2 to re-record.

Setting up voicemail greeting from the Softphone app

• To access your voicemail, press *97 and ring
• Then press 0 to record a new message
• Press 1 to save or 2 to re-record.

Using the 'On Hold' function on desk phones

When on a call, press the Hold button (under the screen, 2^nd button across when on a call OR bottom right-hand side of a phone next to the ‘Message’ button). Pressing the Hold button again resumes the call.

Transferring calls internally on desk phones

Place the call on hold, as described above. Press Transfer button (under the screen, 1^st button across – when on a call OR bottom right hand side shows phone and arrow to another phone).

Next, dial the relevant persons extension or press the button next to their name.

OR

Wait for them to answer the call. This will allow you to talk to them directly before you pass the call through. The person on hold will stay on hold until they are transferred to the new staff member. When you are ready, press transfer again and the caller will be transferred to the other staff member.  

Using the 'On Hold' function on the Softphone app

When on a call, press the Hold button. Pressing the Hold button again resumes the call.

Transferring calls internally on the Softphone app

While on the call with the member, press the att. transfer button. If you use the transfer button, the call will be directed immediately to the new staff member and there will be no handover period. If the other staff member does not answer the phone, the caller you are transferring will get the prerecorded out of office message for the other staff member. Please do not use the transfer button unless the other staff member is standing by and is aware of the call.

Type in the extension you are transferring to or press the Contacts button at the bottom of the screen and search/select the staff member’s name.  Press the phone symbol alongside their name to call them.

Once you’ve spoken to the receiving staff member to announce the call and provide background details, press the blue transfer button then the red button with the phone icon.

If the receiving staff member doesn’t answer, press the grey Cancel button.  The caller will still be on hold.  Press the grey Hold button to speak to the caller.

Tips for taking a message

If staff do not answer your transferred call or are unavailable to take the call, press the End Call button (under the screen, last button – appears when on a call) and then take your original call off hold.

Explain to the caller that you are unable to transfer the call and you will send a message to get someone to call them back. The caller may decline to leave a message or may advise that they will send an email instead. 

When taking a message please note:

• The caller’s name
• Phone number
• Email address (if relevant)
• Member ID (if known) or where they are calling from (if not a membership call), and
• Brief description of what the call is about.

If you are really unsure who the call should be transferred to you can do any of the following:

1. Put the call on hold and find out.
2. Take a detailed message including as much information as possible about the nature of the query and send it through to Info.  The staff monitoring the info@ email will determine who is best to respond and forward the enquiry to the relevant area.
3. Ask the enquirer to send an email to info@ with all the details.

Forwarding a desktop phone to another phone number

To forward your desktop phone to another phone number such as your mobile number, follow the steps below:

1. On the menu below the display screen, press the Menu button.  See the top yellow box in the image below.
2. Notice the square highlighting the 'Status' option.  Use the arrow buttons to move the highlight from 'Status' to 'Features' and press the OK button.  See the lower yellow box in the image below for the location of the OK and arrow buttons.
3. The first option on the Features menu is '1. Call Forward'.  Press the OK button to select the '1. Call Forward' option.
4. The next screen is the Call Forward menu.  Press the OK button to select the '1. Always Forward' option.
5. On the Always Forward menu:
   • the first option will display as 'Disabled'.  Use the arrow buttons to change this to 'Enabled'.
   • Press the down arrow button to move to the '2. Forward to:' option.  Using the number keypad, type in the phone number to which the desktop phone should divert to.
   • when finished, click Save.
6. Press the Back button below the display screen three times to return to the Home screen with the Dietitians Australia logo.