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Using Your Desk Phone

Calls, Hold, Transfer, Conference and Park

This article covers everyday call handling on a Cisco VoIP desk phone. The softkeys are the row of buttons directly below the display; what they do changes depending on what the phone is doing. When you see dots (…) at the end of the softkey row, press the button beneath them to reveal more options.

Before you start

  • Dial 9 before the number for any outside call.
  • Dial 4 digits to reach another district extension.
  • Dial 911 for emergencies. If you dial 911 by mistake, do not hang up. Wait for the operator and tell them you dialed in error.
  • If your phone is brand new, set up your voicemail first — see Setting Up and Using Your Voicemail.

Placing a call

Any of these will work:

  • Lift the handset and dial the number.
  • Press the NewCall softkey and dial the number. This engages the speakerphone.
  • Press the NewCall softkey, dial the number, then lift the handset.
  • Press the Speaker button and dial the number.

Answering a call

  • Lift the handset, or
  • Press the Answer softkey, which engages the speakerphone, or
  • Press the Speaker button.

If you don't want to take the call

  • Decline — sends the caller straight to your voicemail.
  • Ignore — silences the ringer. The call still goes to voicemail if you don't answer.
  • Do Not Disturb — when the phone is idle, press the far-right softkey (…), then Do Not Disturb. Your phone will flash instead of ring and calls go to voicemail. Repeat the steps to turn it off.

Ending a call

  • Replace the handset, or
  • Press the EndCall softkey, or
  • Press the Speaker button if you are on speakerphone.

Hold and resume

  1. Press the Hold softkey.
  2. Press the Resume softkey to pick the call back up.

Redial and Call Back

  • Redial: lift the handset and press the Redial softkey.
  • Call Back: while you are listening to a ringing or busy tone, press the CallBack softkey. The system notifies you when that person becomes available.

Transferring a call

Transfer to a person

  1. With the call connected, press the Trnsfer softkey.
  2. Dial the number you are transferring to.
  3. Listen for ringing, or announce the caller.
  4. Press the Trnsfer softkey again to complete the transfer.

Transfer straight to someone's voicemail

  1. With the call connected, press the Trnsfer softkey.
  2. Press the asterisk (*) key followed by the extension or voice mailbox number.
  3. Press the Trnsfer softkey again.

If you need the caller back mid-transfer

Press the EndCall softkey, then the Resume softkey to reconnect with the original caller.

Conference calling

A desk phone conference can include up to 17 participants, inside or outside the district.

  1. Start with caller A on the line.
  2. Press the … softkey, then press Conference. Caller A is placed on hold.
  3. Dial caller B. For an outside number, dial 9 first as you normally would.
  4. When caller B answers, press the … softkey, then Conference. You are now conferenced with A and B.
  5. Repeat for each additional participant.

See and remove participants

  1. While the conference is in progress, press the … softkey.
  2. Press Showlist to list all participants.
  3. Press Remove to drop a participant. Only the person who started the conference can remove participants.
  4. Press Update to refresh the list.

Call Park

Call Park puts a call into a numbered slot so it can be retrieved from any Cisco IP phone in the district — useful when you need to take the call somewhere else, or hand it to someone who isn't at their desk.

  1. With the call connected, press the More softkey.
  2. Press the Park softkey.
  3. Note the slot number the phone displays.
  4. To retrieve the call, dial that slot number from any Cisco IP phone.

Call Forward

  1. Press the Forward All softkey.
  2. Dial the number you want calls forwarded to, or press the Messages button to send all calls to voicemail.
  3. To cancel, press the Forward All softkey again.

Important — the label works backwards from what you'd expect. If the display reads Forward All, forwarding is currently off. If it reads Forward off, forwarding is currently on, and pressing that button turns it off. There is no other indicator that forwarding is active. If nobody seems to be calling you, check this first.

Also note that when you forward your phone, callers hear the greeting belonging to the destination phone, and any voicemail is left on that phone rather than your district mailbox.

Directories and call logs

Corporate directory

  1. Press the Directory button.
  2. Use the navigation button to select Corporate Directory.
  3. Enter your search terms on the dial pad, then press Search.
  4. Press Dial to call the person.

Call logs

  1. Press the Directory button.
  2. Select Missed Calls, Received Calls or Placed Calls.
  3. Use the navigation button to highlight a call.
  4. Press the Dial softkey to call the number back.

Personal directory

Your personal directory holds contacts you add yourself through the Self Care Portal. Setting it up and logging into it on the phone is covered in Cisco Self Care Portal.

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