What are Answering Rules?

Answering Rules can be configured by each user through the Stratus Web Portal. Once logged in, users can navigate to the Answering Rules Tab. 

Users with Office Manager access are able to adjust other user’s answering rules on their account. 
Once logged in as an Office Manager, navigate to the Users tab. Select the User whose rule need to be adjusted. Then click on the Answering Rules Tab.  

On the Answering Rules page, users can… 

• Create and edit answering rules.
• Adjust how long calls will ring.
• Allow/block phone numbers from contacting them.

Add an Answering Rule

Creating additional answering rules allows you to specify where calls should go for different scenarios and events (e.g., separate call routing for weekends). 

To create an answering rule that routes calls during a specific time frame…

1. On the user's Answering Rules page, click the Add Rule button.
   

   ✔ The Add an Answering Rule modal will appear.

   

    
2. Use the Time Frame drop-down to select a time frame. 
   
   

   Quick Tip: A Time Frame is required in order for an answering rule to be created. 

   To learn more about creating time frames, check out this article.

    
3. If this answering rule should not yet be active, uncheck the Enabled box to disable this rule.
   
4. If necessary, select Do not disturb to send all calls to your voicemail when this answering rule is active.
   
5. If needed, select Call screening to have callers say their name when they call to allow the call to be screened when answered.
   
6. If calls should be forwarded elsewhere for this answering rule, use the Call Forwarding section to select when and where calls should be sent:
   

7. If multiple phones the user owns should ring for this answering rule, use the Simultaneous ring checkbox and its other options to fine-tune how these phones 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) icon	Set a how long (in seconds) the system should wait before calling the device set in the Extension, number or phone box.
Add icon	Click to add additional phones to the simring.

8. To only ring the user's main phone that has your extension, select Just ring user’s extension.
9. Once the answering rule has been configured, click the Save button.
   

Change the Active Answering Rule

You can define multiple answering rules, but only one rule can be active at a time. The active rule is the top-most rule with an active time frame. This can be seen with an Active tag next to the active answering rule.

Best practices dictate that you order answering rules according to how specific they are and their priority, with the highest priority time frames (for example, Temporary Forwards and Holidays) at the top. The default time frame can be used as a ‘catch all’ or ‘after hours’ timeframe if other timeframes are applied.

Reprioritize Answering Rules

To adjust the order, or priority, of a user's answering rules…

1. In the Answering Rules page, find the rule you want to adjust the priority for.
2. On the left side of an answering rule, hover the mouse over the up/down arrows for that rule.
   
3. Click and drag the answering rule to where it should be in the list. 
   

   ✔ A message should appear letting you know that the answering rules have been reprioritized before prompting you to click Save like so:

   

    
4. Click the Save button. 

Bulk Toggle Time Frames

Once a time frame has been used in an answering rule for a user, the Bulk Toggle feature of the Time Frames page can be utilized. Using the Bulk Toggle feature can make is easier to enable/disable answering rules for multiple users. 

To enable/disable the answering rules of multiple users…

1. Navigate to the Time Frames page.
   
2. Click the name of your business.
   
3. Click the Bulk Toggle icon next to the time frame that needs to be disabled/enabled for multiple users.
   
4. In the Bulk Toggle Timeframe menu, select the users that need this time frame disabled/enabled. 
   
5. Click either the Enable or Disable button.
   
   

   ✔ Once one of these buttons has been clicked, you should see a confirmation message that the Answering Rules for these users were updated.
   

   Now any call routing or forwarding set up through the answering rules using those time frames will be enabled/disabled, depending on the button that was clicked.

    

Ring Time Adjustment

The Ring Time for the user can be adjusted using the drop-down menu. This is the amount of time that the user’s phone(s) will ring for on an incoming call. 

Ring Time Options

• 5 second intervals from 5 to 90 seconds
• 30 second intervals from 90 to 300 seconds
• 1200 seconds
• Unlimited

The Allow / Block Tool

The Allow / Block button allows users to control whether or not they receive calls from certain phone numbers.

Block Callers

If you are having issues with malicious, spam, and/or robo callers and you know their phone numbers, you can block those phone numbers from calling back in.

To do so…

1. In the BLOCKED NUMBERS section, type in the phone number and click the Add button. 
   
   

   ✓ Clicking Add will make that number appear in the BLOCKED NUMBERS list:
   

    
2. If needed, click Remove to delete that phone number from the list.
   
3. Add more phone numbers to the list if needed. 
4. Select Block anonymous or unknown to block all unknown callers if necessary.
   
5. Click the Done button to save the changes made to the block list. 
   

Allow Callers

If you have previously blocked a phone number from calling and need to re-allow that number to call in, you can allow the phone number to be routed again. 

To do so…

1. In the ALLOWED NUMBERS section, type in the phone number and click the Add button.
   
   

   ✓ Clicking Add will make that number appear in the BLOCKED NUMBERS list:
   

    
2. If needed, click Remove to delete that phone number from the list.
   
3. Add more phone numbers to the list as needed.
4. Click the Done button to save the changes made.
   

Mitigate Spam Calls

The SPAM CALLS section of the Allow / Block modal determines the treatment for STIR/SHAKEN calls that are identified as SPAM.

In the SPAM CALLS section, you can use the drop-down to select how calls marked as SPAM are treated.

These options include:

• Ring as normal - Have the call follow the user's inbound call routing like normal calls.
• Send to Voicemail - Forward the call to the voicemail of that user whose answering rules are being adjusted.
• Drop Call - Allow the system to automatically drop the calls of any calls marked as SPAM.
• Screen Call - Prompts the caller to record their name.