Bypass IVR with Caller ID

[greg.primrose1]

Our firehouse has Cisco Unity Express 7.0 

I'm trying to find out if there is a way that either 7, 8 or 9 can be set up to bypass IVR if it detects a prelisted caller ID. 

I know in FreePBX this can be done, but I haven't found a way in Cisco. This would be helpful for our members who want to call the station but don't want to listen to the IVR. 

[Andrew Skelly]

Hi, Greg.  Instead of having a list of allowable numbers, which will have to continuously be maintained and will only work if the member is calling from a phone on the list (and what if they block their caller ID?) why not just create a silent option, such as 7?  It would be an option to bypass the IVR completely (or partially if you wanted) but it would not be an option that is played audibly on the IVR menu.

[greg.primrose1]

We have an option now to press 9 to speak to a member, and you can press it anytime.

The responses I get back are "It's too complicated" to program the number with the 9 selected into speed dial. Or it's too complicated to press 9. It's easier to just call the hotline number. 

[Chris Deren]

You'd need to include the bypass in the CUE AA script itself, basically read the ANI and then route to wherever you want it to, this will be a management nightmare though. 

[Andrew Skelly]

Have you thought of creating a backdoor number?  This would be a separate DID that rings directly in to the member section (or wherever you want it to ring) without hitting the IVR at all.

[greg.primrose1]

We have a 2 year deal with Comcast for Phone, Voice and Internet that limits us to two phone lines unless we buy an ATA and pay to add a third line. We are 1 year into that deal. I'm thinking once it's over, I'm going to see if we can renegotiate a double play and go back to SIP phone service so we can have a bypass line. 

The good news is it's only about 5 numbers we'd need to set up bypasses for, so it might not be a total management headache.