Russ,
We had a similar situation on the shared lines... we wanted the flexibility of picking up from any phone, like on a key system, but really wanted extensions like a PBX.
Here is what we've done:
We simply set up Park locations (you'd want as many park locations as you expect to have simultaneous calls on hold). [In the CCA - Telelphony - Voice Features - Call Park]
For us, 1 park location works very well, we could do 2, but we seldom to never have two calls on hold.
We also set our phone templates to include a "Park" softkey button that appears on every phone when the call is active.
Finally for every phone, we assign a line button to the park location(s).
(You would want to do that for every park location you configure)... remember, you don't need a park location for each line, just for the number of simultaneous calls you want on hold... 1 for us.
The way we work it is as follows:
-Call comes in, is answered by receptionist or anyone else if she is not at her desk.
-The answerer greets the caller and finds out what they need...
-Here is the important part: Instead of putting the caller on _hold_, they simply use the a softkey "Park" button.
That parks the caller in the next available park location... we do not enter a park extension... it is just as easy as pretty the hold button... no extra digits.
The call taker then notes what park line lit up (the park line lites up when it has a call parked on it).
They dial the intended user's extension or page over the phone system and tell them they have a call on Park1, Park2, etc...
Now, since all phones have line buttons that correspond to the park locations, you can see the "Park1" line lit up... resuming the call is easy, I just press the lit Park button and I'm on that call.
If you have multiple park buttons, someone would have to tell you _which_ park line to pick up, but that's no more difficult than tell you which line to grab in a key system setup.
This works very well, the user hears on-hold music while they are on park. Technically, it could all be done w/out the aide of the park buttons by dialing an extension to park to, and dialing the park extension to pick up... but I think having the Park buttons on everyone's phone makes it dead simple to grab the call from anywhere... shouldn't be any real difference in usage to what you'd do if you were on a key system selecting line 1 or line 2.
BTW: This solution works for either ingoing or outgoing calls... a call can be parked regardless if it is incoming or outgoing... I can park a call, move to another desk and pick it up...
Hope that solution helps you and others...
