A hunt group is a set of extensions that ring together when a call comes in. One number reaches a whole team. Used well, it is the simplest way to make sure a call does not fall on the floor.
Hunt groups live next to auto attendants in the admin portal. You pick the members, choose the ring style, set the overflow, and you are done. Changes apply instantly.
Ring styles
The ring style decides how the call reaches the members. Vocatech supports three patterns.
- Simultaneous. Every phone in the group rings at the same time. The first person to pick up gets the call.
- Circular. The group rotates. Each new call starts with the member after the one who answered last.
- Sequential. The phones ring in a fixed order. Member one rings first, then member two, then member three, until someone picks up.
Simultaneous is the right default for small teams where speed matters. Circular is better when you want to distribute the workload evenly. Sequential is useful when you have a clear preference for who should answer first.
Overflow rules
Overflow is what happens if nobody picks up. A hunt group without an overflow rule rings forever, which is rarely what you want.
Set a timeout in seconds. When the timeout expires, the call forwards to a destination of your choice. Voicemail, an auto attendant, another hunt group, a cell phone, or any external number. Most companies use 25 to 30 seconds, which is long enough for two or three ring cycles.
Threshold alerts
Hunt groups can email an administrator when something is off. The threshold feature watches the queue and sends an alert if the number of waiting calls or the wait time crosses a line you set.
This is useful for catching silent problems. If a whole team is on lunch and six calls are waiting, somebody should know. The alert goes to any email address you enter.
Managing agents
The agent list is the set of extensions that belong to the group. Add or remove members from the same page. There is no ceremony. No approvals. No waiting for a provisioning cycle. Save and it is live.
Members can be regular desk-phone extensions, Webex softphone users, or a mix. A single extension can belong to many hunt groups at the same time. If the same user is in sales and support, both groups ring their phone.
When to use a hunt group
A hunt group is the right tool when you have a small team sharing one inbound number and you want any available person to answer. It is simple, fast to configure, and does not require agents to log in.
If you need queue hold music, wrap-up timers between calls, or a visible queue board for managers, a call center is the better fit. Hunt groups are lightweight. Call centers are heavier but come with more control.