cloud phone • Calling and Mobility
Shared Lines
Share a phone number across multiple devices in your retail business.
What is the Shared Line Appearance feature?
Get more out of your phone system. When you receive a phone call from your trunkline, transfer it quickly when you configure a Line Sharing feature in your phone lines.
With a Shared Lines Appearance, you can transfer a phone call from one phone number and ring on multiple phone devices. Once activated, these answered calls could be passed on to other desk phones sharing the same phone number.
This Shared Lines feature can distribute a phone call across every line in the group. Here's how it happens. When a chosen phone number gets a phone call, it will go through the first line. When another call comes, it will go through the second line and toward the other devices of the shared group. Then the cycle starts again.
This technology allows a single phone line to share all incoming calls and outbound calls for multiple devices. You just need to set up your shared line group.
What is a Shared Lines group?
To activate your Shared Lines feature, you need to have a Shared Line Group. It may include desk phones, modems, answering machines, and even fax machines. The said Shared Lines group allows you to set up a phone number where all incoming calls go through and members of your team can access any of the devices sharing that line.
How do Shared Lines Affect Businesses?
Have you ever wished to answer a phone call, but you're far from the main trunk line? What happens is that you'll just let it ring, or you wish there were a way to grab the nearest phone and take the call. That's where the Shared Lines function comes in. All incoming calls route automatically to the proper device(s) or your assigned phone number. If the call comes in and is a fax call, you can automatically route it to the fax machine or fax modem of your Shared Lines Group. As for voice calls, you can route them to desk phone(s) or an answering machine. All outgoing calls access the line from any device.
Line Sharing Features from RingCentral
Easy Call Handling for Retail Business
Enjoy a simplified modern phone system. Share calls and phone lines among phone devices, and pick up an incoming call from any phone. You can quickly put the caller on hold and continue a call from another desk phone. No need for complex phone features; it's as easy as dialing a line key and picking it up from another device in the same location—ideal for restaurant chains, mid-size retail stores, and grocery stores.
Better Customer Service
With RingCentral, you won't have missed calls from customers anymore. Your phone calls from the Shared Lines group share the same phone number and caller ID; hence any available employee can answer calls from the nearest phone. You can also share a toll-free number among multiple phones.
Route Calls Based on Teams
Let callers feel their call is important. RingCentral's Shared Lines feature allows you up to 8 lines and 16 desk phones per group, with as many shared-lines groups as you need. You can use the Shared Lines feature with RingCentral's Auto-Receptionist. The Auto-Receptionist feature can handle call routing to the appropriate person or department or choose from other options set by your team.
Compatible with various phone devices
Because RingCentral is a cloud-hosted phone system, scaling your phone system is easy because RingCentral is compatible with most desk phone brands including Mitel, Poly, and Yealink phones and phone devices.
Cloud-enabled capabilities
Because this RingCentral feature is available in all RingEX Standard, Premium, and Ultimate accounts, you can add and modify a Shared Lines group over the cloud, anywhere, anytime.
Benefits of Line Sharing
Quick Access to Answer Calls
Reach a person easily on different phones on the same RingCentral Shared Line Group without the long wait during call transfers.
Scalability and Flexibility
You can add phone numbers and phone lines quickly. With RingCentral Shared Line Feature, you can eliminate missed calls. Simply answer calls on any phone.
Phone System Accessibility
Moderators can quickly edit or add a Shared Lines group over the cloud, anywhere, anytime.
Professional Appeal
Maintain your business image for all outbound calls with a consistent phone number from a Shared Line group instead of individual numbers or extensions.
Strengthened Customer Ties
With any RingCentral plan, you can customize your caller ID and greet the caller by name for a more personalized experience.
Shared Lines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Shared Lines are groups of phones or devices that share the same number. When the Shared Line phone number rings, all the phones in the group ring, plus you can answer from any device in the Shared Line group. A Shared Line supports one call at a time.
Meanwhile, Call Queues are groups of Users or Extensions that receive queue calls until the receiver becomes available. Most Call Queue functions can support up to 25 calls waiting. These calls stay on hold via Call Park on a single phone number, and they may hear hold music while waiting their turn.
No. Depending on your customer needs, you can have as many phone numbers as possible. You can choose any combination between (1 x 1) and (8 x 16). E.g., 2 x 4. We also recommend that the number of phones in your group should be the same or higher than the number of lines.
You can make simultaneous calls depending on the number of Shared Line groups corresponding to the number of lines assigned to a group. E.g., a 4-line group supports up to 4 simultaneous calls (inbound or outbound).
No. The Shared Lines function is only available on desk phones.
We recommend that the Shared Line Group is at the same physical address so the team can efficiently handle all incoming calls.
The limit does not exist. However, as stated above, all phones in the Shared Line group must be in the exact location.
We recommend you have one, as it is a good business practice, but it is not required. Still, you can dial any phone number in a Shared Lines group, and the phone devices in the group will ring simultaneously.
Yes, you can answer calls and transfer calls to colleagues within the Shared Line group. You can use the line keys assigned to other extensions in the same organization.
Yes. You can Park/Unpark calls by using the Park soft key.
No. It is because all phones ring simultaneously. Hence, a direct phone call (regular or Intercom) to a specific individual phone member of a group is not possible.
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