setting up a shared front desk phone

[Timt]

We are moving from a SIP phone system with a local PBX to Zoom VOIP. We have a front desk operator and several back up employees for while they are out. 

I set up a call queue to ring sequentially for the front desk operator. with those three users. It was pointed out to me recently that if the front desk person is on vacation and sets her extension to out of office or Holiday, the phone at the front will not ring. The other two extensions will ring. At their desks but if one of them is sitting up front, that phone will not ring. 

Is this correct? Is there a solution other than making the front desk phone a community area and setting it to HotDesk? If I do that will the two people who may need to be up there have to log off their desk phones when they go to the front desk to fill in? 

thanks for any advice or help you can offer. 

[Eliot]

hi @Timt 

Zoom Workplace app solution.  For purpose of this alternative solution using, I am assuming:

1. the front desk operator and two backup persons are each using Zoom Windows Workplace app.
2. The auto receptionist receives incoming company calls and routes the calls during business hours to Operator Call Queue.
3. The operator call queue routes calls during business hours in sequence to the front desk operator and then to the backup persons.
4. The operator and the two backup persons are members of the call queue.  
5. The three persons during business hours are usually signed in to their accounts as members of the operator call queue.
6. If the operator is on vacation and not signed in, the incoming calls will automatically ring the two backup persons.  Whether the backup person is signed in at his/her personal desk or at the front desk, the backup persons will get the incoming calls.

Physical desk phone solution. 

Since three persons may be using the front desk physical desk phone at different times, this phone must be configured for hot desking and will show a softkey Guest.  At 7/19/2025, the following desk phones support hot desking:

AudioCodes: 445HD, 450HD, C450HD, 405HD, RX50 Conference Phone

Avaya: All certified models

Cisco: All certified models (except ATA191-MPP and ATA192-MPP)

Grandstream: GRP series, WP810, WP822, WP825

Mitel: All certified models

Poly: All certified models except the following:

D230, ROVE, OBI ATA series

Yealink: All certified models except the following:

CP920, CP925, CP960, CP965, CP935W, W56P, W60P, W70B, W80M, W90M

Hot Desking will permit whichever person is sitting at the front desk to sign into this front desk physical phone using his/her extension number and voice mail password.  The backup person when signed in will see their desk phone screen.  The backup person will have all the capabilities that exist on his/her physical desk phone including getting operator call queue calls. 

The backup person using the front desk physical desk phone does not have to sign off his/her personal desk phone when he/she signs into the front desk physical desk phone. 

When the backup person is finished for the day at the front desk, he/she should sign out from the second page of the front desk desk phone soft key menu by pressing the Sign Out soft key or be automatically signed out after a defined amount of time.  In addition, Zoom Phone Admin and the person to whom the desk phone is assigned can remotely sign out guest users.

Here are some Zoom support articles that may be of assistance:

Managing auto receptionists

Managing Zoom Phone call queues

Changing call queue settings

Zoom Phone Certified Hardware

Supported desk phone features

Enabling or disabling hot desking for phones

Enabling or disabling hot desking for devices

Did my response answer your question? If so, please don't forget to mark the reply as an accepted solution.

thanks,  eliot