Calls to a department go straight to voice mail

Owned by Sean Stockburger (Unlicensed), created
Jan 11, 2021
2 min read

Problem

In Microsoft Teams I search for a department or service and try to call, but I go straight to voice mail when I know they should be open.

Solution

Some departments and services have shared email addresses that show up in the Teams directory, but you can’t call them directly (using the icons for phone call or video) or chat with them via text. Instead you need to dial the 10-digit number for that office or service using the dial pad in Teams. If you do try to call them directly in Teams, without dialing the 10-digit number, your call will go straight to voice mail. The staff who monitor that mailbox will receive your voice mail, but service may be delayed more than it would be if you dial the 10-digit number.

Some things to keep in mind:

  • You can look up the 10-digit number for most departments and services in the Campus Directory

  • Many departments also list multiple contact methods on their web pages (e.g., phone number, email address, web forms)

  • Even though the directory lists the 4-digit extension, you need to dial the 10-digit number starting with 360-650-

  • When you dial the 10-digit number your call will be routed to the individual or to a group of agents assigned to answer that phone number. If nobody is available, or it is after business hours, your call may be transferred to voicemail.

If you send a text chat message to a shared mailbox, it will not be able to respond. The staff who monitor the mailbox will see a notification that you attempted to chat with them, but for a faster response it is better to dial the 10-digit number or the email address.