How to Set Up RingCentral Call Coverage When Reception is Away for Lunch or Busy

Common Reception Questions

• How do I forward reception calls when I go to lunch?
• Can someone cover reception calls from their own desk?
• How do I set up backup coverage for reception phone?
• What happens to calls when reception is on another call?

Quick Solution

RingCentral lets you automatically forward reception calls to other staff members when you're unavailable. Your backup staff can answer these calls right from their own desk phone or computer.

For Reception Staff: How to Forward Your Calls

When you need to step away for lunch or are busy with another call:

1. Open RingCentral (app.ringcentral.com)
2. Click your profile picture (top-left corner)
3. Select "Do not disturb"
4. Optional but helpful: Add a status message like "Back at 2pm"
5. When you return: Change your status back to "Available"

RingCentral web app showing where to set Do Not Disturb status

If you have a desk phone with a DND (Do Not Disturb) button:

• Press the DND button to forward calls
• Look for the DND light to confirm it's active
• Double-check in the RingCentral app that your status changed

Common location of DND button on desk phones

For Backup Staff: How to Receive Reception Calls at Your Desk

To help cover reception calls when the receptionist is away:

1. Open RingCentral (app.ringcentral.com)
2. Click your profile picture
3. Find the "Accept queue calls" toggle
4. Toggle ON to receive forwarded reception calls
5. Toggle OFF when you no longer want to receive these calls

RingCentral web app showing Accept queue calls toggle

How Call Forwarding Works

The phone system is configured with a "Fixed Order" call queue, which means:

• Calls always try the reception desk first (first in queue)
• If reception is unavailable, the call automatically goes to the second person in queue (e.g., Louanne)
• If the second person is unavailable, it tries the third person (e.g., Vicki)
• Each person has 25 seconds to answer before the call moves to the next person
• The order is fixed - calls always follow this exact sequence
• Being marked as "Do not disturb" or "Unavailable" means you're skipped in the sequence

This fixed sequence ensures:

• A consistent, predictable call flow
• Reception always gets first priority when available
• Backup staff know exactly when they'll receive calls
• No random or simultaneous ringing - just one person at a time in a set order

Fixed order call routing with 25-second timeout between each step

Common Problems and Solutions

Can't Answer Calls at Your Desk?

Make sure:

• Your "Accept queue calls" toggle is ON in RingCentral
• You're not set to "Do not disturb"
• Your desk phone is properly connected

Calls Not Forwarding When Reception is Busy?

Check if:

• Reception's status is set to "Do not disturb"
• At least one backup person has "Accept queue calls" turned on
• Your phone system is properly configured for call queues

Admin view of call queue settings showing proper configuration

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