How to Call an Extension is a basic question when someone is new to a corporate office culture. Extension numbers allow big companies to connect callers to dozens of different departments and employees. There are several shortcuts to save time when calling company extension numbers.
Thanks to sophisticated operating systems, you can even program smart phones to dial extensions for you.
Let’s give you an insight into the connectivity methods in a step-wise manner. This will make you a pro-caller by the end of the article.
How to Call an Extension : Methods
- Using a Smart Phone
- Using a Landline
Method 1 : Using a Smart Phone
Step 1
- Dial the phone number that you wish to call.
- Click and open the dialer app.
- Enter the phone number that you wish to call.
Step 2
- Add a “pause” if you are getting into the extension with the picking up of the phone line.
- If the phone number you are calling provides a chance to enter the extension immediately after picking up, the “pause” button will automatically enter the extension after waiting for a moment.
- Pressing and holding the * button by adding a comma (,) to the end of the number. The symbol indicates a two-second pause before the extension, will be dialed.
- If pressing and holding the * button is not working, try to tap the (?) button next to the number and selecting “Add pause.” Tap the number field for opening on-screen keyboard, then type a comma if it does not work automatically.
- Add multiple commas if you want to wait longer which can be useful for phone systems that have a delay before entering the extension.
- On Windows phones add commas by copying and paste it to the end of the number from another app.
Step 3
- Add a “wait” if the extension can only be dialed after the whole menu plays. Some extensions cannot be entered until the entire automated menu service plays, or until a certain option is selected.
- The “wait” function will display the extension on your screen and you’ll indicate when it should be entered.
- Press and hold the # button to add a semicolon (;) to the end of the number. This symbol indicates a “wait,” and the subsequent extension will not be dialed until you say so.
- You’ll require to add a “w” instead of a “;” in case you are having a Windows phone.These symbols are needed to be copied and pasted from some other app that permits typing.
Step 4
- After the symbol, type the extension number.
- After adding the wait or pause symbol, type the extension that you want your phone to automatically dial.
Step 5
- Calling the number and the phone will dial it for you.
- After dialing the number, phone will either dial the extension entered by you(,) or you’ll be prompted to show when the extension should be dialed (;), depending on the symbol you used.
- If the wait (;) option is chosen by you, navigate to the section of the menu that permits you to enter the extension first.
- Arriving at the right section of the menu, click “Send” to dial the extension in the window.
Step 6
- Adding numbers with extensions to the contacts in your address book.
- If you area frequent dialer of this extension, adding the number to contact list of the phone will ease the process.
- All of the extension numbers and symbols will be saved along with the contact.
Method 2 : Using a Landline
Step 1
- Dial the number as normally done by you.
- If you don’t have dial pausing options with a landline, then you’ll just have to dial the phone number as normally done by you.
Step 2
- Try entering the extension in jiffy as the line picks up.
- You can start entering the extension as soon as the call is picked up in many menu systems.
- Try entering extension to see whether it dials.
Step 3
- Listen to the menu options whenever extension doesn’t work.
- listen to the menu options whenever you can’t dial the extension immediately.
- You may pick an option that allows to enter an extension.
Step 4
- Add a pause and the extension to the speed dial, whenever possible. Some phones that have a speed dial function can also possess a Pause key that can be used while programming a speed dial number. The existence and location of pause button changes with the change in model.
- Enter the base number, two pauses, and then the extension number, if you can add pauses. Save the whole thing to the speed dial entry.
- If the number you call, supports entering the extension immediately, you use speed dial entry directly to call the extension.
Step 5
- You must try to replace the last digits of the base number with an extension.
- You may be able to dial it directly by replacing the last four digits of the base number with it, if the extension is a four-digit number.
- For instance, if the company number is 1-800-555-2222, and the extension is 1234, try to dial 1-800-555-1234.
Conclusion
After going through the article, it is for sure that now the cumbersome looking, how to call an extension must have become how easily you can call an extension.