Difference Between Cisco Hunt Group and Pickup Group
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Cisco Hunt Group and Pickup Groups are communication features used by platforms for delivering or distributing calls either automatically or via manual means by the user.
These groups help in deciphering the call’s recipient and in directing a call to an individual or a group. These typically come in use at call centers or companies that deal with an inflow of customer calls.
Cisco Hunt Group vs Pickup Group
The main difference between Cisco Hunt Group and Pickup Group is that, while hunt group automatically delivers a call to the recipient, in a pickup group, the individual or the recipient user must manually dial a number using a keyboard button to answer the incoming calls.
Cisco hunt group helps in the diversion of phone calls from a single number to many numbers connected to the initial number via a network, thus ensuring the caller a definite chance of their call being answered.
Hunt group calls can be handled in multiple ways, where all the phones ring at the same time to the calls being sequentially transferred.
Cisco pickup group is a system where the calls need to be transferred to a group, where it enables a selected number of people sitting within each other’s vicinity to receive the calls that are incoming as a team. And here, the call received by one person can be answered by another within the group, if he/she is unable to do so.
Comparison Table Between Cisco Hunt Group and Pickup Group
| Parameters of Comparison | Cisco Hunt Group | Cisco Pickup Group |
| Answering sequence | Calls shift from one phone to another until it is answered or it goes to voicemail. | As a group, where if one can’t answer then another can do so on their behalf |
| Organization | Lines are arranged in an organized manner, to let the calls be diverted if the preceding line is busy. | Lines are arranged into groups, sometimes leading to confusion. |
| Equipment(s) needed | Desk phone or soft phone | Soft phone |
| Call access | Access to the calls depends on the way the phones are arranged in the line. | Everyone within a group has access to an incoming call, thus allowing it to be answered by anyone. |
| Methods of line connection | Multiple ways are present to connect the line for different groups depending on efficiency. | A single way to connect for any group. |
What is Cisco Hunt Group?
A hunt group is a hierarchically arranged group of lines, where calls are sequentially transferred depending on the order of the numbers given on the pre-arranged system.
In a hunt group, there are many ways by which a call can be received. Sometimes, all the phones connected in a group may ring at the same time and the call is answered by those who answer it first.
At other times, the lines may be connected in such a way that the incoming call is first transferred to the phone that has been idle for the longest time. The call would naturally be re-directed by the system if it isn’t answered.
Another possibility of the hunt group line arrangement system is that the first call of the day would be transferred to the first phone, the second call to the second phone, and so on.
But the limitation of this form is that the caller might not have a definite chance of their call being answered, since the call will only be transferred if the next line is not busy. Therefore, prompting the call to go onto voicemail or not recorded at all.
What is Cisco Pickup Group?
In Cisco pickup groups, there’s a manual answering method that holds for the entire group. Pickup groups are only possible as long as those belonging to one group stay near each other. This in a way is a specialty of pickup groups.
The reason to be in one another’s vicinity is that, if the call directed at a phone remains unanswered, then any other person of that group can use the manual method followed by the group to answer the incoming call.
This is a method to make sure that none of the incoming calls remain unanswered.
Another boon of pickup group is that a person in one group can also answer calls of another pickup group, on the condition that those groups and the one of our own are connected in some way or the other.
While a user accepts the call that was ringing at another extension, then the now free line can accept new calls.
Being a member of a pickup group means that you are always logged into the system whenever you use the phone which is connected to the group. There is no manual logging in needed.
Main Differences Between Cisco Hunt Group and Pickup Group
Conclusion
Cisco hunt group and pickup group are two different communication features adopted by many companies to help manage the incoming calls on a more regulated note.
The main difference that stands out between the two is that in hunt groups, calls are automatically redirected, while in pickup groups, a manual procedure is included.
Both have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages, but the Cisco hunt group is more in use due to its ease.
Cisco pickup group are more prevalent in places like call centers while hunt group is more common in business companies and other such places which might require the calls to be continuously redirected to superiors or from department to department.
References
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