Use the symptom shown below to find the most likely cause. Forwarding must go from the regular office phone to the MCD AI number for unanswered and busy calls.
The office phone did not ring
Possible causes:
- The wrong office phone is saved in Phone setup.
- The line is not active or cannot receive the controlled test call.
- A phone-system rule sends the call somewhere else before the office phones ring.
- The provider blocked or rejected the call.
Confirm the saved office phone, place a normal controlled call to that number, and check the main inbound call flow.
The office phone rang, but no forwarded call was received
The No Answer rule may be off, the destination may be wrong, or the forwarding delay may be longer than the test window.
Check that When no answer, No Answer, No Reply, Unanswered, or the equivalent rule points to the exact MCD AI number shown for this location. Save the rule before trying again.
Voicemail answered the test
Office voicemail is answering before forwarding occurs.
Make unanswered forwarding happen earlier, make voicemail answer later, or change the phone system's missed-call destination from voicemail to the MCD AI number. If the system allows it, start around 3–4 rings, but use a value that runs before voicemail and still gives the front desk time to answer.
AI answered immediately and the office phone did not ring
Full forwarding is probably active.
Turn off Always Forward, Forward All Calls, Unconditional Forwarding, or Immediate Forwarding. Leave only the unanswered and busy conditions enabled for normal setup.
The result says the test was answered too early
A person, voicemail, auto attendant, answering service, or another rule answered before the call could forward.
Start a new test and do not answer, reject, or transfer the call. Adjust the phone flow so unanswered forwarding occurs before voicemail or another automated answer.
The test expired
The forwarding rule did not deliver the controlled call within the test window.
Confirm the destination and timing, save the phone-system changes, and start a new test. Do not reuse an old pending test.
Busy calls do not forward
Make sure When busy, Busy, or Line busy is enabled separately.
On systems with call waiting, multiple lines, a hunt group, or a call queue, one employee being on a call may not make the main number busy. Configure Overflow, No agents available, Queue full, or the equivalent rule on the main inbound call flow.
The automated MCD test primarily checks the unanswered path, so the busy or overflow rule may need a separate controlled office test.
The phone system shows the wrong destination
Copy the MCD AI number again from Phone setup for the correct location. Do not use the regular office number as the destination, and do not use an MCD AI number assigned to another location.
The forwarded call shows the office number instead of the caller
The phone provider or PBX is replacing the original caller ID.
Ask the provider or phone-system administrator to preserve the original caller's phone number on externally forwarded calls. If the system adds a prefix or requires a key press before connecting an external call, remove that behavior when the product allows it.
Forwarding was configured on one desk phone, but the main number still fails
The clinic's public number may enter an auto attendant, call queue, hunt group, or another shared call flow before reaching that desk phone.
Configure unanswered and busy or overflow behavior on the main number or inbound call flow, not only on an individual extension.
You are unsure which instructions apply
Confirm the exact phone product, not only the provider name. Check the phone bill, administrator portal, phone application, service agreement, or the office's phone or IT administrator.
Do not try a generic star code from an unrelated provider or product. Give the provider this instruction:
Please enable conditional call forwarding from our main office number to our MCD AI number when calls are unanswered and when the line or call group is busy. Do not enable unconditional forwarding, preserve the original caller ID, and make sure forwarding occurs before voicemail answers.
After correcting the setting, return to Phone setup and run one new test.