Caller ID change to an number of a resource account when user forwards a call

Question

Good afternoon,

We are having some difficulties with a custom caller ID policy that has been set up so that a specific user has a number from a resource account as the Caller ID. However, when a call comes in and is being forwarded, it still shows the Caller's caller ID instead of the resource Account’s number.

We would need to have those calls, have the caller ID of the resource account, when the calls are being forwarded.

For information, we have a custom caller ID policy that overrides the caller ID to the specific resource account, this custom caller ID policy has been set as the policy on that user. However, even hours later it still doesn't seem to send out the resource account’s number.

Answer 1

Dear Mathijs Vinken,

Thank you for your continued detailed updates, which are very helpful in understanding the intricacies of your call routing and Caller ID scenario.

Let's break down the Caller ID behavior you're observing:

• Outbound Calls (Working): When your user directly places a call, your custom CallingIDPolicy successfully overrides their personal number with the resource account's number. This is excellent and confirms that the policy itself is correctly configured and applied for direct outbound dialing.
• Forwarded Calls (Not Working): When a call comes in and is then forwarded (either through simultaneous ringing to a group or direct forwarding), the system is likely passing the original caller's Caller ID to the final destination. The forwarding action isn't always treated as a new outbound call originating from the user that would automatically trigger your custom Caller ID policy. This behavior is often by design to preserve the call's original context for various reasons.

Addressing the Call Queue Forwarding Error: "it hasn't been set up for this feature and we need to contact an administrator."

This error suggests that while your Call Queue is routing calls internally to users, it's encountering a limitation when attempting to forward calls externally to a PSTN (mobile) number. This often indicates:

1. The specific mobile number you're trying to forward to isn't correctly configured as an external transfer target within your Microsoft Teams Phone System. For external transfers from Call Queues, the target number needs to be reachable and correctly licensed/configured.
2. There might be a licensing or policy restriction on the Call Queue itself that prevents it from directly forwarding to external numbers, especially if it involves consuming PSTN minutes in a way not covered by its associated resource account or calling plan.
3. The Call Queue might lack the necessary "operator" or "forwarding" permissions to send calls externally without intervention.

Given the complexity of Caller ID policies and call routing in Teams, especially with Call Queues and external forwarding, I recommend the following:

1. Review Call Queue External Transfer Settings:
   • As an administrator, double-check the settings for your Call Queue.
   • Ensure that forwarding to an external number is explicitly allowed and configured correctly. Sometimes, specific policies or Calling Plans need to be assigned to the resource account associated with the Call Queue to permit external transfers.
   • Confirm that the mobile number is entered in the correct E.164 format.
2. Consider an Auto Attendant for External Forwarding:
   • If the Call Queue continues to present difficulties with direct external forwarding and maintaining Caller ID, consider routing the call from the Call Queue to an Auto Attendant first.
   • The Auto Attendant can then be configured to route calls to an external PSTN number. Auto Attendants often have more robust options for how Caller ID is handled during transfers to external numbers, and you might be able to configure it to present the resource account's number. This adds a step, but it often provides more control.
3. Engage Microsoft Support for Specific Policy Behavior:
   • If the above steps don't resolve the Call Queue forwarding issue, and especially if you still need the resource account Caller ID to display on forwarded calls, I strongly recommend submitting a support ticket via your Microsoft 365 Admin Center. This is the direct channel to reach Microsoft's technical support team who have the necessary tools and backend access to thoroughly investigate and resolve such intricate problems.

Log in to the admin center, navigate to Show all > Support > New service request. Explain your setup:

• Your custom Caller ID policy overriding to the resource account.
• The fact that it works for direct outbound calls.
• The issue specifically with forwarded calls (from a user or a Call Queue).
• Your goal to have the resource account's number show as Caller ID for all forwarded legs of the call.
• They can investigate the specific call flow and policy application from their backend tools, which we don't have access to, and clarify if there's a policy limitation or an advanced configuration needed for this specific forwarding scenario.

This is a somewhat intricate setup and getting the exact Caller ID behavior you want on forwarded calls can be a bit of a puzzle. Please let me know how these suggestions work out, or if you have more details on the Call Queue error message after your administrator reviews the settings!
Kind regards,

Kai-L - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 2

Hi Ryan,

Thank you for your quick response to my message.

First of all, we are using Microsoft Teams Calling Plans, with our own numbers activated within Team, and in this case it is a user that is only there for a hotline that we use, as our partner currently doesn’t offer a Pay-for-use calling plans, so a shared calling plan is until it is fixed not possible.

We have tested the outbound call and indeed the call does seem to get the Caller ID of the resource account we have setup, so the issue is indeed the forwarding. Which has been set up to ring simultaneously a group of users and after it hasn’t been answered for a minute it will be forwarded to a specific mobile number. Which seem to send the caller’s caller id instead of the resource account caller id.

We have reconfigure the Call queue which is currently also being used to ring the users, to forward the call after a set of minutes to the specific mobile number, however, we are now getting a message that it hasn’t been setup for this feature and we need to contact a administrator.

Answer 3

Dear Mathijs Vinken,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

I understand you're facing a specific challenge with your custom Caller ID policy in Microsoft Teams, where a user's forwarded calls are still displaying the original caller's ID instead of the assigned resource account number. You've correctly applied the custom CallingIDPolicy to the user and waited, but the change isn't reflecting on forwarded calls.

This behavior can be nuanced due to how Teams processes call forwarding in relation to Caller ID policies. The system sometimes prioritizes the original caller's ID for context during a forwarded leg, or there might be a specific interaction with the forwarding mechanism.

If the primary goal is to ensure that calls originating from or forwarded by your team display the resource account's Caller ID, a robust solution that changes the call flow can be highly effective:

1.Use a Call Queue or Auto Attendant (Recommended for Controlled Caller ID):

• Concept: Instead of direct user-level forwarding, route incoming calls through a Call Queue (or an Auto Attendant leading to a Call Queue). Call Queues have their own outbound Caller ID settings, which can be explicitly set to your resource account's number. When a call is then transferred or routed from the Call Queue, it effectively originates from the queue, thus displaying the queue's configured Caller ID.

1. Create a Call Queue in the Teams admin center.
2. Assign your specific resource account to this Call Queue.
3. In the Call Queue settings, explicitly set its outbound Caller ID to the desired resource account number.
4. Direct incoming calls to this Call Queue first, instead of directly to individual users.
5. Users can then answer calls from the queue and, if needed, transfer them, and the Caller ID will be that of the Call Queue (the resource account).

To further investigate why the direct user policy isn't applying during forwarding, please provide the following details:

1. Confirm Direct Outbound Call Behavior:
   • Place a direct outbound call (not a forwarded call) from the user’s Teams client. Does the resource account’s number appear as the Caller ID? If it works for direct outbound calls but not forwarded calls, this confirms a specific limitation or interaction with the forwarding mechanism.
2. Specify Forwarding Type:
   • What exact type of call forwarding is the user configuring or using? Is it:
     • "Forward my calls" directly to a specific phone number?
     • "Forward my calls" to another person or group?
     • "Simultaneously ring" another number or person?
   • Understanding the precise forwarding method is crucial.
3. Detail Your Telephony Solution:
   • Are you using Microsoft Teams Calling Plans, Operator Connect, or Direct Routing?
   • If Direct Routing, what type of Session Border Controller (SBC) are you using? (SBC configurations can heavily influence Caller ID signaling).

For reference: Manage caller ID for users - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn

Please note that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Have a wonderful weekend!
Kind regards,

Ryan-N-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist