provided by Star2Billing S.L.

Is there a way I can have my clients dial a specific phone number, they wait in a queue and then only once the client is connected to the remote extension will the charges start then?

EG:
- Call comes into Trixbox IVR system
- Client selects PAID Support Option
- While client holds with music on hold, the Followme/Queue system dials out via A2Billing to call the Technician's Extension/phone number.
- If the Technician Extension/phone number did not pick up the line, no charges occur on the A2Billing account.
- Once the Tech picks up and Acknowledges the call (Press 1 to accept the call), then will the accounting start for the call.

The problem I see is that once the call is issued via A2Billing, if the caller is remote/long distance, it could be possible that the SBC could pickup the call and therefore make it look like it was answered.

However, is there a way I could force a specific charge for certain exact destination numbers without the system thinking the call was long distance?

Hi

I'm sure it's programmable in Asterisk, but a quick and really dirty workaround solution would be using the stepped billing option in A2Billing - and just set the charge to zero for first minute, which should give the technician time to answer etc.

Yours

Joe

Well what about if the caller is on hold for 20 minutes until he gets someone? Don't want to charge 20 minutes for being on hold.

Added after 17 minutes:

Ahh this could work like this then:

- Setup Queue in Trixbox
- Have queue call technumber# or setup an extension with the technumber.
- forward the tech number to a2billing which in return will dial [email protected].
- Set the incoming technumber call as a ring group. After 30 seconds, if no answer, hangup call.
- Since this is being triggered by the queue, it will continue trying until there is a connection.

So doing a stepping call, don't charge for first minute of the call and then set your per minute call charge thereafter or setup that the first 60 seconds are not charged.