Incoming calls can also go to a communication server attendant who manually routes calls to their proper destinations using an attendant console. Normally an attendant serves as an internal operator who transfers calls to the proper extensions. A communication server often has more than one attendant, and all of the communication server’s attendants answer calls directed to the attendant queue, which holds calls until an attendant is available. The attendant queue receives internal calls from employee extensions, through Direct Inward Dialing (DID) processing and Automatic-in processing. If the attendant has an automatic-in number, it normally is the number published in a phone book, and the DID number is used by off-site employees who know only the extension number of the attendant.

With Centralized Attendant Service (CAS), you can consolidate attendants at one private network location. The attended location is called the CAS main and each unattended location is called a CAS branch. At branch locations, calls requiring attendant services route by way of Release Link Trunks to the main location.