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| Automated Attendants and Bulletin Boards
> ### Overview of Automated Attendants and Bulletin Boards This section describes how to define and administer automated attendants and bulletin boards on an INTUITY AUDIX system. The section includes examples you can modify to fit your particular requirements. This section describes: Plan your automated attendant Set up an automated attendant, including multilingual and teletypewriter (TTY) greetings Set up a business schedule and set up a holiday schedule Set up a call routing table Plan for your bulletin boards with automated attendant Set up a bulletin board ### Planning an Automated Attendant The first step toward setting up an automated attendant or bulletin board is to understand the concepts. #### What Is an Automated Attendant? An automated attendant is an interactive telephone answering system that answers incoming calls with a prerecorded announcement and routes them based on the caller's response to menus and prompts. You set up an automated attendant so that callers hear a menu of options. Callers then press the button on their telephone keypad that corresponds to the menu option they want. The automated attendant then executes the selected option. Callers who do not have touchtone telephones are typically told that they can hold or call another number to speak with a live attendant. You can design an automated attendant menu system, or menu tree, to contain subordinate layers of menus or bulletin boards. These submenu's, or nested menus, play additional options that can include a choice leading to another nested menu. The menu options that callers hear are actually personal greetings that you record for the automated attendant's extension. You can easily change the text of the message just as you would any personal greeting. You can also use the Multiple Personal Greetings feature to provide different menus and options for different types of calls. #### What Is a Bulletin Board? A bulletin board is an electronic message system that callers can access to hear messages. Callers dial the bulletin board telephone number and the system answers and presents callers with a recorded message. The major difference between a bulletin board and an automated attendant is that a bulletin board does not have an option to route the call. #### Design Considerations To design your automated attendants to make the most effective use of their capabilities, you must first determine the needs for your business. Will all callers be routed directly to the automated attendant? Will certain options of an automated attendant route callers to other automated attendants? Are there any special needs the automated attendant must address, such as accommodating hearing-impaired callers? Automated attendant applications can include any of the following:
> Main automated attendant | The mailbox where the automated attendant telephone extension connects. The main automated attendant plays a single menu of options for selecting a final destination or presents menu options that differ depending on call types defined with Multiple Personal Greetings, business schedules, or holiday schedules. See Setting Up a Main Attendant for more information.
> Nested automated attendant | Two or more layers of automated attendants — a main automated attendant that contains options leading to one or more secondary (nested) automated attendants that play additional submenu's of options. See Setting Up Nested Attendants for more information. You must create the nested attendant before you specify it in a main or higher-layer attendant. Create a diagram on paper of the menu tree that you want to use. Then administer the automated attendant system starting from the last (deepest) menu layer and work your way back to the main automated attendant.
> TTY (Teletype-writer) | An automated attendant administered with a TDD announcement set that provides service to hearing-impaired callers. (The TDD announcement set is recommended but not required to set up TTY automated attendants.) Hearing-impaired callers need a standard, standalone, acoustically coupled teletypewriter along with a touchtone telephone. See TTY Automated Attendants for more information.
> Nonresident subscriber extensions | A main automated attendant that contains options leading to subscribers who have voice mailboxes and call in for messages, but do not have actual telephone extensions on the switch. See Setting Up Nonresident Subscriber Extensions for more information.
> Shared extensions | A main automated attendant that contains options leading to the mailboxes of two or more people sharing the same telephone. See Setting Up Shared Extensions for more information.
> 10 Options per Attendant | The automated attendant can have as many as 10 menu options, corresponding to the buttons 0 through 9 on a touchtone telephone
> Automated Attendant Extension on the Switch | If the automated attendant extension is to be called directly, administer the switch to route calls to that extension. You (or the switch administrator) administer the switch to route all incoming calls to an automated attendant instead of to a receptionist, or perhaps to route calls to this extension only after normal business hours. (If the automated attendant is a nested automated attendant, administer the extension in the AUDIX system but not on the switch, that is, administer it as a "phantom" extension.)
> COS for Automated Attendants | If you plan to use a number of automated attendants, you might want to set up a class of service (COS) with the `PERMISSIONS, Type:` field already set to `automated attendant`. If you set up an automated attendant COS, be sure that existing subscribers are not already assigned to that COS.
> * 8 Transfers | You can administer your system to allow callers to transfer from the automated attendant to a specific extension by entering * 8, the extension number, and the pound sign #. Generally, it is more efficient to have callers enter extension numbers directly. * 8 is typically used when the attendant's options require use of all the buttons or when the switch dial plan precludes use of the button that corresponds to the first digit of internal extension numbers that could be called directly. The Call Transfer Out of AUDIX feature must be turned on before callers can use * 8. Security Risk! Allowing transfers out of AUDIX increases the risk of toll fraud. If you set up you automated attendant to use this feature, be sure you restrict the allowable destination numbers as described under Controlling Call Transfers.
> Direct Transfers without * 8 | Callers can dial an extension directly from the automated attendant without using * 8. To administer such direct dialing, type an e in the `Extension` field for the button whose number corresponds with the first digit of real switch extensions (on page 3 of the Subscriber screen). For example, if internal extensions begin with 5, assign button 5 as extension e. This allows the caller to dial any extension that starts with 5. Note: For this feature to work properly, `Addressing Format` must be`` extension`` on Page 2 of the automated attendant's Subscriber screen. Pay particular attention to the switch dial plan when assigning the e option. Some extensions within the group may not exist, may not be assigned, or may be assigned to special features. Any of these situations may cause problems if a caller attempts to dial anything but a voice extension. For more information and instructions, see Step 2: Administering the Automated Attendant as a Subscriber.
> Coverage to AUDIX | The automated attendant extension must be administered to cover to the AUDIX extension with Call Coverage (Call Forwarding, if your switch is a DEFINITY switch). Calls are then sent to the automated attendant mailbox where the menu of options is heard.
> Call Routing | INTUITY AUDIX provides a conditional routing capability. You can use a routing table to vary automated attendant operation based on as many as four separate business schedules and as many as four holiday schedules. (If your switch is a MERLIN LEGEND switch, you can also base operations on the switch's night service schedule.) See Setting Up a Call Routing Table for more information. Additionally, a call can be routed to an automated attendant during an alternate time associated with a business schedule, such as lunch time.
> Addressing Messages | If you design an automated attendant so callers have the option of leaving messages for multiple AUDIX subscribers, the AUDIX feature of addressing messages by name or extension applies. It is a good idea to include this information in the recorded greetings and prompts callers hear.
> #### Automated Attendant Modes of Operation A business can deploy automated attendant service in either primary or secondary operational mode. ##### Primary Mode Operation An automated attendant service deployed in primary mode is expected to answer all incoming calls as soon as they come in. The company receptionist backs up the automated attendant by handling overflow calls and calls from people needing assistance, for example, those who press 0 or those who make no selection. ##### Secondary (Backup) Mode Operation An automated attendant service deployed in backup mode defers as many calls as possible to the company receptionist. The automated attendant service is configured to back up the company receptionist by handling calls the receptionist is unable to answer. ##### Operational Schedule Typically businesses are considered open during the day and closed during the night. The INTUITY AUDIX automated attendant service can be designed to answer incoming calls on a 24-hour/day basis or only at night, depending upon your business needs. ###### Business Operational Schedule The automated attendant can use the INTUITY AUDIX weekly business schedule for time-of-day operation or it can rely on the telephone system to indicate when it should operate in a day schedule and night schedule. Note that some telephone systems (for example, MERLIN LEGEND) can provide day/night status to INTUITY AUDIX, while other telephone systems (for example, DEFINITY) cannot. It makes no difference to the INTUITY AUDIX automated attendant service whether day/night operation is controlled by the associated telephone system status or by the INTUITY AUDIX system's own weekly business schedule. ###### Holiday Operational Schedule The automated attendant can be administered to deviate from the normal business schedule for a day at a time. You might use these schedules to play different greetings and to handle calls differently on holidays. There are four holiday schedules. ###### Alternate Operational Schedule The Alternate Service Hours feature allows the automated attendant to play a different menu and/or handle calls slightly differently during lunch time or any other time. The routing table provides a way to do this. This feature can be used independently of the telephone system's night service status. ###### Routing Table These operational schedules are tied together within a routing table. A routing table applies the business schedule and a holiday schedule to an incoming called number such as an incoming trunk or covered extension. You then assign a schedule to the automated attendant mailboxes you want to handle the calls at the various times. See Setting Up a Call Routing Table for more information on operational schedules and routing tables. ###### MERLIN LEGEND Schedule MERLIN LEGEND can be administered to change from day schedule operation to night schedule operation either by administering the schedule on the telephone system or by pushing a Night Service button on the attendant console. If the INTUITY AUDIX automated attendant service schedule is linked to MERLIN LEGEND's status, the two are guaranteed to be synchronized. The MERLIN LEGEND telephone system can be programmed to route calls differently when Night Service is in effect. This feature can be used to provide automated attendant service only when the MERLIN LEGEND telephone system is in Night Service mode. #### Using Rotary Telephones with an Automated Attendant Automated attendants can work with rotary telephone users if the AUDIX system has an attached pulse-to-tone converter. A pulse-to-tone converter is a box located between the switch and the central office. To use pulse-to-tone conversion properly, you must allow enough time for the converter to convert the pulse to a tone. Set the `Between Digits at Auto-Attendant or` `Standalone Menu` field on the System-Parameters Features screen to between 3 and 12 seconds (5 or 6 seconds is recommended). This value must be sufficient to allow the converter to work. Depending on your system and your converter, it may take actual use to determine the best value. If a caller fails to enter any tones at an automated attendant menu, the AUDIX system uses the time-out value administered on the automated attendant's Subscriber screen. This time-out value should be greater than the `Between Digits at Auto-Attendant` or `Standalone Menu` field on the System-Parameters Features screen. If it is not, the automated attendant could time out before the first digit can be entered. If you are not using a pulse-to-tone converter, leave the `Between Digits at Auto-Attendant or Standalone Menu` field on the System-Parameters Features screen at the default of 3. #### Multilingual Automated Attendants You can set up a multilingual automated attendant, the first level of which might ask the caller to select a language. Subsequent levels implement the automated attendant in the language chosen. You can implement a multilingual automated attendant using multilingual system announcement sets or the Multiple Personal Greeting feature. ##### Multilingual Feature If you have purchased multiple language announcement sets, the Multilingual feature should be set to ON (check the Feature Options window accessed from Customer/Services Administration on the Main Menu). Your automated attendant can use 2 languages to greet callers during prime and non-prime hours. The first menu in the automated attendant should be one where the caller chooses a language (such as "Press 1 for English or press 2 for Canadian French"). You can then set up separate menu trees for each language. For example, your company operates in a U.S. English/Canadian French bilingual environment and uses an automated attendant to redirect calls to the appropriate extension. The following scenario is typical of nested, multilingual automated attendants. The recording for the main or first-level automated attendant is in US English (except for the invitation to press 1). "Hello, this is ABC Company." "Pour Français, appuyez sur le un." "To talk to a sales agent, please press 2." "For billing problems, please press 3." "If you know the number of the person you want to reach, please enter it now, or you may wait and an operator will be with you shortly." The caller presses 1. The recording for the second-level automated attendant is in Canadian French. (In Canadian French) "To talk to a sales agent, please press 2." "For billing problems, please press 3." "If you know the number of the person you want to reach, please enter it now, or you may wait and an operator will be with you shortly." (If the caller presses * 4 for help, Canadian French prompts are used if the primary announcement set is Canadian French.) The caller enters extension number 432. (In Canadian French) "Please wait." The call is transferred to extension 432. If the call covers to your AUDIX system, call treatment in the call answer scenario will be as described above. To administer an automated attendant to make use of this feature, see Step 2: Administering the Automated Attendant as a Subscriber. ##### Multiple Personal Greetings Feature You can also use the Multiple Personal Greetings feature to customize an automated attendant's spoken personal greeting for calls of various types. This customizing could be cosmetic, such as a formal or informal personal greeting depending on whether the call is external or internal, or it could voice a different set of options, such as offering a restricted menu of choices to out-of-hours callers. You can record personal greetings in any languages needed and apply the greetings to the various automated attendant menu options the caller hears. Since the automated attendant is administered as a subscriber, you have 9 personal greetings to use for various language options at each menu layer you administer. #### TTY Automated Attendants To access your automated attendant, hearing-impaired callers need a standard standalone, acoustically coupled TTY along with a touchtone telephone. The TDD-English announcement set makes it more convenient to set up teletypewriter (TTY) automated attendants that provide service to hearing-impaired callers.
> Note: The TDD announcement set is recommended, but not required, to set up TTY automated attendants.
> ##### Planning Your TTY Attendant The following are recommendations and requirements for planning the use of the TTY automated attendant feature: The TDD announcement set should be activated when administering the TTY automated attendant menus. If the TDD announcement set is not running, you must put your ear to the handset resting in the TTY acoustic coupler to hear the spoken INTUITY AUDIX announcements that you need to follow while administering the automated attendant menus. Without the TDD announcement set, a hearing-impaired person cannot set up automated attendant menus. To record automated attendant menus, you need a standalone, acoustically coupled TTY (available from many telephone equipment stores); a TTY with a buffer is recommended since you may want to edit a menu before downloading it to your system. (Refer to the user's guide that came with the TTY for instructions on using your TTY.) The TDD announcement set needs to be identified on the Subscriber or Class of Service screen for the automated attendant by setting the `Login Announcement Set:` and `Call Answer Primary Annc. Set:` fields to TDD. The use of separate telephone numbers for TTY and voice automated attendants tends to be more user friendly for the intended audiences. While this is not required, it is strongly recommended. The Multilingual feature can be used to administer an automated attendant with nested TTY menus and nested voice menus. However, TTY callers see either nothing or only unreadable characters resulting from voiced prompts or greetings, and hearing callers encounter TTY messaging noise. The TTY automated attendant can be administered to use name addressing. The caller must use the touchtone keypad rather than the TTY keyboard to address a message by name. TTYs use the Baudot communications protocol in which the same 5bit code can represent either a letter or a non-alphabetic character, such as a number or figure. (For example, the binary code 00001 is both the letter "E" and the number "3".) This sharing of 5bit codes is made possible by having a letters mode and a numbers/figures mode. If a TTY receives the 5bit code 11111, it is set to letters mode. The TTY then assumes all subsequent 5bit character codes received are letters. By contrast, if a receiving TTY is set to numbers/figures mode (by receiving the 5bit code 11011), it then assumes all subsequent 5bit character codes received are numbers and figures. This is important because a TTY that is not in the same mode as the device that is transmitting to it displays characters on the receiving TTY that make no sense to the caller. All INTUITY AUDIX TTY announcements contain the appropriate mode reset codes to ensure that the receiving TTY stays mode-synchronized with your system during announcement playback. It is, however, your responsibility to ensure mode synchronization when recording automated attendant menus. Each subscriber or caller who wants to communicate with the TTY automated attendant needs a standard standalone, acoustically coupled TTY and a touchtone telephone. Devices that bypass the touchtone telephone, such as computers with non-dialing TTY modems, are unable to issue commands to the INTUITY AUDIX system. ##### Mode Synchronization when Recording Menus Some TTYs have both a letters and a numbers/figures key for switching to the indicated mode. On such devices, if the first character in an automated attendant menu is a letter, press the letters key before you type anything else. If the first character in an automated attendant menu is a number or figure, press the numbers/figures key before you type anything else. If you do not have these separate keys, synchronization of modes is less convenient, but can be accomplished in the following way: If the first character you need to type is a letter, type / (a slash) and press the space bar a few times before you start typing. This causes the system to reset to letters mode. If the first character you need to type is a number or figure, type x and press the space bar a few times before you start typing. This causes the system to reset to numbers/figures mode. TTY users need to use both the keypad on their touchtone telephones and the keyboard on the TTY. In menu instructions, make it clear which to use. You might use the word "dial" when the user needs to use the telephone keypad and the word "type" when the user needs to use the TTY keyboard. When using a TTY to type directly to the system, AUDIX captures and preserves any misspellings, hesitations in typing, and so on. For this reason, it is recommended that you use a TTY with a built-in buffer and completely edit the menu before calling the INTUITY AUDIX system to download the buffer. Refer to your TTY user's guide for instructions on editing and downloading the TTY buffer. ##### TTY Feature Operation Assign the TTY announcement set on the automated attendant Subscriber or Class of Service screen, and record a TTY automated attendant menu using a TTY (the menu is actually the personal greeting for the automated attendant extension). Instead of speaking the menu greeting into the telephone, type the menu greeting using the TTY keyboard. Callers who reach the TTY automated attendant must use a TTY to interact with the automated attendant. Here is how a TTY automated attendant relates to other AUDIX features. Automated Attendant: The TTY Automated Attendant feature enables you to set up automated attendants for hearing-impaired callers. Any number of sub-attendants can be administered. Multilingual: It is recommended, but not required, that TTY automated attendants have a separate telephone number than voice automated attendants (Call Answer Language Choice set to n [no]). Call Answer Language Choice can be set to y (yes) to administer an automated attendant with nested TTY menus and nested voice menus. However, TTY callers see either nothing or unreadable characters resulting from voiced prompts or greetings, and hearing callers encounter TTY messaging noise. Multiple Personal Greetings: TTY automated attendant menus greetings must be recorded with a TTY. TTY automated attendants may take advantage of the Multiple Personal Greetings feature to record different menus for out-of-hours and internal and external calls. If the Multilingual feature is on and Call Answer Language Choice is y (yes), you record menu greetings using personalized Dual Language Greetings rather than Multiple Personal Greetings. ### Setting Up an Automated Attendant Once you design the automated attendant, complete the following steps to set up and check its operation: Step 1: Enabling Call Transfers Out of AUDIX Step 2: Administering the Automated Attendant as a Subscriber Step 3: Recording Greetings for the Automated Attendant Menu Step 4: Confirming Automated Attendant Administration #### Step 1: Enabling Call Transfers Out of AUDIX Before an automated attendant can route calls, you must enable the Call Transfer Out of AUDIX feature.
> Security Risk! Enabling callers to transfer out of AUDIX has significant security implications. These implications are described under Fraudulent Transfers. If your system is administered to allow transfer by "digits," ensure that the extension you assign to your automated attendant falls within the range of allowed numbers. See Controlling Call Transfers for more information.
> To enable call transfers out of AUDIX: Start at the Messaging Administration main menu and select under Messaging Administration: Messaging Enter your login.The system then displays the AUDIX Command Prompt screen. At the `enter command:` prompt, enter change system-parameters features The system displays the System Parameters Features Screen. Press F7 (NextPage) twice. The system displays the System-Parameters Features screen, page 3; Enabling Call Transfers Out of AUDIX. Type basic in the `Transfer Type:` field. (Type enhanced if the switch is a DEFINITY switch.) Press F3 (Enter) to save the information in the system database. The cursor returns to the command line, and the system displays the following message: `Command Successfully Completed`. #### Step 2: Administering the Automated Attendant as a Subscriber Automated attendants are administered as regular subscribers except that you type auto-attendant in the `PERMISSIONS, Type:` field of the Subscriber screen, page 2. Once administered in this way, a new page (Page 3) becomes available for setting the special features associated with an automated attendant, such as the actions the automated attendant performs when a caller presses specific buttons. You must create a nested attendant before the main or higher-layer attendant that will contain it (see Planning an Automated Attendant). For complete information on adding a new subscriber, see Adding Subscribers. To administer the automated attendant as a subscriber: Start at the Messaging Administration main menu and select under Messaging Administration: Messaging Enter your login.The system then displays the AUDIX Command Prompt screen. At the `enter command:` prompt, enter one of the following commands: add subscriber extension, where extension is the extension number of a new extension that will be the new automated attendant. change subscriber extension, where extension is an existing extension number you want to use as an automated attendant. The system displays the Automated Attendant Subscriber screen, page 1. Complete the fields as follows: `Name`: – Enter a 1- to 29-alphabetic character name for the automated attendant. The name must be touch-tone unique. `Extension:` – Enter the extension of the automated attendant. The extension can be determined as follows: If you are using a routing table, the extension of the main automated attendant is the number you defined in the table. (See Setting Up a Call Routing Table for more information and instructions.) If you are not using a routing table, the extension of the main automated attendant is the telephone number callers will dial to access the attendant. For a nested automated attendant, the extension is an extension accessed as an option on a main or higher-layer automated attendant. ``
> Security Risk! The extension you enter in this field should be an administered extension on the switch to minimize the possibility of toll fraud.
> `COS:`— Enter the class of service (COS) name or number you want for this automated attendant. You may create a special COS that identifies the `PERMISSIONS, Type:` as automated attendant. If you do so, enter the name or number of that COS in this field so you do not have to customize Page 2 of the automated attendant Subscriber screen. ``
> If you decide to set up an automated attendant COS, be sure that existing subscribers are not already assigned to that COS.
> `Switch Number:` — Enter the number of the switch on which the automated attendant's extension is administered. A valid entry in this field is an integer from 0 to 64. A 0 (zero) in this field means that the attendant has an AUDIX mailbox, but does not have an extension on the switch. The default is the administered host switch number from the Switch Interface Administration window.
> Note: The message waiting indicator (MWI) does not work properly unless the switch number on this screen is the same as the host switch number assigned on the Switch Interface Administration screen. Normally, there should be no need to use anything other than the default value on this screen.
> Press F7 (NextPage). The system displays the Automated Attendant Subscriber screen, page 2. Complete the fields as follows: `Addressing Format:` Enter name if you want callers to be able to enter names rather than extensions to select certain destinations. Enter extension if you want callers to enter extension numbers to select certain destinations. `Call Answer Language Choice?` Enter y if you purchased multilingual announcement sets and are using the Multilingual feature to give callers the option to listen to voice prompts in another language. Enter n if you are using either the Single or Multiple Personal Greetings feature to record the voice prompts for the automated attendant menus. `Call Answer Secondary Annc. Set:` — Enter the name of the secondary language set you want callers to be able to select. This only applies if you purchased a second announcement set and entered y into the`Call Answer Language Choice?` field. If you are using Multiple Personal Greetings for the voice prompts, skip this field. `PERMISSIONS, Type:` — Enter auto-attendant Press F7 (NextPage). The system displays the Automated Attendant Subscriber screen, page 3. Complete the fields on this screen using the following information: Suggestions provided in the table for Field Definitions: Automated Attendant Subscriber screen, page 3 Suggestions provided in Examples of Automated Attendants Your own plan or flow chart as suggested in Planning an Automated Attendant When you finish entering the automated attendant information, press F3 (Enter) to save the information in the system database. The cursor returns to the command line, and the system displays the following message: `Command Successfully Completed`. Enter exit or another administrative command at the`` `enter command:` prompt. #### Step 3: Recording Greetings for the Automated Attendant Menu Use your touchtone telephone to record the automated attendant menu greetings that callers hear when they press a key on their telephones. You record an attendant menu greeting in the same way you record a personal greeting. The only difference is that you record the greeting for the attendant extension, and the greeting describes the options for the attendant. It is a good idea to write down a script for the menu greeting ahead of time and read it aloud to a colleague before recording it. We also recommend that you write down the menu greeting numbers so that you have both the number and the corresponding greeting script if you need to re-record any greetings at a later date. You might want to consider including the following in the menu greeting script: A "hello and welcome" greeting followed by the menu choices available to the caller An instruction on pressing * 8 to transfer to a specific extension (if this option is active) and press the pound sign An instruction to wait if a time-out extension is administered An instruction on pressing * 4 to repeat the menu selections
> Note: You can also set up a one-button press to repeat the menu by putting the automated attendant's extension in the `Extension` field and call-answer in the `Treatment` field.
> ##### Recording an Automated Attendant Menu Greeting (No Multiple Personal Greetings) To record a single automated attendant menu greeting (the Multiple Personal Greetings feature is not used): Log in as the automated attendant using the extension and password (if any) you assigned on the Subscriber screen. At the activity menu, press 3 to administer the attendant menu. Press 1 to record the attendant menu greeting. At the tone, speak the scripted greeting for the menu and then press 1 to stop the recording. Press 1 again to record from where you last stopped. Press 2 3 to listen to the recording. Press * 3 to delete and re-record. Press # to approve. ##### Recording an Automated Attendant Menu Greeting (Multiple Personal Greetings) With multiple personal greetings, your automated attendant menu greeting can change according to the type of call. For example, you can have one greeting for out-of-hours calls and another for calls during regular business hours. You can also have different menus for internal and external calls.
> Note: If your system loses any voice messages, for example, due to a disk crash, you must check each of the automated attendant menu greetings to ensure that none were lost. It is a good idea to write down the scripts for the menu greetings as a precaution. If an automated attendant menu greeting is lost, re-record it. If an automated attendant menu is lost or was never recorded, callers hear a system announcement indicating that attendant services are not available. The system also makes an entry in the Administrator's Log each time a caller dials the automated attendant extension. You can view these logs at any time (see The Administrator's Log).
> #### Step 4: Confirming Automated Attendant Administration The process of defining an automated attendant menu system is complete when all of its submenu's are defined and all the voice prompts including any announcements such as attendant menus are recorded. INTUITY AUDIX provides a testing utility. This is a convenient way to test the structure of a menu so that callers do not encounter an incomplete automatic-attendant menu tree. To access the testing utility: Start at the Messaging Administration main menu and select under Messaging Administration: Messaging Enter your login.The system then displays the AUDIX Command Prompt screen. At the `enter command:` prompt, enter display auto-attend-routing menu-tree The system displays the Auto-Attendant Menu Tree screen.
> Tip: The display command can be preceded by print. This way the display is printed on your system printer.
> Complete the fields in this screen using the information in the table for Field Definitions: Auto-Attendant Menu Tree screen. Press F3 (Enter) to begin testing the menu tree. The testing utility searches automated attendant menus to verify that each mentioned automated attendant mailbox exists and that the necessary personal greeting(s) have been recorded. The program tests nested mailboxes until they have all been tested. As the testing proceeds, the results display on the screen. Press F1 (Cancel) to return the cursor to the command line. Enter exit or another administrative command at the`` `enter command:` prompt. ### Examples of Automated Attendants The examples in the following topics describe some applications for the Automated Attendant feature. Use these examples as models when defining your own automated attendants. #### Setting Up a Main Attendant A main attendant is an attendant that can be reached directly by callers who dial through your switch. This attendant can answer your company's main telephone, or an individual department's main telephone. It must be associated with an extension that is administered on the switch. The Automated Attendant Subscriber screen, page 3 example shows the administrative entries for setting up this type of main automated attendant. For this example, the automated attendant is set up to answer the company's main telephone. It offers callers the option of leaving a message for the sales department; transferring to the accounting, personnel, or payroll departments by pressing a number; dialing any internal extension that begins with 3; or transferring to a receptionist. If the caller does not respond within 5 seconds (perhaps because the caller has a rotary telephone), the call is transferred automatically to the receptionist. If the caller chooses to transfer to accounting or personnel, the caller immediately hears the call answer greeting active for the mailbox associated with extension 37200 or 37300. The caller is not transferred through the switch because of the call answer treatment. Finally, to repeat this menu, callers can press 9. Switch administration determines when calls are routed to the main attendant's extension. For example, the switch can be administered to route all incoming calls to this extension instead of to a receptionist, or to only route calls to this extension after normal business hours or during busy periods. #### Setting Up Nested Attendants A nested attendant is an attendant that is invoked by another attendant. The nested attendant can also be a main attendant. That is, the extension can be reached directly by internal and external callers who dial the extension number directly. For example, callers who dial the accounting department's extension directly can hear voice options from a main attendant for that department, as can callers who transfer to the accounting department by pressing 4 at the main menu in the previous example. The accounting department's attendant is said to be nested beneath the company's main menu. Additional menus can be nested beneath the accounting department's attendant, such as for transferring to the payroll or accounts receivable desk. To administer an automated attendant system that contains nested attendants, you must start from the bottom, or deepest, layer and work your way backwards to the main or higher-layer attendant that will contain it. For instance, to administer the menu system described in the example below, you must define and administer the accounting department automated attendant before defining and administering the main automated attendant. A good approach to setting up nested automated attendants is to diagram the complete system on paper, including telephone keypad options and their corresponding menu or call treatment. You might also want to write the scripts for the menu greetings at this time. Once you are satisfied with the structure of your menu tree, start administering the tree from the last layer, and continue backwards until you reach and administer the main automated attendant. A simple example of this application is shown below. In this example, pressing 2 at the main menu transfers the caller to the accounting department's attendant, and pressing 3 at that attendant transfers the call to the payroll department's extension.
> Attendant | Button | Extension | Treatment | Result
> --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
> main | 2 | 52200 | call-answer | go to accounting attendant
> accounting | 3 | 52205 | transfer | transfer to payroll extension
> To the caller, this nesting is transparent because the nested attendant is invoked immediately by the system without transferring the caller through the switch. The caller in this example hears the main attendant options, presses 2 to transfer to accounting, hears the accounting department attendant options, and presses 3 to transfer to the payroll extension without the delay that is associated with transferring back through the switch. #### Setting Up Shared Extensions If several subscribers share a single telephone extension, a simple method is required for a caller to leave a message for any of the subscribers or for a specific individual. An automated attendant can handle this task by providing callers with options to leave a message for the extension or any of the individuals who share it. The attendant extension is administered at the switch. Nonresident subscriber extensions in the AUDIX system, that is, extensions that are not administered at the switch, are used for each of the sharing subscribers. The automated attendant can transfer callers directly to these mailboxes to leave messages.
> Note: Because message waiting indicators (MWIs) are associated with individual telephone sets and not with AUDIX mailboxes, the MWI for a shared extension is be activated when a new message is in the mailbox for the extension number that is shared, but not when new messages are in the mailboxes of the individual subscribers only. If you administer your system to use shared extensions in this way, inform your subscribers to check their mailboxes periodically, whether or not the MWI is active.
> For example, a company sets up an information desk with a single telephone to provide callers with any necessary information or assistance as described in Example: Setting Up an Automated Attendant for Shared Extensions. Two people answer the telephone during the day. They do not have individual telephones and can be reached only through the information desk. They are administered as AUDIX subscribers and are associated with extensions in the AUDIX system that are not administered on the switch. If someone calls the information desk and the telephone is not answered or is busy, the call is routed to the automated attendant. The automated attendant in this example prompts callers to leave a message for the information desk or for one of the individuals who staff the desk. If the caller selects an individual (button 2 or 3 in this example), the caller goes directly to the subscriber's AUDIX mailbox to hear the individual's call answer greeting and then leaves a message. If the caller does not respond to the automated attendant prompt within 5 seconds, the AUDIX system plays the system guest password greeting, "Please leave a message for <name>." The voiced name in this example is whatever name is recorded for the subscriber with extension 37001. This name is probably "information desk," since that is the name of the extension. In this example, a message left in the mailbox of the information desk extension activates the extension's message waiting indicator (MWI). A message left in the mailbox of one of the sharing individuals does not. These individuals must call into the AUDIX system to check for messages or use the Outcalling feature. #### Setting Up Nonresident Subscriber Extensions Nonresident subscribers are AUDIX subscribers who do not have an extension on a switch that is served by the AUDIX system. Mailbox numbers in the system for these subscribers correspond to AUDIX extensions that are not administered on the switch. (The subscribers with extensions 33304 and 33305 in the previous example are nonresident subscribers.)
> Security Risk! Setting up nonresident subscribers with numbers that begin with trunk dial access codes could contribute to toll fraud. Always assign extensions that do not allow access to any outside lines. For more information about guarding your system against toll fraud, see Security.
> An example of a nonresident subscriber is an outside sales representative who needs to receive messages from clients. To accommodate this type of subscriber, an automated attendant can be set up to move callers directly to nonresident subscriber mailboxes as described in Example: Setting Up an Automated Attendant for Nonresident Subscriber Extensions. The caller needs to know only the number of the automated attendant and the nonresident subscriber's mailbox number to leave a message. Once in the nonresident subscriber's mailbox, the caller hears either the system guest greeting or the nonresident subscriber's call answer greeting, depending on the transfer treatment that is specified on the Subscriber screen. In this example, the extension number for each nonresident subscriber is a 5-digit number beginning with 3, and the extension number for the automated attendant is 37001. The nonresident subscriber provides clients with the telephone number of the automated attendant and the subscriber's own mailbox number. With the system administered in this way, clients dial xx3-7001, listen to the automated attendant menu, enter the nonresident subscriber's mailbox number, listen to the subscriber's personal greeting, and leave a message. If the caller does not enter a mailbox number within 5 seconds, the call is transferred to a sales clerk. If the treatment for calls that go directly to mailboxes is "guest-greeting" instead of "call-answer," callers hear the system guest greeting "Please leave a message for name" instead of the nonresident subscriber's personal greeting. #### Setting up Automated Attendant Fax Extensions An automated attendant can be set up to relay faxes to subscribers' primary or secondary fax extensions. The advantage of this arrangement is that you can provide fax delivery for your subscribers without paying for additional Direct Inward Dialing (DIDs) lines or personal trunks for fax extensions. The disadvantage is that incoming calls cannot be automatically dialed because the caller must enter touchtones to select from the automated attendant menu. Set up an automated attendant with fax extensions in the same way you set up an automated attendant for nonresident subscribers. See Setting Up Nonresident Subscriber Extensions. The warning in that section also applies to fax extensions. Administer secondary extensions as described in Administering a Secondary Fax Extension. If the secondary extensions are not to be associated with DID lines, ignore the caution statement about setting up a DID line for each secondary fax extension. #### Setting Up Automated Attendants to Transfer by Name Automated attendants can allow callers to transfer to subscribers by spelling out subscriber names. For transfers by name, you must: Enter name in the `Addressing Format` field on page 2 of the Subscriber screen. Set buttons 2 through 9 to e on page 3 of the Subscriber screen as described in the Field Definitions: Automated Attendant Subscriber screen, page 3 table. The Example: Setting Up an Automated Attendant for Call Transfer by Name illustrates an automated attendant administered to allow transfers by name. The voiced menu for this type of automated attendant should tell the caller to spell the person's name to which they want to transfer, last name first, by pressing the keys on the telephone keypad. Because callers use only the numbers 2 through 9 to spell a name, you can code buttons 1 and 0 to transfer directly to another destination (such as a live attendant). In this case, the menu should also instruct callers on how to transfer by extension (for example, "To transfer to an extension, press star 8 (*T) and the 5-digit extension number, followed by the pound sign."). #### Using Multiple Greetings for Automated Attendants The Automated Attendant feature can be quite flexible when used with the Multiple Personal Greetings feature. Since the voiced menu is the personal greeting for the automated attendant's extension, administering personal greetings for an automated attendant is the same as for any subscriber. The Multiple Personal Greetings feature allows you to specify as many as 9 unique personal greetings for the extension, and to specify circumstances for using different greetings, such as for internal and external calls, busy and no-answer calls, and out-of-hours calls. Use the System Parameters Features screen to define the out-of-hours period. Calls made outside of prime time as defined on that screen are considered to be out-of-hours. If an out-of-hours greeting is selected, it overrides internal/external and busy/no-answer identification for all calls received during the period designated out-of-hours. Note that multiple greetings can be set up for either internal/ external or busy/no-answer, but not for both at the same time. Internal/external and out-of-hours make sense for most automated attendants. When used for an automated attendant, multiple personal greetings allow you to provide not only different greetings, but to voice different options for selected types of callers. Even though the voiced greetings are different for different types of callers, the available menu options remain the same for each call. For example, you can define the following greetings for the automated attendant: For all external calls, the greeting is: "Thank you for calling Smith and Jones." "To transfer to a specific extension, enter that extension now." "To reach the sales department, press 1." "To reach the accounting department, press 2." "To reach the personnel department, press 3." "To get further assistance, press 0 or wait."
> Note: You may want to have a main automated attendant that has a greeting similar to, "Thank you for calling Smith and Jones. If you have a touchtone telephone, press 1. If you are calling from a rotary telephone, please wait and an attendant will be with you shortly."
> For all internal calls, the greeting is: "To reach a specific person, enter the extension." "To reach Sales, press 1." "For Accounting, press 2." "For Personnel, press 3." "For Security, press 8." "To access employee bulletin board information, press 9." For all out-of-hours callers, the greeting is: "Thank you for calling Smith and Jones." "Our normal office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday." "To leave a message for a specific person, enter the mailbox number using the keys on your touchtone telephone." "If this is an emergency, please press 8." The example above allows the automated attendant to voice specific information for different types of callers and to exclude or include options depending on caller type.
> Note: All options listed on the Subscriber screen are available to all callers; they are just not mentioned as options in the greeting.
> ### Setting Up a Call Routing Table INTUITY AUDIX provides a conditional routing capability. You can use the routing table and its associated screens to base automated attendant operation on as many as 4 business schedules and as many as 4 holiday schedules. (If you have a MERLIN LEGEND switch, you can also base operations on the switch's night service schedule.) #### Overview of Business Schedules The business schedules divides the 24-hour day into three parts called day service, night service, and alternate service. ##### Day and Night Service Calls can be routed to one mailbox for day service and to another for night service. A business may, for example, set day-service hours to be the period when the business is open, and it may send calls to a night-service mailbox during the remaining hours and on weekends. If your switch is a MERLIN LEGEND switch, you can set day and night service for a particular business schedule in either of two ways. You can: Fill in the day-service hours in a business schedule Choose to have a business schedule follow the night-service schedule established for the switch Since 4 business schedules are available to you, you can use both arrangements as necessary for differing purposes. ##### Alternate Service Alternate service is a period of time that you can define when calls may be sent to a third destination during either day- or night-service hours. This period may be used, for example, to provide a special automated attendant to handle calls from other time zones during the transition from day to night service. Alternate service can also be used to cover for an operator during the lunch hour. #### Overview of Holiday Schedules Holiday schedules make it possible to deviate from the normal business schedule for a day at a time. You might use these schedules to play different greetings and to handle calls differently on holidays. There are four holiday schedules. On each of them, you can record up to 26 dates along with the automated attendant mailbox to be used on each date. If you have separate schedules for the sales office and for the warehouse, for example, you could send sales-office calls to one mailbox during a sales conference, and warehouse calls to another mailbox during inventory time. #### Overview of the Routing Table The business and holiday schedules are tied together within a routing table. A routing table applies the schedules to an incoming called number such as an incoming trunk or covered extension. You administer the routing table so that the automated attendant extension you want to handle the calls at the various times is also tied with the appropriate schedule. When a caller dials a number that appears in the leftmost column of the routing table, for example on the Auto-Attendant Routing Table screen, the holiday schedule is checked first. If the current date does not appear in the holiday schedule, the business schedule is checked. If the time of day is covered in the business schedule under alternate service, the call is sent to the alternate service mailbox. If not, then depending on the time of day, the call is sent to the day-service or to the night-service mailbox. #### Setting Up a Business Schedule See Overview of Business Schedules for a detailed description of the process for setting up a business schedule. To set up the business schedules: Start at the Messaging Administration main menu and select under Messaging Administration: Messaging Enter your login.The system then displays the AUDIX Command Prompt screen. At the `enter command:` prompt, enter change auto-attend-routing business- schedule schedule_number where schedule_number is a number from 1 to 4 that corresponds to the schedule you want to administer.
> Note: The name of the schedule can be substituted for the number.
> The system displays the Auto-Attendant Routing Business Schedules screen. Complete the fields on this screen using the information in the table for Field Definitions: Auto-Attendant Routing Business Schedule screen. Press F3 (Enter) to save the information to the system database. The cursor returns to the command line, and the system displays the following message: `Command Successfully Completed`. Enter exit or another administrative command at the`` `enter command:` prompt. #### Setting Up a Holiday Schedule See Overview of Holiday Schedules for a detailed description of the process for setting up a holiday schedule. To set up the holiday schedule: Start at the Messaging Administration main menu and select under Messaging Administration: Messaging Enter your login.The system then displays the AUDIX Command Prompt screen. At the `enter command:` prompt, enter change auto-attend-routing holiday-schedule schedule_number, where schedule_number is the number (1–4) that corresponds to the schedule you want to administer. (The name of the schedule can be substituted for the number if you prefer.) The system displays the Auto-Attendant Routing Holiday Schedules screen.
> Note: The automated attendant must be set up before you can type it in the `Mailbox` field.
> Complete the fields on this screen using the information in the table for Field Definitions: Auto-Attendant Routing Holiday Schedule screen. Press F3 (Enter) to save the information to the system database. The cursor returns to the command line, and the system displays the following message: `Command Successfully Completed`. Enter exit or another administrative command at the`` `enter command:` prompt. #### Completing the Routing Table Now that the schedules are set up to suit your business purposes, you are ready to complete the routing table. See Overview of the Routing Table for conceptual information about routing schedules. To complete the routing table: Start at the Messaging Administration main menu and select under Messaging Administration: Messaging Enter your login.The system then displays the AUDIX Command Prompt screen. At the `enter command:` prompt, enter change auto-attend-routing routing-table The system displays the Auto-Attendant Routing Table screen. The routing function redirects calls to specified numbers according to the instructions given in the business and holiday schedules and the routing table. Using the Auto-Attendant Routing Table screen as an example, if a call came in on trunk 802 on New Year's Day, the call would be routed according to the Holiday Schedule hol1. Referring to Auto-Attendant Routing Holiday Schedules screen, you see that on 01/01 (New Year's Day), calls are directed to extension 9999. This extension might be administered with a greeting that tells the caller that the office is closed for the day. If the call came in on trunk 802 during a regular business day, it would be routed to extension 9003. Complete the routing table using the information in the table for Field Definitions: Auto-Attendant Routing Table screen. Press F3 (Enter) to save the information to the system database. The cursor returns to the command line, and the system displays the following message: `Command Successfully Completed`. Enter exit or another administrative command at the`` `enter command:` prompt. ### Viewing a List of Automated Attendants The List Attendants screen lists the automated attendants by their extension numbers. The list is in numerical order of extension number starting with either the lowest extension number or the extension specified in the command line. To view a list of automated attendants: Start at the Messaging Administration main menu and select under Messaging Administration: Messaging Enter your login.The system then displays the AUDIX Command Prompt screen. At the `enter command:` prompt, enter list attendant auto_attendant/extension where auto_attendant/extension is the name or extension number of the automated attendant with which you want the list to start. If you want to see a list that starts with the lowest extension number, just enter list attendant.
> Tip: The list command can be preceded by print. This way the list is printed on your system printer.
> The system displays the List Attendants screen. The table for Field Definitions: List Attendant screen contains descriptions of the fields on this screen. Press F1 (Cancel). The cursor returns to the command line, and the system displays the following message: `Command Successfully Completed`. To verify that your automated attendant menus are working as you intended, follow the procedures in Step 4: Confirming Automated Attendant Administration. ### Viewing a List of Automated Attendant Schedules The Auto-Attendant Schedules screen lists the automated attendant holiday schedules and business schedules by name and number. The list is in numerical order by schedule number. To view a list of automated attendant schedules: Start at the Messaging Administration main menu and select under Messaging Administration: Messaging Enter your login.The system then displays the AUDIX Command Prompt screen. At the `enter command:` prompt, enter list auto-attend-schedules The system displays a listing of the names and numbers of all business and holiday automated attendant schedules. Press F1 (Cancel). The cursor returns to the command line, and the system displays the following message: `Command Successfully Completed`. Enter exit or another administrative command at the`` `enter command:` prompt. To verify that your automated attendant menus are working as you intended, follow the procedures in Step 4: Confirming Automated Attendant Administration. ### Setting Up a Bulletin Board A bulletin board is an electronic message system that callers can access to hear messages. Callers dial the bulletin board telephone number or reach it via an automated attendant, and the system answers and presents callers with a recorded message. The major differences between a bulletin board and an automated attendant are as follows: A bulletin board does not have an option to route the call. A bulletin board does not present a menu of buttons for callers to select. A bulletin board does not have the capability to allow callers to replay the greeting. This extension is administered on the switch to immediately forward calls to the INTUITY AUDIX system. The message that callers hear is the personal greeting for the bulletin board's mailbox. Bulletin boards are administered as regular subscribers, with some exceptions, such as typing bulletin-board in the `PERMISSIONS, Type:` field of the Subscriber screen.
> Note: The INTUITY AUDIX system does not disconnect the call after a caller listens to a bulletin board greeting. In the bulletin board greeting, you should instruct listeners to hang up after listening to the message.
> #### Step 1: Completing the Subscriber Screen See Adding Subscribers for complete tasks and field descriptions on adding a new subscriber. To complete the subscriber screen for setting up a bulletin board: Start at the Messaging Administration main menu and select under Messaging Administration: Messaging Enter your login.The system then displays the AUDIX Command Prompt screen. At the `enter command:` prompt, enter one of the following commands: add subscriber extension, where extension is the extension number of a new extension that will be the new bulletin board. change subscriber extension, where extension is an existing extension number you want to use as a bulletin board. The system displays the Bulletin Board Subscriber screen, page 1. Complete the fields as follows: `Name:` — Enter the name of the bulletin board. This name should describe the bulletin board's function. `Extension:` — Enter the bulletin board's extension. Use an extension that is administered on the switch if you want callers to access the bulletin board using the dialed number. Use an extension that is not administered on the switch, that is, a phantom extension, if you want callers to access the bulletin board via an automated attendant. `COS:` — Enter the class of service name or number you want for this bulletin board. You may create a COS that identifies the `PERMISSIONS, Type:` as bulletin-board. If you do so, enter the name or number of that COS in this field so you do not have to customize Page 2 of the Subscriber screen. `Switch Number:` — Enter the number of the switch on which the bulletin board's extension is administered. A valid entry in this field is an integer from 0 to 64. A 0 (zero) in this field means that the bulletin board has an AUDIX mailbox but does not have an extension on the switch. The default is the administered host switch number from the Switch Interface Administration screen. Press F7 (NextPage). The system displays the Bulletin Board Subscriber Screen, Page 2. Complete the fields as follows: `PERMISSIONS, Type:` — Enter bulletin-board for bulletin board. `Mailbox Size, Maximum:` — Enter the maximum number of seconds of mailbox space for the bulletin board. A valid entry is a number from 0 to 32767. Normally, you enter a small number, for example, 800, since in most cases a bulletin board does not receive voice mail, but still needs enough space to record the bulletin board message. Press F3 (Enter) to save the information to the system database. The cursor returns to the command line, and the system displays the following message: `Command Successfully Completed`. Enter exit or another administrative command at the`` `enter command:` prompt. #### Step 2: Recording the Bulletin Board Message You record a bulletin board message in the same way you record a personal greeting. It is a good idea to write down a script for the bulletin board ahead of time and read it aloud to a colleague before recording it.
> Note: The INTUITY AUDIX system does not disconnect the call after a caller listens to a bulletin board greeting. Therefore, you should instruct listeners to hang up after listening to the message.
To record the bulletin board message: Using your touchtone telephone, call the AUDIX system and log in using the extension and password of the bulletin board. At the activity menu, press 3 to record the message. Press a numbered button to specify the greeting number (if multiple personal greetings is active). Press 1 to record the bulletin board greetings. At the tone, speak the scripted greeting for the menu and then press 1 to stop the recording. Press 1 again to record from where you last stopped. Press 2 3 if you want to listen to the recording. Press * 3 if you want to delete and re-record. Press # to approve. Press Y to activate the recording. With multiple personal greetings, your bulletin board message can change according to call type(s) (for example, use one message for internal calls and another message for external calls). #### Using Bulletin Boards with an Automated Attendant An automated attendant may present multiple choices for listening to bulletin board messages that are set up with the information service Bulletin Board feature. Use the call answer treatment on the screen for bulletin board extensions to route callers directly into the selected bulletin board's mailbox. For example, you could set up three different bulletin boards, then set up an automated attendant as shown in the Example: Using Bulletin Boards with Automated Attendants. In this example, the automated attendant would prompt the caller to press the appropriate button to hear a bulletin board message. Callers are not allowed to use * 8 call transfer from this attendant, as it is denied on the Subscriber screen. Bulletin board extensions in this example are AUDIX extensions that are not administered at the switch. These extensions can only be reached by dialing this automated attendant. Callers who select one of these extensions are forwarded directly to the extension's mailbox to hear the call answer greeting. Top of page

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