Working with Automated Attendants
Automated attendants (“auto attendants”) are automated greetings with options to route calls.
The Auto Attendants list displays each auto attendant. From the Auto Attendants List, you can edit auto attendant settings and record the auto attendant greeting.
Displaying the Auto Attendants Page
Adding Auto Attendants
Editing Auto Attendants
Deleting Auto Attendants
Auto Attendant Best Practices
All auto-attendant tasks are performed from the Auto Attendants page. To display this page, click the Auto Attendants tab on the menu bar:
The following figure shows an example of the Auto Attendants page. The refresh button at the top-right side of the page refreshes the information on the page.
From the Auto Attendants page, you can:
Add attendants
Edit attendants
Delete attendants
The following procedure describes how to add auto attendants.
From the Auto Attendants page, click the Add Attendant button. The Add an Auto Attendant pop-up window appears.
Complete the fields (see Table 1-1 below).
Click Continue.
Complete the fields (see Table 1-2 further below).
Click Save.
Table 1-1. Adding/Editing an Auto Attendant (Page 1)
It is considered best practice to use default or always time frames for auto-attendants. Otherwise, you’ll have to carefully ensure that the time frames are consistent in the entire call flow. Routing to an auto-attendant with an inactive/different timeframe will result in a call failure.
This is applicable in the following scenarios:
1. Sending calls from a routing user with multiple time frames to different auto-attendants
2. Chaining/linking multiple auto-attendants
Caution: Once a Time Frame is deleted, it will not revert back to default settings. Time Frames must be set in order to function. Please remember to add a Time Frame after one is deleted.
Table 1-2. Adding/Editing an Auto Attendant (Page 2)
User = goes to a user (extension).
Conference = goes to a conference bridge.
Call Queue = goes to a call queue.
Directory = goes to a dial by name directory.
Voicemail = goes to a specific mailbox.
Voicemail Management = allows outside staff to call in and retrieve voicemail.
External Number = forwards to an external telephone number (for example, to send the caller to on-call staff).
Play Message = commonly used for hours and directions.
Repeat Prompt = replays the menu of options to the caller.
Add Tier = adds a submenu with a new greeting and set of options.
Click this button to open a pop-up window with the following options. Click Done when finished.
Enable dial by extension = enable (check) or disable (uncheck) dial by extension.
If no key is pressed = sets the default action if no key is pressed.
If an unassigned key is pressed = sets the action if an unassigned key is pressed.
Each auto attendant can have an optional introductory greeting that plays when a call is directed to the auto attendant followed by the menu prompt. An example of an introductory greeting might be:
"Thank you for calling Acme Corporation. You've reached us outside normal business hours. "
A menu prompt might be:
“Press 1 for sales, press 2 for marketing, or press 0 for operator assistance. ”
Separating intro greetings from menu prompts allows you to change greetings for holidays or night-time hours, for example, without re-recording the entire message.
From Auto Attendants page, click the icon next to Intro Greetings. A Manage Greetings pop-up will appear.
From this pop-up window:
i. To play a greeting, click the icon.
ii. To upload a new greeting, hover over it, and then click the icon on the right side of the row.
For New Greeting, click Upload. Click the Browse button, navigate to the MP3 or WAV file you want to use for your greeting, click the file, and click Open. Click Upload.
iii. To record a new greeting, hover over it, and then click the icon on the right side of the row. For New Greeting, click Record. In the Call me at field, enter the number to call (either an extension or a telephone number such as your cell phone) and click Call. Your phone will be called. At the prompt, record the new greeting, and then press # when you finish your recording.
iv. To delete a recording, hover over it, and then click the delete icon at the far right of the row. At the confirmation prompt, click Yes to delete the recording or No to retain it.
When you finish, click Add Greeting followed by Done.
From Auto Attendants page, under Menu Prompt, click either the field Click to add a new menu prompt or click the icon next to the field. Either step displays a Manage Audio pop-up window.
Complete the fields (see Table 1-3 below).
Click Save in the Manage Audio pop-up window.
Table 1-3. Manage Audio Settings
There might be times when you need to edit auto attendants.
From the Auto Attendants page, either:
– Click a name
OR
– Hover over a name, and then click the icon at the far right of the Auto Attendants page.
Either step displays a pop-up window.
Complete the fields (see Table 1-2 further above).
Click Save.
If you no longer need an auto-attendant, you can delete it from the system.
From the Auto Attendants page, hover over the auto attendant, and then click the icon at the far right of the row. A confirmation prompt appears.
Click Yes to delete the auto-attendant or No to retain it.
When configuring your auto attendant, observe the following best practices:
Consider your callers. Do they know with whom they want to talk or what function they need (customer service, sales, and so on)? Taking your callers into account will help you determine how to configure your auto attendant.
If callers know with whom they want to talk, assist them by providing options such as:
“Dial your party’s extension at any time. ”
“Press x for a dial by name directory. ”
“Press x for the first available person/general voicemail. ”
“Press 1 for Bob, 2 for Susan, ” and so on. However, this approach does not scale well.
If callers do not know a specific person but need a function, provide options such as:
“Press x for a dial by name directory. ”
“For sales, press 1. ”
“For customer service, press 2. ”
“For accounting, press 3. ”
Note: Try to keep greetings brief. Do not flood callers with too much information (hours, directions, fax numbers). Instead, place that information into a “play message” option.
The Auto Attendants list displays each auto attendant. From the Auto Attendants List, you can edit auto attendant settings and record the auto attendant greeting.
Topics:
Displaying the Auto Attendants Page
Adding Auto Attendants
Editing Auto Attendants
Deleting Auto Attendants
Auto Attendant Best Practices
Displaying the Auto Attendants Page
All auto-attendant tasks are performed from the Auto Attendants page. To display this page, click the Auto Attendants tab on the menu bar:
The following figure shows an example of the Auto Attendants page. The refresh button at the top-right side of the page refreshes the information on the page.
From the Auto Attendants page, you can:
Add attendants
Edit attendants
Delete attendants
Adding Auto Attendants
The following procedure describes how to add auto attendants.
From the Auto Attendants page, click the Add Attendant button. The Add an Auto Attendant pop-up window appears.
Complete the fields (see Table 1-1 below).
Click Continue.
Complete the fields (see Table 1-2 further below).
Click Save.
Table 1-1. Adding/Editing an Auto Attendant (Page 1)
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Enter a name for this auto attendant. The name should allow you to differentiate this auto attendant from other auto attendants you configured. |
| Extension | Adding an auto attendant: select the extension used with this auto attendant. (Editing an auto attendant: read-only field that shows the extension). |
| Time Frame | Select a time frame to which this answering rule will be applied. The choices shown are the ones previously configured using the procedure under section “Adding Time Frames." |
It is considered best practice to use default or always time frames for auto-attendants. Otherwise, you’ll have to carefully ensure that the time frames are consistent in the entire call flow. Routing to an auto-attendant with an inactive/different timeframe will result in a call failure.
This is applicable in the following scenarios:
1. Sending calls from a routing user with multiple time frames to different auto-attendants
2. Chaining/linking multiple auto-attendants
Caution: Once a Time Frame is deleted, it will not revert back to default settings. Time Frames must be set in order to function. Please remember to add a Time Frame after one is deleted.
Table 1-2. Adding/Editing an Auto Attendant (Page 2)
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Auto Attendant Name | This is the auto attendant name you entered on the previous page. Use this field to change the name if desired. |
| Extension | Read-only field that shows the extension associated with this auto attendant that you entered on the previous page. |
| Intro Greetings | Click the icon to display the Manage Greetings pop-up window and play, upload, record, or delete greetings. |
| Menu Prompt | Click in the text box or click the icon to upload or record a menu prompt. |
| Dial Pad Menu | Route calls to one of a variety of resources when a caller selects that option. Click a number, and then select an application from the following pop-up: |
User = goes to a user (extension).
Conference = goes to a conference bridge.
Call Queue = goes to a call queue.
Directory = goes to a dial by name directory.
Voicemail = goes to a specific mailbox.
Voicemail Management = allows outside staff to call in and retrieve voicemail.
External Number = forwards to an external telephone number (for example, to send the caller to on-call staff).
Play Message = commonly used for hours and directions.
Repeat Prompt = replays the menu of options to the caller.
Add Tier = adds a submenu with a new greeting and set of options.
Options
Click this button to open a pop-up window with the following options. Click Done when finished.
Enable dial by extension = enable (check) or disable (uncheck) dial by extension.
If no key is pressed = sets the default action if no key is pressed.
If an unassigned key is pressed = sets the action if an unassigned key is pressed.
Recording Intro Greetings and Menu Prompts
Each auto attendant can have an optional introductory greeting that plays when a call is directed to the auto attendant followed by the menu prompt. An example of an introductory greeting might be:
"Thank you for calling Acme Corporation. You've reached us outside normal business hours. "
A menu prompt might be:
“Press 1 for sales, press 2 for marketing, or press 0 for operator assistance. ”
Separating intro greetings from menu prompts allows you to change greetings for holidays or night-time hours, for example, without re-recording the entire message.
To record an intro greeting:
From Auto Attendants page, click the icon next to Intro Greetings. A Manage Greetings pop-up will appear.
From this pop-up window:
i. To play a greeting, click the icon.
ii. To upload a new greeting, hover over it, and then click the icon on the right side of the row.
For New Greeting, click Upload. Click the Browse button, navigate to the MP3 or WAV file you want to use for your greeting, click the file, and click Open. Click Upload.
iii. To record a new greeting, hover over it, and then click the icon on the right side of the row. For New Greeting, click Record. In the Call me at field, enter the number to call (either an extension or a telephone number such as your cell phone) and click Call. Your phone will be called. At the prompt, record the new greeting, and then press # when you finish your recording.
iv. To delete a recording, hover over it, and then click the delete icon at the far right of the row. At the confirmation prompt, click Yes to delete the recording or No to retain it.
When you finish, click Add Greeting followed by Done.
To record a menu prompt:
From Auto Attendants page, under Menu Prompt, click either the field Click to add a new menu prompt or click the icon next to the field. Either step displays a Manage Audio pop-up window.
Complete the fields (see Table 1-3 below).
Click Save in the Manage Audio pop-up window.
Table 1-3. Manage Audio Settings
Editing Auto Attendants
There might be times when you need to edit auto attendants.
From the Auto Attendants page, either:
– Click a name
OR
– Hover over a name, and then click the icon at the far right of the Auto Attendants page.
Either step displays a pop-up window.
Complete the fields (see Table 1-2 further above).
Click Save.
Deleting Auto Attendants
If you no longer need an auto-attendant, you can delete it from the system.
From the Auto Attendants page, hover over the auto attendant, and then click the icon at the far right of the row. A confirmation prompt appears.
Click Yes to delete the auto-attendant or No to retain it.
Auto Attendant Best Practices
When configuring your auto attendant, observe the following best practices:
Consider your callers. Do they know with whom they want to talk or what function they need (customer service, sales, and so on)? Taking your callers into account will help you determine how to configure your auto attendant.
If callers know with whom they want to talk, assist them by providing options such as:
“Dial your party’s extension at any time. ”
“Press x for a dial by name directory. ”
“Press x for the first available person/general voicemail. ”
“Press 1 for Bob, 2 for Susan, ” and so on. However, this approach does not scale well.
If callers do not know a specific person but need a function, provide options such as:
“Press x for a dial by name directory. ”
“For sales, press 1. ”
“For customer service, press 2. ”
“For accounting, press 3. ”
Note: Try to keep greetings brief. Do not flood callers with too much information (hours, directions, fax numbers). Instead, place that information into a “play message” option.
Updated on: 02/22/2024
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