Courtesy service can be used where there may be delays in answering calls and you want to ensure that callers do not hang up before someone answers their call.
Courtesy Service is available, with a standard greeting, on all systems. If the system is equipped with a Voice Mail Module, you can customize the greeting. Calls are answered automatically with the Day or Night greeting. While the message is being played, the call continues to ring as an incoming call until an extension answers it. If the call is not answered within three minutes, it is automatically disconnected.
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Temporary System Greeting
An option is provided in version 4.0 and higher to remotely program a temporary greeting for Auto Attendant and Courtesy Service. A single greeting can be recorded which replaces the Auto Attendant and Courtesy service greetings until it is deleted. This would be handy in the event of an emergency, such as extreme weather conditions, that prevents anyone from going into the office to record the message.
In order to provide security, no voice prompt is provided stating that the
temporary greeting can be recorded or deleted. The instructions in activating the facility should be supplied only to the system administrator.
To program a Temporary Greeting:
Log into a voice mailbox. This can be any mailbox in the system: an extension mailbox, a group mailbox, a phantom mailbox or a message only mailbox.
1. While the greeting "You have x new messages etc" is being played dial 3. 2. When you hear the prompt "To record the greeting dial 91. To delete the
greeting dial 93," dial 91. You are prompted to record your message. 3. Once the greeting is recorded all calls to the Auto Attendant and Courtesy
service in both Day and Night Modes hear this greeting.
NOTE: Care should be taken in composing this message. If Automated Attendant is programmed on lines a greeting suitable for Auto Attendant
operation should be recorded, because the callers have the ability to dial through to extensions, groups etc. If, however, Courtesy service is programmed, callers cannot dial through the message.
To delete the greeting, you can repeat the process above, but dial 93. The Temporary greeting is deleted and the programmed greetings are reinstated for Auto Attendant and Courtesy services.
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Voice Mail
Voice mail services are available only on those systems equipped with the optional Voice Mail Module.
Up to 40 extensions can have voice mailboxes. The 20 Ring groups can also have voice mailboxes.
The maximum number of messages that can be stored in a mailbox defaults to 20, but can be changed. The
maximum message and greeting length is programmable between 60-300 seconds (60 by default).
Unheard messages are deleted in 15 days and retrieved messages are deleted in eight days. .An option is provided to save messages so that they are not automatically deleted.
System Voice Mailbox
This feature allows you to set up a System Voice Mail box to answer incoming calls. The mailbox greeting may ask callers to dial an extension number, in which case, the call will be transferred through to that extension.
You can select which lines are to be answered by the System Voice Mail box when it is turned on. You can also select how long a call rings before the System Voice Mail box answers.
System Voice Mail box is controlled by extension 20. That user can customize the greeting and can turn the System Voice Mailbox service on and off at any time (independent of "Night Service“).
Information-Only Mailboxes
Any voice mailbox can be programmed as “Standard” or “Information Only.” When a caller is connected to an Information-Only mailbox they will hear a greeting but will not be able to leave a message. The greeting is replayed twice, with a 3 second interval, and then the call is disconnected.
Group Mailboxes
To access a Group Mail box, a caller can enter the Group number as the extension number.
If Group Forward is activated to voice mail, messages for the Group will be recorded in the Group Voice Mail box. "New group message" will be displayed on the display of all digital telephone sets in the Group.
New Voice Message Indication to All Phones
When a message is waiting in an extension’s mailbox, the extension user will hear a broken dial tone 600 ms on, 200 ms off, 800 ms on 400 ms off when they lift the handset.
39 Phantom Mailboxes
Up to 10 mailboxes, not associated with extensions or Groups, can be
programmed. These are called Phantom Mailboxes and can be used for people who do not have a dedicated extension. Phantom mailboxes can be programmed to answer calls.
Dialing through the Voice Mail
• Dialing #: When listening to a mailbox greeting the greeting is skipped and the recording tone is heard. When listening to a Message Only voice box the extension or group set in the Incoming ringing programming is rung.
• Dialing more than 1 digit: If a valid extension is dialed and the extension is rung if free. If it is busy the call is camped on. (Forward on Busy or on No Answer is also activated if set.) If an Invalid number is dialed the call is presented to the group or extension set in the Incoming Ringing Programming.
• Dialing Incomplete numbers: Calls are presented to the destination set in the Incoming Ringing programming for the line.
• Dialing in the Recording phase: Dialing digits 1-0 gives the same dial through service as when listening to the greeting
o Dialing *: You are prompted to select a mailbox
o Dialing #: This ends the recording phase. The message is stored and the caller can dial through. If no digits are detected in 5 seconds the call is disconnected.
o Dialing 0: The call is presented to the group or extension
programmed in the “Incoming Ringing” programming for the line. Currently it rings Group 11.
Saving Voice Messages
The ability to save voice messages is provided in version 4.0 and higher. A new prompt "Save Message" was added to the menu presented when messages are being replayed. When in the playback mode you can press the Save Message button or dial the digit "1" to save the message.
When a message is saved it can only be deleted by selecting the "Erase Message" prompt. Saved messages are not deleted by the clean up routine. Multiple Mailbox Greetings
Each Extension, Group, and Phantom mailbox as well as the system mailbox has two programmable greetings: Primary and Alternate.
When you access your mailbox you have an option for changing your personal greeting (select “Greeting" or press 2).
• You can then choose to enable the Primary greeting (press 1) or Alternate greeting (press 2).
40 Marking Messages as Priority
The caller to a voice mail box has the ability to mark the recorded message as Priority.
When a caller is connected to a mailbox, they hear the greeting for that mailbox followed by the prompt, "After the tone please record your message. When finished you may hang up to deliver the message or press pound for more options."
If the caller dials pound, after they have recorded their message, the prompt “ To mark the message priority press 91, to leave the message press 92, to delete the message press 93" is played.
• If 91 is pressed the call is marked as priority and the prompt "Message marked priority" is played and the call is ended.
• If 92 is pressed the message is delivered and the prompt "Message Delivered" is played and the call is ended.
• If 93 is pressed the message is deleted and the prompt "Message deleted" is played. The mailbox greeting is replayed and the caller can repeat the process.
Sending a Message to Multiple Mailboxes
This feature allows a user to compose a voice message from within a mailbox and then send that message directly to other mailboxes.
When you access a mailbox, there is a new message that says, "Compose a Message."
• If you select it (or dial 51) and record a message, you are then prompted to end it by pressing "Confirm" or dialing #.
• The menu then shows all the equipped voice mail boxes, including the extension, phantom, group, and message only mailboxes – even the mailbox that is being used to compose the message. The system voice mailbox (answering machine) is not shown. Select the mailbox or boxes (on a non-display phone, you can enter a list of mailbox numbers separate by #.)
• Press "Confirm" or # to send the message (or hang up). The message is sent to each of the mailboxes selected and is added as a new message to each.
41 Remote Notification of Voice Mail Messages
In Version 4.0 and higher, voice mailboxes can be programmed to allow remote notification to personal numbers or digital pagers. A mailbox user, with remote notification enabled can set a number of parameters. These can be set from an extension or by dialing in from an external number. They can:
• Turn the remote notification on and off.
• Program the remote notification number, either a personal number or pager.
• Enter the dial string required by the Pager Company when pager notification is selected.
• Determine whether all messages or priority messages only are to be notified.
The following is set on a system-wide basis from within the system programming: • The number of simultaneous remote notification calls. This is set at 1 in
default but can be set between 1 and 2.
• The number of attempts to make a successful remote notification call (2 in default, max 15).
• The line group to be used for remote notification calls. This is group 1 (access digit 9) in default.
• The time interval after receiving an appropriate message and the first remote notification attempt is made. This is set at 15 minutes in default and can be set between 1 and 30 minutes.
• The time interval between remote notification call attempts. This is set at 5 minutes in default. The range is 1-15 minutes.
The system constantly monitors all mailboxes. If remote notification is set for a mailbox, and an appropriate message is received, the system will attempt to make a remote notification call if:
• The time interval for making the first remote notification call has expired. • A free line is available in the group programmed for remote notification
calls.
• Making the call does not exceed the maximum number of simultaneous notification calls that can be made.
If the call cannot be made the attempt is deemed to be unsuccessful and a retry attempt will be made after the remote notification retry timer has expired. The system will call the notification number for the programmed number of retry attempts.
• If all the attempts to contact the user are unsuccessful after the
programmed number of retry attempts the system will stop making calls until a new appropriate message is received. In this case the normal sequence will start again.
• If a new message is received in the mailbox while the retry sequence is operating the retry sequence will continue as normal.
42 Remote Notification Calls to a Personal Number
If a call is made to a personal number the line is monitored for tones.
• If busy tone is detected the attempt is deemed to be unsuccessful. The retry sequence is started or continued.
• If ringback tone is detected the call is confirmed as answered when the ringback tone is not detected for 5 seconds.
• If neither busy tone nor ringback tone is detected within 5 seconds after the last digit is sent, the call is considered answered.
When a call is answered the prompt says, “You have a new message in your mailbox. Please enter your extension number.”
• If digits are not detected during the first five seconds after the prompt is played, the prompt is replayed twice more at five-second intervals. If no digits are detected five seconds after the third replaying of the prompt the call is deemed to be unsuccessful and the retry sequence is started or continued.
• If the correct extension number and password are detected the normal remote access is initiated and the call is deemed to be successful. No further retries will be attempted.
• If an incorrect extension number or password is entered the call is deemed to be unsuccessful and a retry is set.
If the mailbox user accesses the mailbox either internally or remotely the remote notification is canceled. This caters for the case where the user accesses the voice mail as normal, not in response to a remote notification call.
Remote Notification Calls to a Pager Number
If the call is made to a Pager number the line is monitored for tones.
• If busy tone is detected the attempt is deemed to be unsuccessful. The retry is set.
• If ring back tone is detected, the call is confirmed as answered when the ringback tone is not detected for 5 seconds.
• If neither busy tone nor ringback tone is detected 5 seconds after the last digit is sent the call is considered answered.
The programmed pager dial string is sent when the call is answered. This string should include the digits that the paging company requires including pound as a terminator. The call is deemed to be successful when the dial string has been sent.
If the mailbox user accesses the mailbox either internally or remotely the remote notification is cancelled. This caters for the case where the user accesses the voice mail as normal, not in response to a remote notification call.
Station Programming
The users can program Remote Notification settings using their phones. Instructions are included in the Inter-Tel 3000 manual and the user guides.
43 System-wide Programming
The System Programming menu was modified to include the Remote Notification option. It includes these fields:
• Simultaneous Calls: Sets the number of simultaneous remote notification calls that can be made. The limit of two is determined by the fact that the system may be equipped with a two port voice module.
• Retry Attempts: Determines the number of times the system will retry to make a remote notification call. The default is set at 2.
• Outgoing Groups: Sets the line group to be used for remote notification calls. By default line group 1 is selected.
Timers
Two new Timer values are added to the Timer programming options in System Programming.
• Notification delay timer: The first is "Notification Delay". This is the time interval between receiving a message and making the first remote notification attempt. This is set at 15 minutes in default and can be set between 1 and 30 minutes.
• Notification interval timer: The second is "Notification Interval". If a remote notification fails this is the time the system waits before retrying the call. This is set at 5 minutes in default. The range is 1-15 minutes.
Extension Programming
The mailboxes that are allowed to activate remote notification are set in the Extension programming. The system administrator sets the extensions that can enable Remote Notification.
In the default configuration, no mailboxes are programmed and no one can invoke remote notification.