Configure a Voice Mail Auto Attendant

Add an Auto Attendant

An Auto attendant allows you to create and change greetings that callers hear when your telephone system answers incoming calls.

A standard welcome greeting and other system messages are provided as part of the auto attendant included with Cisco Unity Express. Use this procedure to add a custom auto attendant. You can record a different welcome greeting to use in place of the standard greeting.

Use the following procedure to add an auto attendant.

Before you begin

You need the following information:

  • The name of the .wav file containing the prerecorded welcome greeting. This file must be stored on the system so that it can be located and saved in the auto attendant script. This file should be recorded using ITU-T mu law and be an 8Khz/8 bit mono file.


Note
For more information on recording auto attendant greetings, see the Cisco Unity Express Maintain and Operate Guides.

  • The number of times the auto attendant will replay instructions to a caller before the call is disconnected. This count begins when the caller moves past the main menu and hears instructions for a submenu. The main menu will play five times; then, if the caller makes no choice or makes incorrect choices, the call is transferred to the operator.

  • The Auto attendant operator extension.

  • The Auto attendant access number.

  • The Maximum Sessions for your system.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Voice Mail > Auto Attendant. The Auto Attendant window appears.

Step 2

Click Add. Enter the necessary information into the fields.

Note 
You must enter a valid numeric string into the operExtn field to add an auto attendant.
Step 3

Click Add to save your settings.
Step 4

Proceed to Configure Auto-Attendant Script Parameters—You can upload welcome prompts from this window for the auto attendant to use.

Configure Auto-Attendant Script Parameters

After you select an automated attendant, the Script Parameters window appears and shows the parameters in the automated attendant script that you have selected.

Field

Description

allowExternalTransfers

True or false. Permits the caller to transfer to an external number. To prevent toll fraud, set this option to “false.”

busClosedPrompt

Name of the .wav file containing the message that the caller hears after the welcome prompt if the business is closed at that time.

businessSchedule

Name of the business schedule the system uses to determine the open and closed hours for the business.

busOpenPrompt

Name of the .wav file containing the message that the caller hears after the welcome prompt if the business is open at that time.

dialByExtnAnytime

True or false. Allows a caller to enter a extension number directly when the welcome or menu prompt is being played out. The call is then transferred to that extension.

dialByExtnAnytimeInputLength

How many digits to collect as a part of dialByExtnAnytime.

dialByFirstName

True or false. For dial-by-name, using the first-last-name (instead of the regular last-first-name order).

disconnectAfterMenu

True or false. If true, then the call is disconnected after the menu. If false, then the call is transferred to the operator extension after the menu.

holidayPrompt

Name of the .wav file containing the message that the caller hears after the welcome prompt if the current day is a holiday.

MaxRetry

Number of times that the auto attendant will replay submenu instructions to the caller before disconnecting the call.

operExtn

Auto attendant operator extension

welcomePrompt

Name of the .wav file containing the message that the caller hears when the auto attendant begins to play.

If you have written and uploaded custom auto attendant scripts to Cisco Unity Express, the fields displayed in this window may be different. For more information on Cisco Unity Express auto attendant scripts, including field definitions, see the Cisco Unity Express Maintain and Operate Guides.

Use this procedure to configure auto attendant script parameters.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Voice Mail > Auto Attendant. The Auto Attendant window appears.

Step 2

Click on the name of the auto attendant that you wish to configure. The Edit window appears.
Step 3

Enter the information into the following fields:

  • Call-in number

  • Script

  • Language

  • Maximum Sessions

  • Click the box to enable.
Step 4

Click Apply to save your changes.
Step 5

Modify the welcome greeting script parameters by clicking Upload next to each parameter. The upload screen appears. Enter the following information in the Upload screen:

  • Source Filename

  • Destination Filename

  • Click the box to overwrite if the destination file already exists.

  • Click Upload. After uploading, the new file appears on the welcomePrompt list. See Configure Voice-Mail Call-Handling Parameters.

Select an Auto Attendant

Use this procedure to select an auto attendant script to modify or view.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Voice Mail > Auto Attendant. The Auto Attendant window appears.

Step 2

Click on the name of the auto attendant that you wish to configure. The Auto Attendant Edit window appears.
Step 3

Select the filename of the auto attendant script that you want to view or modify. The script contains prerecorded messages for various auto attendant options that the caller hears.

Note 
The application name is displayed; you do not need to change this value.
Step 4

To upload a new script to use with the auto attendant, click Upload.

Step 5

From the Language drop-down list, select the language for the Cisco Unity Express prompts.
Step 6

To go to the Script Parameters window, click Next. See Configure Auto-Attendant Script Parameters.

Upload Scripts

Use this procedure to upload voice-mail scripts.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Voice Mail > Auto Attendant. The Auto Attendant window appears.

Step 2

In the Name field, click on the name of the auto attendant that you wish to configure. The Auto Attendant Edit window appears.
Step 3

Click Upload at the Script entry field(s). The Upload window appears.
Step 4

Enter the source filename, or path to the file that you want to upload or click the Browse button to help you find the directory with the file you want to upload.

Step 5

Enter the destination filename. Enter the same filename as shown in the Source Filename field or a new filename for the script. If you use the same filename, the existing script will be overwritten.

Step 6

Check the box to overwrite if the destination filename already exists.
Step 7

Click Upload.

Configure Auto-Attendant Call Handling

Use this procedure to configure auto-attendant call handling. After you configure script parameters, the Call Handling window appears, containing the following fields:

  • Call-in Number—Auto attendant access number

  • Maximum Sessions

  • Enabled—Enables the auto attendant. Click Yes to enable the auto attendant. Click No to disable the auto attendant. Callers will hear a message that the auto attendant system is unavailable.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Voice Mail > Auto Attendant. The Auto Attendant window appears.

Step 2

Click on the name of the auto attendant that you wish to configure. The Auto Attendant Edit window appears.
Step 3

Enter the data in the fields.

Note 
You can change these values later by configuring voice mail call handling. See Configure Voice-Mail Call-Handling Parameters.
Step 4

To save the data, click Apply. The auto attendant window appears with the new or revised auto attendant entry listed.

View List of Auto Attendants

Use this procedure to view a list of configured automated attendants (auto attendants).

Procedure

Choose Voice Mail > Auto Attendant. The Auto Attendant window appears and contains a list of auto attendants and the following fields for each auto attendant. The system auto attendant is denoted by an asterisk.

  • Name—Name of the auto attendant.

  • Number—Auto attendant access number.

  • Maximum Sessions

  • Enabled—Whether the auto attendant is enabled.

Edit an Auto Attendant

Use this procedure to edit an auto attendant.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Voice Mail > Auto Attendant. The Auto Attendant window appears.

Step 2

In the Name field, click the name of the auto attendant that you want to modify. The Voice Mail Auto Attendant Edit window appears.

Step 3

Enter information that you want to change.

Note 
You cannot change the name of the auto attendant from this window. See Select an Auto Attendant.
Step 4

Enter information you want to change in the Script Parameters window. You can upload welcome prompts from this window for the auto attendant to use. See Configure Auto-Attendant Script Parameters.

Step 5

Enter information you want to change in the Call Handling window. See Configure Voice-Mail Call-Handling Parameters.

Step 6

Click Apply to save your data.

Step 7

See Configure Auto-Attendant Script Parameters.

Delete an Auto Attendant

Use this procedure to delete an auto attendant.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Voice Mail > Auto Attendant. The Auto Attendant window appears.

Step 2

Check the box next to the auto attendant that you want to delete.
Step 3

Click Delete.

Step 4

Click Ok to confirm the deletion.