Alert Callers of Service Outage 3

[MRowan]

Hi. Looking for a way to play a message alerting customers of a known service interuption when calling into our helpdesk using VMPro 9.1, and give the manager a way to toggle that off/on from his phone as well as record custom greetings for the message. Current call flow is:

Start Point > Day Mode> Menu (option 3 for helpdesk) > call transfered to helpdesk.

Lookiing for something after caller presses '3' to play before the call is transfered, but again, must be able to allow manager to toggle on/off from his handset (IP4600).

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Put a Hunt Group Night Service button on the Manager's phone, toggling a group that will only be used to check its status.

Use a generic action to get the status of the group. Based on the service mode, transfer directly to the help desk, or play a message and then transfer to the help desk.

 

[MRowan]

Problem there is there is no timeout option to then allow the call to be forwarded to the helpdesk after the message is played. We are trying to inform callers of known outages or service issues, but still need them to be able to get to the help desk in the event thier call is unrelated to the outage. Appreciate the reply though.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Huh? After checking the status of the hunt group, a variable routing for In Service transfers directly to the helpdesk, while routing for NS status goes to a generic action that plays the alert and THEN does the transfer. You could even put the status message in the transfer action, but then it's kind of hidden, and you end up forgetting what it does at first glance.

 

[It wire techs]

Trust me TTT Always nails it

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Telephone System Repair
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[IPGuru]

Trust me TTT Always nails it

Not on this ocasion, he has re-invented the wheel ( & made it square)

DONT Over complicate the system with special programming of a generic action when it is necessary the VM Pro already has the correct programming structures in place to implement this type of request.

Use a user defined variable

in the main call flow use a test user variable action to test before the menu & route to the announcement when active (advanced usage could check for different valuse to signify a minor outage that simply requires an announcement or a major outage which requires the call re-routing elsewhere)

create a new call flow that provides a men to set or clear this condition & also allow the greeting to be recorded (Set User variable action linked to an Edit Play list action).
it is a simple process to ad a button shortcut to this call-flow on a handset where required.

Not only is the way the VM Pro was designed to work - it is also more obvious to maintain.



Do things on the cheap & it will cost you dear

 

[MRowan]

Thats pretty much where I got - UserVariable, False transfers to helpdesk, True forwards to a new menu where a message is played, no touch options, timeout plays message and transfers call, * linked to an Edit Play list to allow mgr to change recording. For the toggle, that should just require a short code in Manager (*89, feature 'voicemail collect', telephone number <same name as variable>) and then merge, correct? Thanks again for all the help.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

six of one, half a dozen of the other.....
Using the hunt group status check allows the manager to have an illuminated button to confirm and remind them that the message is activated. A variable and a short code to change it, you have to call the number and see what you experience to know if the recording is engaged or not. Or have still another menu to dial into the hear the current status of the variable.

Thought the world was moving more towards a GUI interface (like Visual Voicemail and Illuminated Buttons to change and monitor status) as opposed to a TUI interface, dialing menus, listening to options, and interacting with the voice in the box



HG Status check, In Service transfers to helpdesk, Night Service forwards to a new menu where a message is played, no touch options, timeout plays message and transfers call, * linked to an Edit Play list to allow mgr to change recording.

For the toggle, push the button

 

[MRowan]

Actually, I would like an illuminated button, but how do I get that to interface with the call flow in VMPro to allow the manager to record a custome message, etc? Also, we already use that method to force the system into night mode, can it be used again for a different option. Been digging for a how-to, but as usual with Avaya, those are not readily available.

 

[MRowan]

Basically, I can see a way to do this without VMPro using the night service button to force to 'night mode' and then forward that to the helpdesk, but I dont see where that gives me the chance to play a message so it pretty much defeats the purpose. I can see how to set it up in VMPro to give me the chance to record a message, but cant figure out how to easily toggle it on and off. Bear in mind, as much as a novice as I am with IPO, the manager is even more so menaing I have to make it as simple as possible for him (or whomever has to toggle it over in the case of an issue). The illuminated button option would be ideal just need to know how to get that to play a message before the transfer takes place, and make that message easy for him to change.

 

[MRowan]

Disregard, looks like *91<ext>#. Will test that out and see how it goes.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

So if you will permit me, you're going to use a Hunt Group that doesn't do anything other than change its status so you can query its status and route your calls based on that.

There are no members associated with the group, there are no incoming routes pointed to it, it is just a "dummy" hunt group. Give it a descriptive name and hide it from the directory.

Its Night Service (and Out of Service is a possible 3rd toggle) don't affect your regular Night Service status of the Main hunt group.

Call comes in via the ICR, and it is pointed to an Automated Attendant module. Option 3 from that AA is for the help desk. Prior between option 3 of the AA menu and the Transfer action to the hunt group, you do a status check of the dummy hunt group. If the service mode=1, the dummy group is in day mode and the call proceeds to the transfer. If the service mode=2, the dummy group is in night mode, and the call proceeds to a menu that plays the outage message, timeout proceeding to the transfer action, and * to the edit playlist

 

[MRowan]

THAT IS EXACTKY WHAT I NEEDED!!!! Thanks! Once more thing (hopefully). What do the variables need to be for the Generic (select generic command/ect) and the SVC Mode in order to get them to check for Night Mode on the Outage group? So close...

 

[TouchToneTommy]

 

[MRowan]

THANK YOU!! Will test this when our call volume drops!

 

[MRowan]

Its working!!! Thanks for all of your help!