Calling Group Automatically to General Voicemail 2

[samhuangavaya]

Hello all!

Thanks for any help you can give, it's extremely appreciated!

So I have an Avaya Partner ACS R7 with Partner Messaging. The Auto-Attendant is now working (Thanks, Tommy!) and the General Voicemail is also, but I would like to change one thing.
I currently have 4 calling groups (x71-all phones, x72-sales dept., x73 production dept., x74 management). So therefore, when a user selects "placing a new order" in the AA menu prompt, it will obviously transfer to the sales department at ext 72. But, no voicemail will pickup on "74" (or any of the calling groups for this matter!), and callers will continue to hold for infinity- which will translate into unhappy customers! They will listen to the "please hold, a representative will be with you in a moment and music on loop!"!!! Can I have the General Voice mailbox (x9991) automatically pickup after, say, 6 rings, on x71, x72, x73, & x74? I would not like to create a voice mailbox for each of these because I would have to have someone re-record each and everyone one of them!

Thanks!
-Sam

 

[TouchToneTommy]

The way you make this work takes a bit of programming, and you will have to record some more messages.

First, you must know the extension numbers of your voicemail ports. In system programming, set #306 (transfer return extension) to themselves instead of Ext. 10, as the manual instructs you. So, if your voicemail system's extension ports are 27, 28, 29, and 30 (for instance), you would program #306-27-27, #306-28-28, #306-29-29, and #306-30-30.

Next, you HAVE to create mailboxes for 71, 72, 73, and 74, and you must set their phone status as "with a phone". The reason is the call is going to return to voicemail, and it will be answered by the mailbox associated with the calling group extension number. That's not so bad, except for having to record additional messages, but at least 72 can say "All sales people are assisting other callers", 73 can say "All production personnel are assisting other callers", and 74 can say "All managers are ..... well doing whatever managers do".

Now, you take advantage of the "phantom destination" feature of Partner Messaging. Although the greeting of mailbox 72, 73, or 74 has answered, the incoming message can go to any mailbox you specify. It can be the supervisor for the group, it can be one of the general mailboxes, whatever you want. You specify the phantom destination from within the System Administrator's mailbox, go to option 2 for mailboxes, and then option 9 for phantom destination.

Hope that helps

 

[samhuangavaya]

Thanks for the reply, Tommy.

I've noticed that there might be a better way to do this- can we have the callers automatically sent back the the General AA Greeting or better yet a sub-menu instead? That way they would still be able to access the hours menu prompt, business location menu prompt, etc.?

Thanks,
Sam

 

[TouchToneTommy]

You can route the returning call to an auto attendant instead of a mailbox.

When you create the "mailbox" for 72/73/74, select option 3 to assign an auto attendant to it.

So, for the Sales Group, 72, assign Auto Attendant No. 2, still keep the phone status as "with a phone". Record the auto attendant greeting as "All sales people are busy assisting other callers. To hear our hours press X, for our location press Y, or to leave a message, press 0 or stay on the line". Set your selector codes to do what you want, and the Dial-0/Timeout to transfer to the mailbox of Ext. 9991. (unless you want separate mailboxes for the different groups - then set the timeout to some other mailbox)

 

[samhuangavaya]

Hi Tommy,

Thanks for the reply. What I ended up doing was assigning mail box 71, 72, 73, & 74 to Auto Attendant 2 (previously not being used) and set that auto attendant's dial zero/ timeout action to transfer to mail box 9991 (General). I also recorded a short "Please hold, your call is being transferred" for it to keep callers on the line.

Sam