Help needed with AA setup

[ndnalibi]

Hi everyone,

I'm having trouble getting my Merlin Legend 3.1 setup with the auto attendant for night mode.

At closing time our receptionist puts the system into night mode and <currently> turns on a $19.99 walmart answering machine. I want the Auto Attendant to answer. We have 2 phones that ring for incoming calls. Currently,(with answering machine off) calls go to the backup receptionist voicemail instead of AA in nightmode.

Voicemail is working fine. Is there a way to set the AA to pick up immediately in Nightmode?

Thanks,

Bill

 

[merlinman]

Yes, that is quite do-able.

But there are more facts we would need to know.

Do you do the programming of this system?

http://home.comcast.net/~merlinman/index.htm

 

[ndnalibi]

Yes.

I've only been using Merlin Legend fro 3 months or so, but have experience in other systems.

Currently using WinSPM to program.

I installed the MLM module about a month back, and got voicemail working, but not the AA.

Bill

 

[merlinman]

OK, now we need to know what kind of lines you have and how they are on the RECEP's phone.

Again, several solutions, but one is coming to mind.

 

[ndnalibi]

We have several POTS lines that come into our system. They are in a pool that rings on 3 different Receptionists phones. Currently it is set up with the main number doing a loop up through the answering machine, then back to the phone system(I didn't do it). They turn on the answering machine at night and it intercepts the call. So mainly, if I can get the main line to be picked up on AA in nightmode, I'd be happy. If I can get the whole pool, that would be ideal.

 

[glg01]

When you say three receptionist phones do you mean three actual operators in the system or one operator and two people with larger phones that backup the operator?

I guess the best way to tell is IF they are a true operator when a line pool is assigned to the set you see all the lines in the pool on individual buttons and not on just one button OR when you go into Menu, SysProgram, you would see the actual operators listed on the Review And Exit screen.

At any rate, for this to work you would assign the hunt group for voice mail to the night service on all the operator positions, put a night service button on each set and be sure the voice mail follows the Legend mode so that when the NS buttons are on that the voice mail plays the night auto attendant. I don't remember on the 3.1 Legend if you had to assign specific lines in night service but if you see "Lines" when you go to NightSrvce, GroupAssign... then you would assign the lines as well. OF course, you would setup and record the night auto attendant in voice mail. IF your MLM has been set for multiple auto-attds just pick number one when asked for auto attendant number.

lg

 

[ndnalibi]

Yes, all 3 are listed on the review and exit screen.

Questions:

Isn't there a difference between voicemail group and Automated attendant group? I don't want it to just say "welcome to merlin mail..." I want the AA to prompt for directory, etc. I can access it in the administrator menu.

When you say "assign the hunt group ... to the night service on the operator positions" Where is that done? I found the nightservice in programming and it does have all of our extensions in it, but I'm having problems understanding how to do anything different in NightService.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[merlinman]

Bill,

I know not what he is trying to say when he says:

At any rate, for this to work you would assign the hunt group for voice mail to the night service on all the operator positions, put a night service button on each set and be sure the voice mail follows the Legend mode so that when the NS buttons are on that the voice mail plays the night auto attendant. I don't remember on the 3.1 Legend if you had to assign specific lines......

But I do know this:

A) The earliest release that allowed lines to be assigned to Night Service was the 4.0, not the 3.1 that you have.

B) To make this work, you will have to assign PRINCIPLE USER to one of your ATTENDANTS and have a Mail Box for that extension to be set up with a Class OF Service 15 (if this is Merlin Mail)

Now, the problem is that when that phone rings during the day, calls could go to the auto attendant.

To eliminate that problem, could that Attendant be set for DELAY RING?

http://home.comcast.net/~merlinman/index.htm

 

[ndnalibi]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the valuable input, I believe between the 2 of you I'm going in the right direction.

I saw our main reception number was set as the NS attendant and that NS group had most of our extensions assigned to it. I added the rest.

I then setup the main reception voicemail with the 15 class of service, which points to AA1 (a main piece of the puzzle I was missing)

If it rolls over during normal business hours, it won't be a big problem.

I still need to test it all, but if all works well, I'll post the results, otherwise it'll be more questions.

Bill

 

[glg01]

Sorry for the confusion Bill. I didn't say you had to assign lines I said if you see Lines as a choice you would assign them.

You don't have to make the main operator the PRINICPAL user as merlinman states and you don't have make a COS 15 mailbox either. What do you dial the get voice mail? Probably 770....whatever number...that IS the hunt group number (calling group) you assign in night service.

You go: Menu, SysProgram, Exit(Start), NightSrvce, GroupAssign, Calling Group, Dial the operator(I would use the operator in LID 1) ext, Enter then enter the calling group for voice mail, Enter.

You should remove all the individual extensions from night service. Once you assign the call group to night service the auto attendant will answer on the first ring when the night service is active. The reason I wanted a night service on each console....in some of the earlier releases ALL the consoles had to have the "Night Service" button pushed before the Merlin Mail Units would get the mode code for night service from the Legend.

Once again...if the voice mail is setup for multiple attendants....Attendant number one will be the one that answers by default and unless there's some other parameter changed you only have to record the night service greeting and setup the selector codes and zeroout options. AND you don't have worry about merlinman problem with answering all the time during the day. The AA will only answer when the night service button's are activated. lg

 

[merlinman]

Actually, most folks like to have the AA kick in during the day after some delay.

Since you are dealing with a 3.1 there are a couple of tricks you have to pull to adjust the length of time before it goes to group cover, unlike the way you do it in later releases.

So, if it goes to VM too quickly during the day, let us know.

http://home.comcast.net/~merlinman/index.htm

 

[glg01]

Most of my customers want a body to answer the phone during the day. I figured with three operators they could cover anything thrown at them....however, his initial request was to just get rid of the answer machines and get the AA to answer after hours. lg

 

[ndnalibi]

I tried it yesterday, and it's still rolling over to voicemail on one of the secondary reception stations. Can you tell me what the extensions or calling group addition in Nightservice actually does? If I only put the main receptionist station in there what will happen.

FYI - I'm not concerned whether AA picks up during the day. It will give them an opportunity to choose an extension or wait for an operator anyway.

Last resort might be to remove all secondary receptionist stations, and just program a transfer button on the main receptionist line(s) - is that possible?

 

[glg01]

On this early release for the AA to pickup for night service.

1. Remove the three operator extensions from the cover group for voice mail.

2. Remove all the extensions you currently have in night service for all three operators.

3. Add the calling group for voice mail to night service for all three operators or at least the main operator (LID1) or the first one listed when you enter programming.

4. It is not necessary to have the main operator as the principal owner of the lines just be sure no other extension is the principal owner nor is it necessary for you to create a AA mbx (COS15 for AA1)...adding the calling group for the vms in the night service will make it work properly.

5. Since you can't assign lines in NS to a specific operator in this release as clarified by merlinman all three operators should have a night service button and all three must have them on for night service to work properly.

6. My two earlier postings above will get you where you need to be for this to work.

7. Your comment on what night service extensions do????....Your objective is to have the voice mail pickup when you have the operators in night service and play the night greeting. For this to happen you want the voice mail group number (calling group) to be the night service destination. You accomplish this by having ONLY the voice mail group as a night service entry. When you are done and you look at NightSrvce, GroupAssign,....Extensions will only have the operator ext. Calling Grp will have the voice mail calling group number. Good Luck. lg

 

[ndnalibi]

Thanks for the explanation. I was asking only on the "teach a man to fish" theory. The more I can understand how these features interact with each other, I might actually be able to see the answer myself.

I will try these changes tonight.

Bill