How Do I Make One Line Behave as a Simple Answering Machine 1

[BirkenVogt]

I have an ACS R5 system that has the usual "press 10 for someone, press 11 for someone else" voice mail prompts in the messaging module R1 (the full on hard drive module on extensions 34 and 35). It covers 3 lines but what I want it to do is cover a 4th line that will behave as a simple answering machine. x number of rings then it picks up and says you have reached y leave a message at the beep.

Additionally I want this mailbox to be tied to one extension (26). If possible I would like to avoid the use of general mailbox 9992 because of the difficulty of people figuring out whether the message is on 26 or 9992. New people all the time and a training issue (it's a fire house). And of course also the receptionist on the main number could transfer calls to 26 or after hours people could transfer there from the main number.

Anyway I have read the instructions but I am baffled as to what to do. The crossover between the ACS programming and the Messaging program befuddles me. FWIW I like to use the PC software to program both.

Thanks,
Birken

 

[atcphone]

Birken,

Easist way(for me anyway) to program this is through extension 10 or 11. Press feature 00 then left intercom twice to get into system programming. press #206 for Group call distribution press 7 for the vmail group then enter the line number which is 04 in your case. If you then enter the number 3 it will change this line from being answered by the autoattendant to being answered by VMS line coverage. To select what extensions mailbox answers this line press #208 to program the line coverage extension, now enter the line number which is 04 and then the extension number 26. press feature 00 again, this should get you out of programming. cross your fingers and make a test call. hope this works.

John Armstrong

http://www.acsnyc.com

 

[TouchToneTommy]

John, you're right on the money about covering line 4 to mailbox 26, and about how much easier it is to program from Ext. 10 or 11.

Actually, you should set #206-7-04 to 2, Not Assigned, if you're going to use #208-04-26 for coverage. If you're going to use the Line Ownership option within the Partner Messaging, then set #206 to 3, don't set #208 to anything, and assign 26 as the line owner.

What's the difference? Both senarios require that the line be assigned to the covering or owning extension, and that the line ring. Both senarios allow you to also put the line on other extensions, so others can answer the line as well.

If you use Line Owner, the owner extension can go into DND, and the line will continue to ring on the other extensions until being answered by the mailbox.

If you use Call Cover, if the covering extension uses DND, the line will be answered by the mailbox immediatly.

 

[BirkenVogt]

That brings up something I had not thought of, so if somebody is using extension 26 on another line and this line starts ringing but they are NOT in DND will the maibox still answer or what? Just curious as to why you mentioned that. I would like to have it behave the same whether or not 26 is in use.

Birken

 

[TouchToneTommy]

The mailbox will still answer even if Ext. 26 is using another outside line. It will still ring X number of times (although if Ext. 26 has Abbreviated Ringing turned on (default), they will only "hear" one ring at the phone, the line will continue ringing, and then cover to voice mail.)

If you have the line appear on other extensions, other than 26, other people have access to it. If you use call cover and put Ext. 26 in DND, those other people won't have a chance to answer the line (perhaps what you want), or if you use the Line Owner route, Ext. 26 can use DND to stop the ringing sound at their extension, but the line will still ring elsewhere and give the others a chance to answer.

All depends on how you want calls handled before VM kicks in.

 

[BirkenVogt]

OK, works good. I have group call distribution set to VMS line cover, line coverage extension none, and line ownership in the Partner Messaging set to 26

Except VMS hunt rings is set to 6 in the ACS but it is answering after only 4. I tried setting the VMS cover rings for x26 to 5 but that didn't seem to affect it.

Birken

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Try pushing the VMS cover rings for 26 to 6. Remember the phone's rings don't synch with the CO's rings, so sometimes 6 rings on the Partner means 5 rings from the telco.

 

[cubla]

Touch Tone:

In regards to this question. I want to do the same thing on my system for line 1. I did 206 and 208 and now it works fine except it gives my regular office mailbox announcment instead of my "home" annoucment that I created. Since my ext 11 mailbox handles both business and home how do I get it to answer with different announcements depending on the line that rang in?

Hope that made since...

Thanks.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Well, the same greeting for the mailbox is going to play, regardless of how the call got there; transferred from an auto attendant, or another extension, or covering an outside line.

So, pick another extension to cover the residence line, or make the greeting generic enough to cover the residence calls AND receive business line transfers from the Auto Attendant.

Don't know which voice mail you've got, but you could have a different mailbox cover the residence line, but make 11 the phantom destination for the messages.