Transfer directly to mailbox via AA

[GroundWire]

Hey guys!

I'm working on a Magix proposal for a lawfirm, and I have come up with a question I've never needed to answer before.

Is there a way to configure the AA, so that when you enter in the extension number (of the attorney's), it transfers DIRECTLY to their mailbox, without ringing their desk first?

I know I can force this behaviour permanently using the COS setting on the mailbox itself.. but is there a way to turn it off and on, based on the status of night service, or set it so that AA#1 (the external AA) will behave this way, but AA#2 (the backdoor/employee only AA) will actually ring their desks?

Thanks for the assistance!

- Joel

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Depending on which Voice Mail, you could use selector codes to transfer directly to mailboxes. (For Fred, press 1; for George, press 2; etc. You could keep the first digit of the extension numbers set as direct extension transfer, or go ahead and use it to prevent callers from trying extension numbers until they hit one. Employees could be trained to dial *8 plus the extension number to get past the selector codes. Since the selector codes are different between day and night, day could be selector code transfer to the extension, while night is transfer to mailbox.

 

[GroundWire]

yeah.. I forgot to specify that. I don't have a specific release of Merlin Messaging, or any other VM product for that matter.

I need the unit and the revision of that unit that will do the job, so I'm keeping my options open still.

and I really do hate that *T stuff.. You'd never be able to transfer to the desk of Cisco's CEO by dialing *8, and his five digit extension.. Why can't we turn it off!!???

I literally want it to transfer to mailboxes during the day, and at night, it transfers to their desks. There's way too many extensions to do anything other than direct dial transfer.

Any ideas, now that I've explained it better?

- Joel

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Not really...You could administer the mailboxes as "without a telephone" so dialing the extension number from the auto attendant would go directly to the mailbox; Calls answered by a live person and transferred to the extension would still ring before covering to voice mail. Then use an all ring hunt group, or a phantom extension with cover buttons, or a S/L station looped to a line port and set up as a "private" line on the sets if after hours you just need someone to be able to get calls.

 

[GroundWire]

Does the Merlin Messaging product still use the class-of-service option, that states that that ext # is merely a box, and not actually an extension?

Or did they change the terminology now, and that is what you mean when you say "Without a telephone" ??

Thanks..

- Joel

 

[TouchToneTommy]

In Merlin Messaging, you go to option 2 to create a mailbox. Enter the extension number and #, you are prompted to press 1 to create a mailbox, 2 to give it transfer only permission, or 3 to assign it to an auto attendant. If you press 1, you are prompted to press 9 if it has a phone, or 6 if it does not have a phone. A lot easier than using a COS table.

If a mailbox does not have a telephone, transfers from the auto attendant or from another mailbox won't send the call to the phone system first, but go directly to the mailbox instead.


One other thing you might consider: Since each MLX and TDL phone has an adjunct extension available, you could could give everyone a 2nd extension number. Make it easy, their real phone is say Ext. 118, make their 2nd extension 218. Put a promary cover 218 button on their phone. Clients only know their primary extension number, which goes directly to voice mail, and lights up at their phone, while insiders know the 2nd extension number, which rings their phone and returns to the Operator if unanswered.

 

[GroundWire]

That might actually work..

especially since internally, each phone will ring when you call either extension. You just have to train the attorney's NOT to give out their 1xx extension number.

Their wives would be the only ones that know the 2xx numbers.

- Joel

 

[Ghostin]

What happens to the caller if they transfer to the extension and nobody answers? Where do they want it to go? If you use a voice mail like Key Voice, they would be able to cover both extensions as one mail box.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Oohhh!! Oohhh!! That's a new feature on Merlin Messaging R3. Have a mailbox answer, but record the message in another mailbox.