Voicemail light illuminates for only one extension # 1

[LePivert]

Merlin Legend Release 5.0

Our phone system is configured so that certain managers have a direct "private" extension, starting, in our case, with 6 (610 for example) in addition to the "public" extension starting with a 2 (210 for example) that is forwarded to the extension of their administrative assistant.

Voicemail can be left, and retrieved, at either extension.

We just tested this.

However, the voicemail light on the manager's phone set only lights up for the direct extension (that is, for messages left at 610, but not 210).

The voicemail light does not light up for the 210 extension on the set of the administrative assistant either. I just spoke to one of them, the most experienced, who explained that she has to check voicemail for that extension several times a day because of this.

Is there a way to program the system so that the presence of voicemail on the "public" extension can be signaled?

Thank you!

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Tell us which voice mail system you are using, and there might be possibilities. Normally you will only get a light for the physical extension that matches a mailbox number, not for a phantom extension. Some voicemail systems let you set another mailbox as the phantom destination, so they would all come into one box, others let an extension "own" a general delivery mailbox, and won't turn the light off until the general mailbox AND the personal mailbox are clear of new messages.

 

[LePivert]

Merlin Messaging - not sure of the version or how to tell what the version is.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Not sure you have Merlin Messaging if your Legend is Release 5. Log into the System Administrator's mailbox and press 7 instead of 9 to hear the release. Or if you hear "Welcome to Merlin Mail" when you log in, is it external to the system, or a card in the backplane (007MLM)?

 

[LePivert]

770 - 0 # - Password - 7 = Release is "One One Nine"

When I dial 770, I hear "Welcome to Merlin Messaging".

I'm not sure if it's external to the system or in a card.

I will guess it is a card, since our solution is not hosted (everything onsite).

In the documentation I received, I have a booklet entitled "Merlin Legend Communications System Release 5.0 MLX Display Telephones User's Guide"

That is what led me to state that Merlin Legend is Release 5.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Your software on the Legend has probably been upgraded, dialing *05 on a SA button will show you in the display.

Merlin Messaging is great, except release 1 (1.19) is not so good. There is no provision for "phantom destination" or "auto copy", so those options are out. How many managers do you need to do this with? You have 4 auto attendants, if you're only using one of them, you can finagle the other 3 for this purpose.

You could use the "outcalling" feature on the phantom mailbox to dial the code to light the light, but you would have to turn it off manually at the phone.

 

[LePivert]

How many managers?

I would say 3 would need this.

I'm not quite sure how many auto-attendants we are using.

Let's see...

We have a "Day Main Auto Attendant" (looking at my notes and documentation) and then one for Night. So at least two from what I can see.

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"You could use the "outcalling" feature on the phantom mailbox to dial the code to light the light, but you would have to turn it off manually at the phone."

Turn it off manually? So even after the user listened to all the voicemail, it would not turn off automatically?

 

[TouchToneTommy]

For Ext. 210, delete the current mailbox, and then recreate it as an Auto Attendant, then as AA number 2. Set it as "with a phone".

Set Ext. 610 as the owner of the General Mailbox for AA-2

Set AA2 to use the weekly business schedule, closed all days.

In the Night menu, disable all selector codes, set the Dial-0/Timeout option to "record a message in the general mailbox"

Record the Night prompt to say "Please hold". Record the greeting on mailbox 9992 as the user's regular greeting.

Calls to 210 ring, cover to the AA, callers hear "please hold", then hear the owner's greeting and leave a message. The light at 610 comes on, that user checks 9992 for his messages. The light goes off only when both 610 and 9992 are cleared of new messages.

 

[LePivert]

Thank you for the helpful suggestions.

I'm not sure where I would do all that configuring, since I've only started working (off and on) with the phone system. But if we decide that it's worth it (rather than someone checking in the course of the day), I will give it a try.