One Business with Webex | Auto Attendant

Published on: 5/11/2024 10:42 AM

This article contains instructions on how to use the Auto Attendant feature when you have One Business with Webex.

Before you begin

Only a Super User can edit this feature.

An Auto Attendant serves as an automated receptionist that answers the phone and provides a personalized message to callers.

You need to have this feature added to your One Business with Webex service before you can make changes to it. When you set this up, you can request the number you would like your auto attendant to have. This can be a Local or 0800 number.

Audio Formats and Maximum lengths

When you have an Auto Attendant you will need to set up a recording. This should cover which option to select for which area the call is going to be redirected to.

Record your greeting and save as a common audio format e.g. .WAV, .WMA, .MP3 Recommended settings:

Linear PCM
16.000 kHz
16 bit mono

The maximum audio length is 2 minutes for a Voice Messaging Greeting and a Customer Ringback User/Group. For Voice Portal Personalized name it is 10 seconds and for the Music On Hold greeting it is 10 minutes. For all other services, the maximum audio length is 5 minutes.

Steps

To activate or deactivate an Auto Attendant

Log into the Portal
Select the Services tab.
Select the Group you are setting the auto attendant is under (there may be more than one).
Navigate to Group Features, find the Auto Attendant and click Manage.
If you want to:
- Activate it, this is turned on by default
- Deactivate it, untick the box under Active then Update

To modify an Auto Attendant

Log into the Portal.
Select the Services tab.
Select the Group you are setting the auto attendant is under (there may be more than one).
Then under Group Features, select Manage.
Click Edit.
Click Settings
Use the table below to determine which feature to update

Field	Description
Name the Auto Attendant*	In the Profile Name box, enter a name for the Auto Attendant.
Provide display names for Calling Line ID services*	Provide first and last names for the auto attendant in the Calling Line ID First Name and Calling Line ID Last Name boxes.
Set the Auto Attendant's business hours*	Select a time schedule you have created from the Business Hours drop-down list. You can set different greetings for your auto attendant, depending on whether calls are within or outside business hours.
Set the Auto Attendant's holiday schedule*	Select a holiday schedule you have created from the Holiday Schedule drop-down list. On these days, the Auto Attendant will use the greeting configured for non-business hours.
Select an extension dialling scope	The option you choose from the Scope of extension dialling control determines whether the Auto Attendant can redirect callers by extension to any user in its enterprise, group, or department. The "Enterprise" option is only available if your group is part of an enterprise.
Select a name dialling scope	The option you choose from the Scope of name dialling control determines whether the Auto Attendant can redirect callers by name to any user in its enterprise, group, or department. The "Enterprise" option is only available if your group is part of an enterprise.
Select the name dialling format	Specify in the Name Dialling Entries control the format callers should use when dialling by name. "LastName + FirstName": The caller must first provide the last name of the person and then the first name. "LastName + FirstName and FirstName + Lastname": The caller can provide first and last names in either order.

Setting up a Business Hours Menu and After Hours Menu

Use the Business Hours menu to play Auto-Attendant prompts during the time you have setup as business hours.

Use the After Hours menu to play Auto-Attendant prompts outside of business hours and during Holidays.

Step	Detail
Choose whether to use the default greeting or a personalized greeting	Select an option from the Greeting control. "Default Greeting" plays a generic system recording, which does not identify a company by name. Callers hear a greeting similar to the following: Welcome. Your call is being answered by an automated attendant. If you know your party's extension, press 1. To use our automated name directory, press 2. If you would like to speak with an operator, press 0. Thank you for calling. "Personal Greeting" plays a message recorded in a .WAV or .WMA or .MP3 audio file that you upload.
If you selected "Personal Greeting," select the file or files to use for the greeting	Click Browse to select an audio file on your computer.
Enable or disable first-level extension dialling	Check the Enable first-level extension dialling box to allow callers to enter the extension of the party they want to reach without selecting a menu option first. Enabling this feature makes the Auto Attendant more convenient for callers who already know the extension of the person they want to reach. If you enable this option, the Auto Attendant follows its initial greeting and first-level menu with a prompt: If you know the extension of the party you are trying to reach, dial it now. Users can also interrupt the initial greeting with the desired extension immediately after answer by the Auto Attendant.
Configure the first-level Auto Attendant menu	You can define a menu option for each numeric key, one for the * key and one for the # key. For each menu option, select an action from the drop-down list in the Action column. You can also provide a short text description in the Description column. The Action control offers the following choices: Transfer with prompt: Plays the message, your call is being transferred, please hold, and then transfers the call to the specified number. Transfer without prompt: Transfers the call to the specified number, without playing a transfer prompt. Transfer to operator: Plays the message, Please stay on the line while your call is transferred to the operator, and then transfers the call to the specified operator number. Transfer to mailbox: Prompts the user for an extension and transfers the user to the voice mailbox of the dialled extension. Name dialing: Brings the user into the automated name directory. Extension dialing: Prompts the user for an extension, and transfers the user. Play announcement: Plays a recorded message and returns to the current Auto Attendant menu. Repeat menu: Replays the Auto Attendant greeting. Exit: Terminates the call. Some actions also require you to specify additional information, such as a phone number or audio file. The page displays a box in the Action Data column for options that require additional data. If you selected an action that requires a phone number, enter a phone number in the Phone Number field If you selected an action that requires an audio file, click Browse to select a file on your computer

Create custom voice prompts

Record the message
Tips for creating recordings:
- Write down a script (see example below)
- Rehearse script out loud before recording
- Record in a quiet room
- For a professional recording we recommend using Rover Voice Services www.rovervoice.co.nz
  
  Example script
  "Welcome to Acme Plumbing, thanks for calling us. To book an appointment or get a quote, press 1. To get help with your account, press 2. Or to speak to reception, press 3."
  
  Note: Customers can do their own audio recording on their smartphones. For Android users, they can use Voice Recorder and for iPhone users, they can use Voice Memos. These apps come as default for each phone type.
Save recording as an .mp3 or .
Upload the file in the Auto Attendant feature management page in the portal.
Log into the Portal
Select the Services tab.
Select the Group you are setting the auto attendant is under (there may be more than one).
Navigate to Group Features, find the Auto Attendant and click Manage.
Click Edit.
Click Settings
Select whether you are uploading for Business hours menu or After hours menu.
Next to Load Personal Greeting, click Browse to choose the file to upload.
Click Update.