This service allows you to record your own menu prompts giving available options for callers. You can then decide which digits divert to which phone numbers. You can decide if you want the menu to be played at all times or on specific days and times (such as outside of work hours). The service also allows you to set how long to wait for a response from callers, how many times to replay your menu options and whether to forward on as normal to your number following the menu timeout or invalid digit entry.
Here is a simple step-by-step guide to getting your auto-attendant service up and running:
- Login to NZNet voice web portal and under Inbound calls in ‘NZNet settings’ click on auto attendant settings
- Decide on your menu options. You can assign forwarding numbers to all 10 digits (0-9). The ‘*’ digit always repeats your auto-attendant message.
- Dial *22 from your NZNet phone and after the beep, record your Welcome message for customers along with your menu options. When done hangup or press the ‘#’ key.
- Dial *23 from your NZNet phone if you wish to play back the recording you have just made
- When you are happy with the recording you can enable the auto attendant service by clicking on ‘Enable’ in the web interface or dialing *24 from your NZNet phone. The service will not work until you have recorded a message. If you wish to de-activate the service at any time then dial *25
- If you wish to change the default settings you can also set the following options (in the NZNet voice web portal only):
- Select the time of day to enable the auto attendant service (default is ‘At all times’)
- Enter the number of seconds to wait for a response from the user (default is 5 seconds and must be at least 1 second)
- Enter the number of times to replay the recorded message (default is 3 times and must be at least 1 time)
- Select whether to ring through to your phone number (following normal inbound call logic) following the recorded message or in the event of an invalid digit being entered (i.e. one where you have not setup a forward). If this is not selected then the call will be hung up instead (or the menu replayed if an invalid digit was entered).
Typically your recording will go along the lines of: “Hi there. If you wish to speak with Bob then press 1, if you wish to speak to John then press 2, if you want to speak to Fred then press 3 or hold the line to be connected to Bill”. Of course your menu could be aimed at different individuals or just different contact numbers for yourself. It’s up to you of course!
At the moment we support simple single-level menu structures which is usually sufficient. You could build multiple menu levels of course by adding new lines to your account and activating the auto-attendant service on those lines too with sub-menu prompts. NOTE: If you wish to record your auto attendant message from a non-NZNet phone then you can set this up via the remote dialtone service which will present you with a dial tone from which you can then dial the required star codes (e.g. *22 to record a message). You can enable temporarily enable remote dialtone on your number in NZNet voice web portal (specify a PIN), dial into your number, record your message and then disable the remote dialtone service again if required.
