AT&T 518-455-710 manual Overview, How the Attendant Answers and Transfers Calls An Example

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Overview

The PARTNER® Plus Attendant provides automatic call answering and redirection for your PARTNER® Plus Communications System (Release 2 or later).

The Attendant helps your business handle incoming calls efficiently, even after business hours and on holidays and weekends. It can serve as a backup for a busy receptionist, or it can serve as the primary answering position.

In the typical scenario, the Attendant answers all calls—if you prefer just calls on certain lines—with a prerecorded announcement. This announcement instructs the caller to select a destination by pressing a button on a touch-tone phone. Then the Attendant transfers the call to the appropriate extension.

The example below illustrates how the Attendant answers calls at ABC

Supermarket.

How the Attendant Answers and Transfers Calls: An Example

Caller Presses a Single Digit To Select a Route

During ABC Supermarket’s business hours, the Attendant answers incoming calls with this Day Announcement:

"Thank you for calling ABC Supermarket.

If you know the two-digit extension you want and are at a touch-tone

phone, please dial it now.

For Customer Service, press 1 now...

For the Bakery, press 2 now...

For the Deli Corner, press 3 now...

Or hold for the operator."

At night, when ABC is closed, the Attendant answers with this brief Night Announcement, and then—because no one is available at ABC to answer calls—hangs up:

"Thank you for calling ABC Supermarket. Sorry we’re closed now. Please call again during business hours...Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 8 to 8. Good night."

How the Attendant transfers calls at ABC depends on what the caller does after the Attendant answers. As described above, the caller has three choices:

(1)press a single digit for automatic transfer to Customer Service, the Bakery, or the Deli, (2) dial a two-digit extension number, or (3) do nothing.

Let’s say the caller presses 1. The single digit (in this example 1, 2, or 3) is called a route, and each route has a corresponding Destination extension. At ABC, the Customer Service counter is at extension 20, which is the Destination extension for Route 1. Therefore, when the caller presses 1, he or she in effect is asking to be automatically transferred to extension 20. After the caller

Setup Decisions 1-1

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Contents Partner Plus Warranty Copyright 1991 AT&T All Rights Reserved Issue AprilHow To Comment on This Guide Ordering InformationContents Overview Determining the Call Answering ModeHow the Attendant Answers and Transfers Calls An Example OverviewCaller Dials a Two-Digit Extension Number Answering an Attendant-Transferred Call Setup Decisions An IntroductionImmediate Call Answering Mode Determining the Call Answering ModeDetermining the Number of Attendants Required Backup Call Answering ModeDetermining the Route Plan Determining Lines the Attendant Will AnswerDay G h t Example Route Plan ABC SupermarketType Factory Description Announcement Setting Factory Settings for Attendant Announcement TimesAllocating Time for Announcements Music-on-Hold SourceAnswering Machines Example SetupsAttendant with Routes and Secondary Destinations Attendant with Routes and Secondary DestinationsAttendant Attendant SystemProgramming Attendant Used with Answering Machine Attendant System First- and Second-Level Attendants First- and Second-Level AttendantsNone 2nd-level Attendants Announcements Attendant aN o u n c e m e n t Attendant B Call Answering ModeTesting for Proper Operation Installing the Attendant Programming GuidelinesAttendant Programming System Programming for Attendant OperationAdditional Safety Instructions for Installation Personnel Important Safety InstructionsAttendant Unit Hardware RequirementsFront Panel TalkingBack Panel Installing the AttendantAttendant Power Phone Mounting Cord Cord Bracket Introduction Using the Programming ChartsProgramming Guidelines Commonly Changed Settings Change this See If you want to SettingAttendant Programming To adjust clock for Daylight Saving TimeClock Business DaysRecording Announcements Business HoursReallocating Announcement Lengths Routes Answer Delay DayAnswer Delay Night Automatic Tries to Route 0 Night Automatic Tries to Route 0 DaySecurity Code To change the security codeSystem Programming for Attendant Operation Call Answering ModeAttendant Extensions Attendant Line AssignmentsTransfer Return Extensions Night Service GroupTransfer Return Rings Ensuring Attendant Extensions Are Not in the Calling GroupTesting Secondary Destinations Testing Basic OperationPlanning Form Attendant in Night Service Group Call Answering ModeAnswer Delay Attendant ExtensionDay Standard Announcement If Your Announcement Is DifferentNight TransferBusiness Schedule System ProgrammingAnnouncements National Service Assistance Center Helpline 1 800 Power FailureTable B-1 Out-of-Service Codes Out-of-Service CodesNumber Solution Blinks Problem Invalid Extensions and Routes Caller Hears Initial Announcement More Than Once Attendant Disconnects Callers After They Select RoutesWeight DimensionsBattery SystemVisual Indicators Power FailureOperation Telephone LineIndex IN-I IndexIN-2 Index Comcode 106 449 AT&T