When first installed, your
MERLIN
system automatically selects the first available
line for every telephone in the order A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H. Through programming, you
can make the Automatic Line Selection feature even more useful by configuring it to
meet the particular needs of your business. Automatic Line Selection is pro-
grammed for each telephone on an individual basis.
• If all your lines are local and you don't care which one people get when they pick
up the handset, you may not want to program this feature at all. The MERLIN
system will automatically select the first available line for you.
• If you’re connected to a PBX or Centrex system, all your lines are the same. If the
various lines are shared, there is no need to program Automatic Line Selection.
But, if each telephone has a different personal line, Automatic Line Selection
should be programmed for that line only.
• lf you have two or more types of lines, you'll probably want to program Automatic
Line Selection. It enables each person in the office automatically to get the type of
line he or she most often uses. As a general rule, it is best to have only one type of
line in the Automatic Line Selection sequence. For example, a business might
have a WATS line, an FX line, and five regular lines. The five general-purpose lines
would probably be included in everyone’s Automatic Line Selection sequence, but
not the other lines.
• If there is a person in your office whose calls consist mainly of long-distance
calls, program the Automatic Line Selection sequence to select only the WATS
lines. Leave the local lines out of the Automatic Line Selection sequence so that
the person will have to select them manually.
• Another person might have the authority to make a long-distance call on a
regular line when the WATS lines are busy. This person would program the
Automatic Line Selection sequence for WATS lines first, followed by local lines. In
other words, this person has the authority to make a higher-priced long-distance
call over a regular line when all the WATS lines are busy. Of course, this person
would want WATS lines first only if most calls are long-distance calls.
• If you have usage-sensitive rates on your local telephone company lines, it may
be to your advantage to spread telephone usage evenly across the lines you have.
You can accomplish this by assigning different people different sequences for
Automatic Line Selection.
• If someone has a personal line, you may choose to have it selected first or
selected last, depending on the way you do business. Having it selected first helps
ensure that most outgoing calls from that telephone are billed to that line. Having it
selected last helps ensure that the personal line will always be free to receive
incoming calls.
• If a secretary shares a personal line for purposes of answering calls, it should not
be in the Automatic Line Selection sequence at the secretary’s phone.
You can specify all, some, or none of a telephone’s line buttons for Automatic Line
Selection. Follow this procedure:
• go to the voice terminal that you want to program with Automatic Line Selection
• sIide T/P switch to P position
• dial
✱✱
• Touch line buttons in desired order
• Return T/P switch to center position.
If no lines are touched, intercom will automatically be selected. You might program
intercom to be automatically selected on a phone intended for inside calls only.
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