Cisco Systems SPA9000 manual Configuring the Auto Attendant, How the Auto Attendant Works

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Configuring the Auto Attendant

This chapter describes how to configure the SPA9000 Voice System Auto

Attendant (AA) by using the IVR and XML scripting.

This chapter contains the following sections:

•“How the Auto Attendant Works,” on page131

•“Working with the Auto Attendant Greetings,” on page133

•“Writing an Auto Attendant Script,” on page138

•“Configuring the DayTime, NightTime and Weekend/Holiday Auto Attendants,” on page148

•“Configuring Dial Plans for the Auto Attendant,” on page150

How the Auto Attendant Works

The Auto Attendant (aa) is an internal service within the SPA9000. This service answers calls and plays pre-recorded voice messages that offer a menu of choices. The Auto Attendant parses the user input (key presses or DTMF tones), based on the Auto Attendant Dial Plan. Finally, the Auto Attendant routes the call to the selected extension.

The Auto Attendant can handle up to ten incoming calls simultaneously. It can accommodate two categories of callers:

•Callers who do not call you regularly or are not accustomed to using Auto- Attendants. The Auto Attendant plays a greeting and provides menus to help callers reach the desired extension.

•Callers who call you regularly and want to move through the system quickly. The Auto Attendant allows experienced users to input their responses at any time.

SPA9000 Voice System Administration Guide 131