Auto Attendant is an automated receptionist service. When turned on, it answers your calls automatically and offers your callers a list of options that you define. You can allow your callers to listen to messages, leave messages, or be transferred to a real person, and your menu options can be configured for all hours or for both business and non-business hours.

To get started:

1. Using your web browser, visit https://myvoice.allstream.com.
2. Log in using your subscriber number, which is your 10-digit menu mailbox number.
3. Configure your attendant menu settings. Detailed instructions are outlined below, or printable instructions are available by downloading the Voicemail Auto Attendant Quick Start Guide.
4. From the Main tab on the Home page, click Turn On.

Schedule Modes

Auto Attendant has two schedule modes available. To switch between modes, click the Switch to using a schedule or Switch to using a single menu from the Main tab.

• Schedule mode provides two configurable menus – one for use during business hours and one for outside of business hours. When Schedule mode is in use, you can define business hours by clicking the Schedule tab and selecting the hours and days you want to define as business hours.
• Single menu mode provides all callers with the same menu regardless of the time of day.

Schedule Mode

1. Click Business Hours Menu.
2. Use the drop-down lists to assign functions to each key on the caller’s phone.
3. Click Apply.
4. Click Non-Business Hours Menu.
5. Use the drop-down lists to assign functions to each key on the caller’s phone.
6. Click Apply.

Single Mode

1. Click Easy Attendant Menu.
2. Use the drop-down lists to assign functions to each key on the caller’s phone.
3. Click Apply.

Transfer To and Dial By Options

When a Transfer To option is selected, you are prompted to enter the phone or voicemail number that callers will reach when they select the option.

When a Dial By option is selected, you are prompted to select the extension number or name of the person that a caller will reach when they select the option. See below for information about managing extensions.

Extensions

In order to offer your callers a “dial by…” option, you must define the set of extensions they can dial. For each extension you must specify the extension number (a short number of your choice, such as 107), the extension’s name, and the phone number where your caller should be transferred to if they dial this extension. Extensions are defined on the Extensions tab.

• To add a new extension, click Add Extension.
• To modify an existing extension, click on the Extension number, Name, or Telephone Number in the list.
• To delete an extension, check the box next to each extension you want to remove and click Delete Selected. To select all extensions, check the box at the top of the list.

For each defined extension, you are prompted to record or upload a recording of a spoken name. This is played to callers if they enter a name that is not unique to allow them to refine their search. For example, if there are two extensions called “John” and the caller enters “John”, they hear the full names of both the extensions and can choose between them. Extensions that do not have a spoken name recorded cannot be reached by “dial by name” options.

• To record, click the Record icon.
• To stop recording, click the Stop icon.
• To listen, click the Play icon.
• To upload a spoken name, click Upload Spoken Name, browse for and select your file, and click Add.

Initial Greetings

Welcome greetings may be recorded or uploaded when assigning functions to the keys on the Easy Attendant Menu, Business Hours Menu, or Non-Business Hours Menu tabs. To record or upload your initial greeting for each schedule type, click record.

• To record your greeting, click the Record icon.
• To stop recording, click the Stop icon.
• To listen to your greeting, click the Play icon.
• To upload a recorded greeting, click Upload Announcement, browse for and select your greeting file, and click Add.