Walkthrough: Set-up Attendant with Transfer, Fax Receive and Audiotex Processing

The purpose of the Attendant is to route callers to extensions or departments, voice mailboxes, alternate messages, or Audiotex. The Attendant begins by presenting various options to the caller through prompt 505, the Attendant Main Menu. Then it monitors for touch-tones and searches the Attendant database for a record with Attendant ID matching the caller’s touch-tone input.

When Attendant is the application, CALLMaster:

1. Plays the Port Greeting (prompts 19, 20, 21 based on the time of day), then the Attendant main menu (prompt 505)
2. Waits for touchtone input (if no input is received, it goes to Attendant ID 0)
3. Matches the touchtone input with an Attendant ID record
4. Takes action based on the 'Type of Transfer' for the selected Attendant ID (plays ‘there is no such extension’ if no match is found)

For this walkthrough, we will be starting all calls in Attendant mode with prompt 505 offering options as follows:
"If you know your party's extension please enter it now.  For sales, press 1.  For product information, press 2.  For the firm directory, press 3.".

Since CALLMaster is shipped with default records, some of these records may already exist.  If they do then modify the existing record.

Walkthrough Overview

In this walkthrough, you will learn to:

1. Configure CALLMaster to answer in Attendant mode;
2. Give caller custom options, get their Touch Tone input and process selected option;
3. Verify Attendant Parameters required to transfer a call, or drop call in case of a busy or no answer;
4. Define the Global Tone for faxing;
5. Set-up Mailboxes;
6. Confirm Voice Mail Parameters and Assign Default Mailbox;
7. Notify mailbox owner via email when they receive a message or fax in their mailbox;
8. Notify mailbox owner via phone when they receive a message in their mailbox;
9. Create Attendant Records to route caller to:- be transferred, to leave a message, to log in to a mailbox, to hear the firm directory, or to an Audiotex module to get information;;
10. Automatically receive a fax document which will be saved in the default mailbox;Create Audiotex Records/Modules and Associated Scripts;
11. Set Ports.

Prerequisites and Assumptions

• CALLMaster software installed and running with the Dialogic board installed and configured.  For more information, see Installation and Setup.
• A working knowledge of CALLMaster Main Window. 
• For fax capabilities, you must have purchased the CALLMaster Fax License, and have a board that supports fax.
• Phone lines or PBX extensions connected to CALLMaster and tested, including transfers with connect, no answer and busy capabilities.
• Email activated and tested.  See Activating Email.

Verify Attendant Parameters.

To transfer calls, you must know the requirements of your phone lines or PBX.  In particular, you need to know the transfer string to initiate a transfer, and the pull back strings to drop a call in case of busy or no answer. Since the caller can enter a variable length extension ID, you need to set the Maximum Extension Length parameter.

Open the CALLMaster Manager. Click on Parameters, then select Attendant.  Confirm values for all the parameters on the list.  Double click on the parameter to change the value if required.  For this walkthrough, we will assume the values below.  Save and close the Attendant Parameters window after making any changes.

Define Global Tone for Fax

For the Dialogic board to detect a fax tone, we need to define the tone settings in the Global Tones table.

Open the CALLMaster Manager. Click on Manage, then select Global Tones.  If there is an record for a Fax tone, then just verify the setting.  If not then Add a record to this table with values as below.

Confirm Voice Mail Parameters and Assign Default Mailbox

As we are setting up this application to receive faxes to the default mailbox, we need to assign a default mailbox in the Voice Mail Parameter.  We need to also confirm the default values set for the other Voice Mail parameters.

Open the CALLMaster Manager. Click on Parameters, then select Voice Mail.  Double click on each of the parameters to change their values as needed.  We will assign Mailbox 1111 as the default mailbox.

• Default Mailbox - Change the value to 1111, click OK to save.

Set-up Mailboxes

In this walkthrough, we will set-up 3 mailbox records as shown below.  We will keep the Voice Mail Parameters Mailbox Length and Password length to 4.  See section below (Confirm Voice Mail Parameters and Assign Default Mailbox) if you need to change these parameters.

If the mailbox owner wishes to receive email notification of messages or faxes received in their mailbox, enter their email address in the Email field.

Note: Keep Mailbox record 0000 with the default settings as CALLMaster requires it.  You should change the password for this record to maintain security.

Open the CALLMaster Manager. Click on Manage, then select Mailboxes.  Let's add Mailbox records in this walkthrough as follows:

Create Notification Records

As we have Enabled Notification for Mailboxes 1111 and 2222, we need to create Notification records for them.

For each record, set the Earliest Hour to Call, Latest Hour to Call, Days to Call and the Call Attempt Schedule as desired. 

Let's create notification records for Mailbox 1111.

Open the CALLMaster Manager. Click on Manage, then select Notification to add the records specified below. 

See Notification for details.

Create Attendant Records

  The Attendant processing is described below.

• Most callers who encounter an auto Attendant will press 0 to speak to an operator.  If you wish to allow this functionality then create the records for Attendant ID 0. 
  • Attendant ID 0, All Day:- CALLMaster will attempt a supervised transfer to extension 100 if a callers presses 0 during the day.  If extension 100 is busy or there is no answer, the caller will be sent to Mailbox 1000 based on the Failed Transfer Action and Additional Settings set-up for the record.
  • Attendant ID 0, Evening:- CALLMaster will send caller directly to Mailbox 1000 during the evening hours (between the System Parameters Evening Starts At and Morning Starts At).
• The similar structure is set-up for Attendant IDs 1, 222, and 333 with minor differences.
  • Attendant ID 9333, Evening:- transfers the call to an external phone number as input in the Number to Dial field.  The Number to Dial field must be set-up with the complete dial string to make the call as required by your phone lines or PBX.  In this example, we assume that a 9 and 1 is required along with the area code and phone number.  As the Type of Transfer for this record is Transfer (i.e. blind transfer ), CALLMaster will just transfer the call and hang up and will not supervise the call connection.
• For all Mailboxes, an Attendant record with 'Type of Transfer' set to "Mailbox" should be created to allow caller to leave a message for the mailbox regardless of the time of day.  For example, Attendant ID 8000 allows the caller to enter 9000 from the Attendant Main Menu to leave a message for mailbox 1000. Use Attendant 8001 to leave a message for mailbox 1111; Attendant 8222 to leave a message for mailbox 2222 and Attendant 8333 to leave a message for mailbox 3333.
• For all the Mailbox owners, an Attendant record with 'Type of Transfer' set to "Log in to Mailbox" should be created for direct Mailbox log in.  For example, Attendant ID 9000 enables the owner of Mailbox 1000 to enter 9000 from the Attendant Main Menu to log in to mailbox 1000. Use Attendant 9001 to log in to mailbox 1111; Attendant 9222 to log in to mailbox 2222 and Attendant 9333 to log in to mailbox 3333.
• Attendant ID 2 will send caller to Audiotex Module 100.  See section below - Set-up Audiotex Modules and Associated Scripts.
• Attendant ID 3 will allow the caller to select an extension from the Attendant Directory as set-up by the System Administrator.

 Open the CALLMaster Manager. Click on Manage, then select Attendant to add the Attendant records required for this walkthrough. 

Create Audiotex Records/Modules and Associated Scripts

As we want to direct the caller to the CALLMaster Attendant, we will use the default Audiotex module 3 to send caller to Attendant.  If the caller selects option 2 (for product information) in the Attendant, they will be redirected back to Audiotex Module 100 per the Attendant set-up to give caller with product information.

Let's create several Audiotex records as shown below to handle this request.  The Label field provides a brief description of each module.  

Audiotex Module Description.

• Module 100 is the starting module.  We will use this module to initialize variables using script InitializeVal.bas.  In particular we want to set the system variable lctrap to an Audiotex module to send caller if they hang-up.  See sample code below.
• Module 105 has Module Action 'Touch Tone Table' requiring a 1 digit input (response length set to 1). This type of module is used to offer caller options and get a corresponding touch tone input.  This module offers the caller 3 options requiring a valid touch tone input of either 1, 2 or 3.  The caller will be directed to module 110 if they enter 1, to module 120 if they enter 2.  If they enter any other touch tone key, they will be directed to module 190.  As a 'Touch Tone Table' Module Action, at the end of the module recording, CALLMaster will play prompt 245 "press * to repeat, giving the caller 3 attempts to enter any touch tone key (does not have to be a valid input).  If you want to give the caller 3 attempts to press any key but do not want to play this prompt, then you can replace the associated wav file with a null recording (see Replacing Recordings).  If you do not want to give the caller 3 attempts to enter any key, use the NTR code in the Audiotex record Label field.
• Module 190 and 191 is to notify the caller that they have entered an invalid option.  The associated script, CheckTryCount.bas, gives the caller 3 attempts to enter a valid option.  If the caller has not entered a valid option after 3 attempts, processing will be forwarded to module 9920.
• Module 9920 is used to notify caller that they have reached the maximum attempts allowed for a valid input.  The script associated with this module can be used to set flags and route processing as required.
• Modules 9900 and 9910 are required to handle call failure and capture caller hang-up respectively.  Both these modules can be used to set flags and route processing as required.
• Module 9999 is the Last Module.  Since the call originated in Attendant mode, the caller will be given the option to "press 1 for further Attendant option" (prompt 519).

Now you can create the Audiotex modules and reference the scripts above.  Open the CALLMaster Manager, click on Manage, then select Audiotex to add the Audiotex records shown above.

Verify IVR Application List

Open CALLMaster Manager and select Manage | IVR Application List.  Make sure there is the default entry for the Attendant as shown below:

Set Ports

As a last step, we need set the port(s) to application Attendant.  As this walkthrough uses Notification, make sure at least one port is enabled for Type Outbound; all the ports should be enabled for Inbound. Set the Port Greeting File IDs to the main greeting for all calls if you have recorded one or you can utilize the default Greeting File IDs. Leave all other fields to the default values.  Make sure the Audiotex Start Module field (read only) correctly points to module 3.

If you are working with a demo license or have only one line connected, then make sure the connected port is set as specified below.  All other ports should be set to Application 'Disabled'.

Test the custom application

Save all your work. 

Stop and restart CALLMaster service.

Make Recordings:

o  Call the system and enter extension 90 (Attendant ID set-up to log in to Administrator Mailbox 1000).

o  Log in as the Administrator and access the Administrator Options Menu.

-  To re-record Prompts, select Administrator Option 7

-  To make recordings for the Audiotex modules below, select Administrator Option 8

-  Make Attendant Directory Entries select Administrator Option 9 (See how to Set-up Attendant Directory).

Record Mailbox greetings and name.

-  Have the Mailbox owner call the system and enter the Attendant ID to log in to their mailbox. They can use Voice Mail Menu Option 3 to Set Personal Options for their mailbox.

Make test calls to verify desired functionality.