max number of caller inputs

[rshaw00]

Need to create a calling tree with around 12 possible caller entry options. Is this possible?

[b.winter]

Hi,

what System are you talking about? Are you talking about Unity Connection?

What you mean with, you need 12 possible caller inputs? Do you mean a tree with 12 steps or that in the first step, you have 12 options to choose from?

I lot more detail about your question would be helpful to anybody in the forum.

[rshaw00]

Yes, Cisco Unity Connection Administration. They want the caller to have 12 options to choose from. Can double digits be used? I have searched and searched, and have not found the answer.

[Elliot Dierksen]

It is possible, but not something I would recommend. You could have a menu with each key locked (acts immediately on the digit) and the "1" for options "10", "11", etc would immediately connect to another call handler that processes the second digit. To make that work right would mean that transfer by extension wouldn't work. You could also have call handlers with extensions of "1" to "12" and have transfer destinations on the call handlers. I wouldn't want to go that way because if someone enters "14" which isn't found, you end up at the unity opening greeting. You may have more control over that kind of error situation on later versions of Unity, but I know firsthand that this was an issue in earlier versions.

[b.winter]

You could also just use the 12 digits present. So number 0-9 and * and # => Exactly 12 digits to press on a dialpad

[rshaw00]

>From what little info I could find, Cisco recommends not using the symbols, as they can trigger other functions unintentionally. Also, there will be 3 additional options need in the near future, so the end number will be around 15. Has anyone had any luck setting up this many caller choices?

[b.winter]

Other question:

Have you ever thought, that announcing 12 or 15 options via the announcement takes a looooot of time?

Who will listen and wait till all 15 options were announced? Not to mention, that personally, I probably will have already forgotten the first options again, when the last options are announced and then I will have to listen again ... I would hang up.

So, there may be a technical problem to capture 15 different inputs. But I think, you have a bigger problem organisational wise.

[Elliot Dierksen]

I agree with @b.winter on this. A menu like that would be a dreadful user experience!

[Roger Kallberg]

Totally agree on this. Such a menu structure would be a total nightmare.

[rshaw00]

The entries will be people's names, so I am stuck with finding a way to do this...

[rshaw00]

Also, these are juvenile probation officers, and the people calling know who they need to speak to.

[b.winter]

But don't they have the numbers of the officers and call them directly? Or are they calling a general number?

Just thinking out loud:

If you have a message saying something like "press *1 for ms. x, press *2 for mr. y, ..."

The call handler can collect multiple digits and has also the settings, to allow to transfer the call to outside destinations (outside of CUC).

Then, if CUC doesn't find any extensions in it's database for the numbers *1, *2, ..., the call handler will route the call to CUCM.

In CUCM, you then can translate the numbers *1, *2, ... back to any real numbers belonging to phones, hunt groups, ...

I chose "*" (star) as prefix, because in hardly any cases, no number in CUC will start with a star.

So, the collected digits won't match any number in CUC and will be routed back to CUCM.

If you go this way, also think about the restriction tables blocking numbers starting with a star * by default. So you have to change those rules.

[rshaw00]

Unfortunately they do not have individual outside lines... Your answer is intriguing. I'll have to chew on it a bit.

[Elliot Dierksen]

Sounds like a job for the Unity voice enabled directory call handler!