Unique Auto Attendant Set up

[techie2008_2]

I am setting up a Call Handler for an auto attendant.  I figure it is easier to ask ahead of time instead of having to reconfigure mistakes.  I have Unity 5 and Call manger 7.1.  I need to setup an auto attendant that will work after hours and when a line is busy for a certain number of rings.  Otherwise, the phone will be answered by a receptionist during open hours.  I would appreciate any information from both the Unity and CUCM sides.  I have all of the submenus set up for the auto attendant, it's just the actual implementation.  Thanks.

[David Hailey]

Brent,

If your requirement is as follows:

Open Hours - Call rings receptionist without greeting

Closed Hours - Calls rings a phone, if busy/not answered then goes to AA Menu options

You should probably do this using line groups and Time of Day routing options within CUCM.  The second part (ringing a phone then pulling back to an AA in Unity is going to be a bit tricky and come with caveats if you only use Unity).  So you want to set up ToD routing on CUCM.  Calls would during Open hours go directly to your operator.  During closed hours, you would want to leverage a line group (even if it only contains one number) and send calls during closed hours first to that line group.  The call forward busy/no answer options for the Hunt List/Hunt Pilot would be configured to then go to the extension of a Unity Call Handler that you use for your "closed greeting".  You don't need to apply a special schedule to this because the ToD routing rules in CUCM will keep this CH from being reached during open hours.  Then just use the standard greeting and associated Caller Input options as needed.

If you need further help, let me know.

Hailey

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[techie2008_2]

David, that is close and maybe this won't matter, but here is what I need:

Open hours - Answered by a receptionist----If not answered or busy, it goes to the Call Handler

After hours - goes straight to the Call Handler

[Jaime Valencia]

If the receptionist is not going to have a subscriber you can simply create a matching call handler with the same DN and set the CFNA and CFB to VM.

Then for CUCM TOD configure a CTI RP with CFA to VM.

For the above I'm assuming the recepcionist will be called directly and not be reached via unity or CF settings from other DN.

HTH

java

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[David Hailey]

Doesn't really matter, actually. Just reverse the thought process.

1) Use ToD routing in CUCM.

2) During Open Hours - send the call to a Hunt Pilot that is associated with a Hunt List & Hunt Group for the Receptionist. The CFNA/CFB properties should be set to go to a Call Handler extension in Unity.

3) During closed hours - send the call directly to the Call Handler in Unity.

Any further questions, let me know or if you feel more comfortable then you can send me a private message as well.

Hailey

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[techie2008_2]

I set up a dummy line to work on this so I don't mess up the phone line at the main desk (that would be bad).  I got the calls to go to the Call handler by setting up a Unity account for that number.  I made the voice mail for that number be the opening greeting and then sent it to the next CH.  That worked.  I don't know if that is an advisable set up, but it is working.  However when I went to to set up a TOD time period, it won't let me go backwards.  I need the time for it to go directly to VM (the CH) to be from 4 pm to 7 am.  it won't let me do that.

[David Hailey]

Brent,

You likely just need to read up a bit on how ToD routing works. You'll need to have a time schedule and PT for Open hours AND a time schedule and PT for closed hours. There are other components there (CSS and such, fundamental things) but that's the only way you'll get it to work properly with ToD.

Hailey

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[Rob Huffman]

Hi Brent,

I just wanted to jump in here for a quick moment to add a note to the excellent tips

form Hailey and Java (+5 points each my friends

I think you may have referenced in your previous thread that the "control" for

the time of day portion of this config would be done via the Call Forward All of the

Receptionist's IP Phone. You may really want to go with this idea...here's why;

Schools are notorious for wanting to customize schedules "on the fly" due to;

- Bad weather days

- Parent/Teacher interviews

- Sports Events

- Assemblies

- non-stat holidays

- Bomb threats/emergencies

- etc. etc. etc.

You will most likely find yourself spending a great deal of time on the many/various scheduling

requests, when the control could be simply done via CFWDALL.

Just a thought here,

Cheers!

Huff

[techie2008_2]

Great info guys!  5 points each!  I have taken all of your ideas together and I am ready to go.  Java's idea about setting up an account in Unity made me think of the idea of having the opening greeting just be the voice mail message and then send it on to the Call Handler.  Huff, I agree with you, there are lots of days that the schedule changes or there is a snow day or something and it could easily be fixed with CFA. I will set it up that way and just teach them how to use it.  I have been working with this on a primary level for 4 years...coming in with zero knowledge and no training.  Since we went to CUCM 7, I have had to set up more things.  I have learned what I know by asking questions and trying things.  Thanks again for the great help!