How can I use a custom uploaded prompt as a voicemail greeting?

[Luis Giraldo]

I've been playing around with the scripts for AA, which are great, and pack 4.2.9 comes with some nice new ones. I found the GUI quite helpful to create a script from scratch as well.

The one thing I haven't figured out how to do, is to use a custom WAV file as the voicemail greeting for a general delivery mailbox.

I have 3 extensions that I'd like to work like this:

During Business hours:

AA greets with customer recording, prompts for an extension - done.

caller presses 1, 2, or 3 to reach desired extension. Presses 4 to go to general delivery mailbox.

Afterhours:

System automatically transfers to General Delivery mailbox, and plays custom after hours WAV file prompt that has already been uploaded.

What I've had to do in the meantime is the AA uses a slightly different prompt for afterhours that asks user to press 4 to leave a message (as in business hours), but caller will hear the UC520 default voicemail greeting. Caller could also press a 1,2 or 3 and be forwarded, but I'd like to avoid that by sending caller straight to voicemail.

So, how can I use a custom uploaded prompt as a voicemail greeting?

Regards,

Luis

[David Harper]

There is no facility to upload a wav file or similar as a greeting for a mailbox.  If you call the voicemail pilot number and log on as a user who is a member of the group that owns the GDM mailbox, then you will be presented with an option to manage GDM mailboxes.  By selecting that option, you can record a greeting for that mailbox that says whatever you like.  Given that you already have a prompt recorded, having to re-record it is a little frustrating, but at least you will get the right experience for people calling the system.

Cheers,

Dave.

[Luis Giraldo]

Where does the recorded prompt get stored? Would be possible theoretically to replace the user-recorded prompt with an uploaded one?

Regards,

Luis

[David Harper]

I'm afraid not.  There is no access provided to the filesystem used by the VM/AA application.

If the already recorded prompt must be used, then a possible alternative approach could be to continue to use the AA that you have now, and just record a silent greeting for the gdm mailbox.  That greeting would still be played, but if it was short enough, then it could be unobtrusive enough to work.

Cheers,

Dave.

[Luis Giraldo]

Thanks Dave,

That would work, except the GUI script editor doesn't seem to allow for an action of playing an AA prompt and then automatically transferring the call to a gdm to take the message, if you have an alternative for that - that would solve the problem!

Regards,

Luis

[David Harper · Accepted solution]

I take your point.  To do this with the web-based script editor, the user would have to hit a key after the prompt to leave a message.  To avoid this, I think you're only option is going to be to use the offline script editor tool.  The offline tool is much more flexible than the web-based editor, but is a bit more complicated as a result.  My suggestion is to get as close as you can to the behaviour you want using the web-based editor, and then download the resulting script and modify the necessary steps using the offline editor.  You can get the offline editor by browsing to http://www.cisco.com/go/cue, selecting download software, and selecting through the CUE v3.2.1 download steps until you get the option to download CUE Utilities.  The one you are after is the CUCEEditor-3.2.1.exe.  You'll find the documentation for the tool at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/unity_exp/rel3_2/administrator/script/cuescripteditor.html.

Cheers,

Dave.

[Luis Giraldo]

Thanks Dave,

I will check out the standalone editor as well - thanks for the pointer.

Regards,

Luis

[Luis Giraldo]

Great! The CUE Editor allowed me to make the call routing changes I desired. I can see how powerful this tool can be for extreme custom modifications.

I was able to, according to business hours, cause AA to prompt with the right message, and automatically forward

Your suggestion of transferring the call to an extension that is assigned to the GDM, however, causes the AA to prompt "Extension 205 is not available" before giving the beep, which can be disconcerting to the caller. I'm not sure how to prevent that prompt from happening.

This next question may warrant a separate post:

Can my voicemail indicator advise of new messages also in the GDM, or can GDM messages be automatically forwarded (moved) to my mailbox after the caller hangs up? (As opposed to using a distribution list that places a second copy in my mailbox)

Regards,

Luis

[Luis Giraldo]

Update:

I had recorded too short a silent greeting for the GDM, which was causing the system to prompt with "Extension xxx is not available". It is now working as expected once I recorded a longer "silent" greeting.

Luis

[David Harper]

You can't move the voicemails from the GDM box to a personal box, though if you want the messages in the personal box, then I'd suggest getting rid of the gdm mailbox entirely and directing the calls to your personal mailbox.

However, to answer the specific question about MWI, a new message in the GDM box will generate MWI for any phone that has a directory number assigned that matches the GDM number.  By default, the lamp on the phone will reflect the MWI state of button 1, but you can change that with the 'mwi-line x' cli under the ephone configuration.  This functionality is not exposed through CCA at present.  If the button the gdm directory number is assigned to does not match the mwi-line configuration, then you will only see the envelope icon against the line when there is a message present.

Cheers,

Dave.

[Luis Giraldo]

if you want the messages in the personal box, then I'd suggest getting rid of the gdm mailbox entirely and directing the calls to your personal mailbox.

That would be fine if I could tell Cisco CUE Editor to skip the playback of my mailbox greeting -only for this occasion-, and simply give the beep. Is this possible?

Regards,

Luis

UPDATE:

I added the extension of the GDM as a line button from the CUE GUI:

Configure > Phones > Select my Phone > Click Button 2

Ring Type/Mode: Silent (or any)

Select the sequence number that corresponds to the GDM extension.

This allows me to see the message envelope on the screen which is really all I needed. But since I can't add the GDM as an IMAP account to my mail client, I'm going to delete the GDM, but keep a "user" mailbox for this purpose.

I'm happy to report that even though it's not really mentioned anywhere as far as compatibility is concerned, the IMAP access to the integrated messaging feature of the UC520 also works great on Mac OS X, which is what I use.

Regards,

Luis

Message was edited by: monkeymac

[Eivind Jonassen]

Hi Luis,

Haven´t tried this out, but found a tip on the uc500.com forum;

Just something I found may be useful for someone else.

To disable voicemail caller prompts in cue:

no voicemail conversation caller recording-prompt

when a person is put through to voicemail, all they hear is the user recorded prompt, and not the additional system generated stuff e.g. ‘when you are done hang up’ etc etc.

Try it out and see if it gets you one step closer to solving your issue

Regards

Eivind

[Luis Giraldo]

Thanks for the reply - I already have made the setting change, but that wasn't really the issue - I wanted to be able to use a professionally recorded prompt as the greeting for an individual user or general delivery mailbox.

Regards,

Luis