NORTHLAND COMMUNICATIONS Premium Attendant Automated Attendant Receptionist Service User Guide
- June 3, 2024
- NORTHLAND COMMUNICATIONS
Table of Contents
Tips for Creating a
Premium Attendant
Quick Reference Guide
WHAT IS PREMIUM ATTENDANT
Premium Attendant is a self-managed, automated attendant receptionist service that allows you to configure a flexible set of TUI (Telephone Users Interface) menus for callers to your business. When enabled, it answers your calls automatically and offers your callers a list of options through a menu you define. You can also allow callers to listen to messages (such as your business hours), leave a message, or be transferred to a person. You can define different menus for different times of the day, days of the week, or holidays.
DEFINITIONS
Actions: Define the menu choices a caller can make when listening to an
announcement.
FOR EXAMPLE: Press 1 to reach the Sales Department.
Announcements: The recorded announcements that will play to callers when they
dial your telephone number.
Business Group: The account phones programmed for your business tht are
included in Premium Attendant.
Intercept Mailbox: The intercept mailbox is used when callers fail to make a
choice, make an invalid choice or are given the option to leave a message.
Menu: Determines what options your callers are offered. You can configure up
to eight different menus for your Premium Attendant.
Periods: Define when specific announcements will play (Business/Out of
Hours/Holiday), etc.
Schedule: Tells the system which announcement and menus to play during the
specified time.
Special Days: Days outside the normal periods such as holidays, inclement
weather days, etc. These can be defined a day at a time, or you can add all
public holidays.
PREPARE YOUR PREMIUM ATTENDANT
In order for Northland to configure your Premium Attendant in the system, you
will need to complete a few steps ahead of your actual installation. There is
a section for this in the System Programming Form (SPF). Examples can be
viewed on the next page.
+ Plan weekly schedule + holidays so different menus can be played based on
the time of day or day of week.
+ Prepare the menus callers are offered and the actions they can choose from.
+ Select someone from your organization to record announcements your callers
will hear.
+ Determine the intercept mailbox if there is one.
Your Premium Attendant will come pre-configured by Northland’s System
Administrator with the schedules and predefined menus you provided on the
System Programming Form. You will need to record the announcements once you
have your system. You will be able to make basic changes, such as adding
holiday schedules and announcements, yourself. We recommend documenting your
Premium Attendant announcements for ease of recording.
SAMPLE GREETINGS
BUSINESS HOURS ANNOUNCEMENT
“Thank you for calling Training Specialists, Inc. If you know your party’s
extension, press 1 and enter the extension number followed by the pound key.
If you know the name of the person you are trying to reach, press 2 and enter
the name on the dial pad followed by the pound key.”
+ For Sales, press 3.
+ For Marketing, press 4.
+ For Accounting, press 5.
+ To reach our receptionist, press 0.
+ To repeat this menu, press #.
NON-BUSINESS HOURS ANNOUNCEMENT
”Thank you for calling Training Specialists. Our office hours are Monday
through Friday from 8am to 5pm. If you know your party’s extension, press 1
and enter the extension number. If you know the name of the person you are
trying to reach, press 2 and enter the name on the dial pad followed by the
pound key.
+ To reach our answering service, press 2.
+ If you would like to leave a message in our after hours voicemail, press 3
or call back during our regular office hours”.
MENU OPTIONS
Assign from the following for presses 1 – 0, #, and :
Use Default: Does nothing on choices 1 – 0. # is the default to replay the
menu and is the default to return to the previous menu.
Transfer to Phone: Transfers the call to an extension (individual or group) +
follows the path of extension.
FOR EXAMPLE: If unanswered, call goes to voicemail. You will be asked to
specify the extension + can choose an internal account phone or program an
external number, such as an answering service.
Transfer to Voicemail: Sends the caller to voicemail without ringing. You need
to specify the extension.
Dial By Extension: Callers will dial extension numbers they know. Include
appropriate instructions in your menu announcement.
FOR EXAMPLE: “If you know your party’s extension, please press 3 and the
extension number followed by the pound key.”
Extensions can be further defined if you do not want callers to be able to
dial certain extensions.
Dial By Name: A caller can can choose who they want to speak to within the
organization by spelling their name using the dial pad. If you assign a key
for dial by extension or dial by name, you must also do the following:
+ Define the set of extensions that your callers can enter, their names +
phone numbers that each will transfer to.
+ Voicemails will need to recorded for dial by name to work.
+ Provide instructions as part of your menu announcement.
Intercept Mailbox: Sends callers to the “Intercept Mailbox,” which is
typically an operator, receptionist or general mailbox.
Go to Menu: Directs callers to another menu. You will be asked to specify the
menu.
Return to Previous Menu: Directs callers back to the previous menu.
Announcement Return: Plays announcement + returns caller to menu. You will be
asked to specify announcement.
Announcement Hang up: Plays announcement + disconnects caller. You will be
asked to specify announcement.
Hang up: Disconnects the caller.
Need support? Connect with us at
www.northland.net/support or
Dial 4357 (HELP) or 315-671-6262 to
speak to a Northland Training Representative
September 2022