ATT Merlin Classic Mail Issue 1 System Reference Guide

							Forcing and Releasing Hours of Operation
You can permenantly override the scheduled operating mode by forcing or releasing
the CLASSIC MAIL system from the current mode.
To force or release the CLASSIC MAIL system from off-hours operation:
1.Enter administration mode.
2. To change system operationpress 
3. To put the CLASSIC MAIL system into business hours operation
press 
OR for off-hours operationpress 
4. To release the system from current operation and return
it to the normal business schedulepress 
Advanced Answering Services
You can customize an advanced answering service to operate in dozens of different
ways. As an example, a small realty office wants their answering service to assist their
sales representatives. They have customized their answering service to greet callers
by saying:
System Reference GuidePart 2: CLASSIC MAIL System Administration 
						

							“Thank you for calling Benardo’s Realty. Please dial the intercom number of the person you
want to reach, or press pound to use our company directory. If you would like to be connected
to our attendant, please dial zero. If you would like us to mail you a copy of our current
listings, please press two. If you would like to hear about these listings, press three. To talk
to one of our Sales Representatives, please press four”.
Company
Greeting
NEW Top Level
Menu of Instructions
Dial an
Intercom
NumberPressPressPressPressPressPress
Transfer to Individual’sTransfer toTransfer toOpen MailboxRecord MessagePlayTransfer to
Intercom NumberCompany DirectoryAttendantDirectlyPre-recorded
Department
into MailboxMessageIntercom Number
To an incoming caller, this service looks like Figure 8A. Note that in this example,
the top level menu has been expanded to include three new options:
lPressing 2 routes the caller directly to a mailbox used to record their mailing
address. The mailbox greeting of this mailbox can be recorded to say, “At
the tone, please record your name, address, and ZIP code. A copy of our current
listings will be mailed to you within two days. ”
lPressing 3 routes the caller to a pre-recorded message describing the current
listings.
lPressing 4 routes the caller to the intercom number of the Sales department.
This example illustrates your ability to add choices to the top-level menu of the
CLASSIC MAIL system’s basic answering service. The CLASSIC MAIL system allows
Figure 8A:
Call Routing Map
Chapter 8: Creating Advanced Answering Services79 
						

							you to add up to nine new choices to the basic top-level menu. The choices you add
can include:
lRecord message mailboxes, used to record information supplied by the
caller. In the above example, the caller reaches a record message mailbox by
pressing 2.
lAnnouncements used to give information to callers. In the above example,
the caller reaches an announcement by pressing 3.
lTransfer points, used to route the caller to a desired intercom number.
In the above example, the caller reaches a transfer point by pressing 4.
Implementing an advanced answering service involves defining these additional
choices, then entering into the CLASSIC MAIL system the information describing
these choices.
Defining Advanced Answering Services
To define your advanced answering service, use the Appendix D worksheets. These
worksheets are used to define both the day and night (optional)call routing maps.
Start with the call routing map for normal business hour (day) operation.
To define a
1.
System Reference Guide
call routing map:
Decide upon the number and type of new choices that you want to
add to the top-level menu.
Part 2: CLASSIC MAIL System Administration 
						

							2. Use the Appendix D worksheet to record these definitions.
Appendix D requires you to assign a number to each choice that you add to the top-
level menu. This is the same number that the caller will press to choose the option.
It must be a single-digit number between 1 and 9.
Note: If your control unit is a Merlin model 206, you are limited to menu choice numbers 1-8. Number 9
is not a valid choice.
An example of an completed call routing worksheet defining the call routing map
for Bernardo’s Realty appears in Appendix D: Sample. In this example, if the caller
dials 2, they reach the record message guest mailbox 910. If they dial 3, they hear a
recorded announcement. If they dial 4, they will be transferred to the Sales
department at intercom 17.
Entering Advanced Answering Service Information
If you have defined a call routing map (from Appendix D) you are ready to begin
entering the call routing map information. Entering this information includes:
lRecording company greetings
lEntering the call routing map information
lRecording the top-level menu instructions
Chapter 8: Creating Advanced Answering Services
81 
						

							Note: Record the new top-level menu instructions as the last step in entering call routing map
information. As soon as these instructions are recorded, the call routing map is activated.
System Reference Guide
Recording Company Greetings
To record a company greeting:
1. Enter administration mode.
2.To record company greetingspress
3. To record a day greetingpress
OR to record a night greetingpress
Hear the current greeting.
4. Record the greeting at the tone, thenpress 
5. To replay your recordingpress 
6. To erase and re-record the greetingpress 
See Chapter 6,“Customizing Basic Operations”,for additional information about
recording company greetings.
Part 2: CLASSIC MAIL System Administration 
						

							Entering the Call Routing Map Information
Enter call routing information directly from the Appendix D worksheet(s).
To enter call routing information:
1.Enter administration mode.
2. For call routing administrationpress 
Hear a message about changing day or night
call routing maps.
3. Select the map you want to change.
4. To scan and change the call routing mappress 
Menu choices and a description of the current
call routing map plays.
5. Enter the new number (from your worksheet) for the choice you
want to add. Start with the first choice recorded on your
worksheet table.
6. To create the new routepress 
Chapter 8: Creating Advanced Answering Services
83 
						

							System Reference Guide
7. Enter the type of choice for this route.
8. To add an announcementpress 
OR, to add a transferpress 
OR, to add a record mailboxpress 
If you press 1, you will be asked to record an announcement.
If you press 2, you will be asked to specify an intercom number.
If you press 3, you will be asked to specify a mailbox number.*
*Note: Any mailbox you specify needs to be unlocked and initialized.
9.
10.
11.
Enter this information directly from the worksheet table.
Hear the confirmation that the call route is now set up.
Repeat steps 3 through 7 until all worksheet table
information has been entered.
To exit call routing administration
To save the call routing mappress 
press 
Part 2: CLASSIC MAIL System Administration 
						

							Repeat steps 1 through 8 for the night call routing map
(optional), or, to copy the day map for night use, see the
following section, “Copying a Call Routing Map.”
Recording the New Top-Level Menu
The CLASSIC MAIL system plays the top-level menu instructions following the
company greeting and explains the new choices callers can make to use your
automated answering service. Recording these instructions activates the call routing
map.
To record the top-level menu:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Enter administration mode.
For call routing administrationpress
To record the new top-level menupress 
Record new top-level menu instructions from the
worksheet in Appendix D.
To accept the recordingpress 
Hear a confirming message.
Chapter 8: Creating Advanced Answering Services85 
						

							Note: If your control unit is a Merlin system 206, your intercom numbers are single digit numbers (0-5).
To avoid a numbering conflict with the new top level menu choices, you must instruct callers to press 9 if
they want to transfer directly to an intercom, or use the Company Directory. After pressing 9, the
CLASSIC MAIL system will instruct the caller to enter the desired intercom number.
Testing the Current Map
Use the CLASSIC MAIL system to help verify that your service is actually working the
way you defined it. To test a map, follow the procedure below, then place an
incoming call to the CLASSIC MAIL system and test all menu choices for proper
operation.
To test the current map:
1.Enter administration mode.
2. For call routing administration
3. To scan the current call routing map
A description of the current map plays.press 
press 
System Reference GuidePart 2: CLASSIC MAIL System Administration 
						

							Copying a Call Routing Map
Sometimes the differences in the way you want automated answering to function
during the day and at night are minimal. You may want to record a new message such
as The sales department is closed for the day. Please call after 8:00 tomorrow in place
of To transfer to the sales department, press three. Such a change would involve
redefining a call route so that callers would hear an announcement, and not be
transferred to an intercom in the sales department. An easy way to implement
similar call routing maps is to use a copy option. Then you can change a particular
route as desired.
To copy a call routing map:
1. Enter administration mode.
2. For call routing administrationpress 
3. To copy the daytime map to the nighttime mappress 
A confirmation message plays.
4. To copypress 
OR to cancelpress 
Chapter 8: Creating Advanced Answering Services
87