AT&T Merlin Plus User Manual page 7

The MERLIN Attendant
1-2 The MERLIN Attendant
The MERLIN Attendant answers incoming calls on designated lines with a
prerecorded message and directs the calls to the appropriate extension
in your MERLIN Plus Communications System Release 1 or 2. The
MERLIN Attendant can help your business by answering calls immediately or
after a delay to assist a busy receptionist. It can also answer calls when your
company is closed for holidays and weekends, and after normal business
hours.
To avoid confusion between a human attendant and the
NOTE:
MERLIN Attendant, this document refers to the human attendant as
the receptionist.
A prerecorded announcement can provide callers with information on how to
reach certain departments or people within your company. Generally, a list of
one-digit numbers, known as routes, is provided so that callers can dial the
department they need with the touch of a button. If appropriate, the
announcement can also give callers the option to enter extension numbers to
reach employees directly.
For example, during normal business hours a car dealership directs customer
calls to the MERLIN Attendant so that callers hear the day announcement
which offers the following options:
"Thank you for calling ABC Motors. If you are calling from a
rotary dial phone, please hold for assistance.
For Sales, dial 1...
For Service, dial 2...
For Parts, dial 3...
For the receptionist, dial 0...
For a specific employee, dial the extension number
or hold for operator assistance."
In the above example, the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 0 are routes. To
NOTE:
minimize errors, you should provide no more than five routes.
After the car dealership closes, calls are answered immediately by the
MERLIN Attendant and the night announcement plays:
"Thank you for culling ABC Motors.
Our sales hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
If you are calling our Service Department, dial 1 now.
If you know the extension number of the person you are calling, dial
that number now."
If a caller does not enter a route or extension number because he or she is
calling from a rotary phone or does not know the extension number, the call
is automatically directed to the receptionist after a specified number of
seconds (2 to 5). You can select the number of seconds by using the "Call
Processing Options" described in Section 2, "Changing the Current Settings".
Callers using Touch-Tone phones can also bypass the announcement by
dialing the route or extension they want at any time during the message.
Their calls are transferred immediately to the route or extension number they
have selected.