Merlin Mail Voice Messaging System - AT&T MERLIN LEGEND System Reference Manual

System Applications

MERLIN MAIL Voice Messaging System

3-28 MERLIN MAIL Voice Messaging System
The MERLIN Mail Voice Messaging System offers integrated call management
services at low cost. Its services are as follows:
Automated Attendant. Telephones are answered automatically and callers
are transferred to the appropriate departments or extensions. Callers dial
numbers on a touch-tone telephone to respond to a series of recorded
prompts. If there is no answer or the extension is busy, callers can be given
the option to leave a message or try another extension. Callers without touch-
tone telephones can be transferred to the system operator, who then handles
their calls.
Separate menus for day and night service, as well as multilevel menus and
corresponding announcements, can be set up to ensure that callers reach
the right person or department as quickly as possible.
In addition, the Automated Attendant can direct calls to a fax machine. If the
fax machine is busy or does not answer, the call is automatically
disconnected.
CalIs are transferred by the Automated Attendant in one of two ways: either
"blind" or "supervised." A blind transfer means the Automated Attendant dials
the extension or department requested by the caller and disconnects. If the
call is not answered or the telephone is busy, the call is routed to the system
operator.
With a supervised transfer, the Automated Attendant transfers the call and
can retrieve it if the transfer is unsuccessful. The Automated Attendant then
directs the call to another telephone, allows the caller a second route choice,
or provides a failed-transfer announcement, depending on how the
application is programmed.
Call Answer. Callers who reach a busy or unanswered extension are
connected to the called party's personal greeting and the caller can leave a
message in the called party's mailbox. If no personal greeting is available,
the caller hears a general message with the recorded name of the called
party and then is instructed to leave a message.
If the called party's mailbox is full, Call Answer connects the caller to a
general mailbox where the caller hears a message with the called party's
recorded name. The caller can then leave a recorded message. The system
manager is responsible for forwarding the messages in the general mailbox
to the appropriate users.
Call Answer tells callers when the general mailbox is full and the caller can
transfer to another extension.
When a user receives a message, the message LED on the telephone goes
on. If a message is left in the general mailbox, the system manager's
message LED goes on.
Voice Mail. Users can send messages to other extensions in the system,
forward messages received with comments, and reply to messages
received. Users can also record a personal greeting and program a
password to help prevent others from retrieving their messages.