Answer Tables

Description

The Answer Table determines how the Automated Attendant answers outside calls on each line, according to the time of the day and day of the week that the call is ringing. IntraMail provides 8 Answer Tables. The Answer Table is an integral part of the Automated Attendant. The Automated Attendant can automatically answer the telephone system’s incoming calls, play an Instruction Menu message, and provide dialing options to callers. There are 3 major Automated Attendant components:

Answer Tables
- The Answer Table (8 maximum) determines how the Automated Attendant answers outside calls on each line, according to the time of the day and day of the week that the call is ringing. The Answer Table divides the time of day and day of the week into individual schedules, which in turn assign a Call Routing Mailbox to each call. When a specific schedule is not in effect, the Answer Table uses its Default Mailbox to determine routing.
- By default, all lines use Answer Table 1. Answer Table 1 has a single schedule that runs Monday through Friday from 8:30AM to 5:00PM.
Call Routing Mailbox
- A Call Routing Mailbox (16 maximum) is a mailbox associated with an individual Answer Table schedule or the Default Mailbox. It specifies which dialing options (Dial Action Table) are available to callers. It also provides the Instruction Menu to callers which typically greets the callers and describes the dialing options.
- By default, Answer Table 1 has a single schedule that runs Monday through Friday from 8:30AM to 5:00PM. This schedule and the Default Mailbox both use Call Routing Mailbox 1.
Dial Action Table
- Once the Automated Attendant answers, the Dial Action Table (16 maximum) provides the dialing options to callers. Each digit a caller can dial is assigned a specific action (function) in the Dial Action Table. The dial action used depends on the setting in the active Call Routing Mailbox, which in turn depends on the Answer Table setup.
- By default, Call Routing Mailbox 1 uses Dial Action Table 1.

Automated Attendant Block Diagram

The following block diagram shows the default IntraMail Automated Attendant configuration.

The Default Mailbox and Routing Hierarchy

The Default Mailbox provides routing for an Answer Table during periods when a schedule is not in effect. By default, for example, Answer Table 1 Schedule 1 is active Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The Default Mailbox for Answer Table 1 is active during all other times (i.e., evenings and weekends). Since Schedule 1 and the Default Mailbox both use Call Routing Mailbox 1, initially the routing is the same 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. See Customizing an Answer Table below for more.

When setting up your Answer Tables, keep in mind that a more specific type of routing has priority over a less specific type of routing. When selecting which routing to follow when there is more than one choice for a specific time, IntraMail will choose in the following order:

Date Schedule
Day of Week Schedule
Range of Days Schedule
Default Mailbox

For example, a Date Schedule set up for Christmas day will have priority over any other schedules in effect on December 25.

Customizing an Answer Table

To set up daytime and evening/weekend answering (2 schedules):

In this example, use the Default Mailbox (Call Routing Mailbox 1) for evening/weekend answering and specify a new Call Routing Mailbox for daytime answering.

Change the Call Routing Mailbox for Answer Table 1, Schedule 1.
- In 421x-Answer Table (page 880), assign Call Routing Mailbox 2 to Answer Table 1, Schedule 1. You will use this for daytime answering.
From a System Administrator’s Mailbox, record an evening/weekend Instruction Menu message for Call Routing mailbox 1.
- This message will play to callers Monday through Friday from 5:00 PM to 8:30 AM and on weekends.
From a System Administrator’s Mailbox, record a daytime Instruction Menu message for Call Routing Mailbox 2.
- This message will play to callers Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

To set up daytime, evening, and weekend answering (3 schedules):

This example builds on the example above, but adds a third schedule that will play just on weekday evenings.

Change the Call Routing Mailbox for Answer Table 1, Schedule 1.
- In 421x-Answer Table (page 880), assign Call Routing Mailbox 2 to Answer Table 1, Schedule 1. As in the 2 schedule example, you will use this for daytime answering.
Create a new schedule that will run only in the evenings.
- In 421x-Answer Table (page 880), create Schedule 2 for Answer Table 1 that will run Monday through Friday from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Assign Call Routing Mailbox 3 to this new schedule.
From a System Administrator’s Mailbox, record a late night/weekend Instruction Menu Message for Call Routing mailbox 1.
- This message will play Monday through Friday from 11:00 PM to 8:30 AM, as well as on weekends.
From a System Administrator’s mailbox, record the weekday Instruction Menu Message for Call Routing Mailbox 2.
- This message will play Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
From a System Administrator’s Mailbox, record the weekday evening Instruction Menu Message for Call Routing Mailbox 3.
- This message will play Monday through Friday from 5:00 PM to 1:00 PM

Conditions and Defaults

Conditions

None.

Default Setting

All lines are assigned to Answer Table 1.
All outside lines are set to Key Ring during the day and at night.

Other Related Features

Features

None.

IntraMail Features

Automated Attendant

The Answer Table determines how the Automated Attendant answers calls.

Call Routing Mailbox

The Call Routing Mailbox provides the dialing instructions (Dial Action Table) and announcements to Automated Attendant Callers.

Dial Action Table

The Dial Action Table defines the dialing options for the Call Routing Mailbox chosen by the Answer Table, which in turn provides those options to Automated Attendant callers.