How To Configure Auto-attendant
Kiwilink provides all users with a free and simple auto-attendant service. The service allows you to record your own menu prompts giving available options for callers. You can then decide which digits divert to which phone numbers. You can decide if you want the menu to be played at all times or on specific days and times (such as outside of work hours). The service also allows you to set how long to wait for a response from callers, how many times to replay your menu options and whether to forward on as normal to your kiwilink number following the menu timeout or invalid digit entry.
Here is a simple step-by-step guide to getting your auto-attendant service up and running:
- Login to kiwilink Live and under Inbound calls in ‘Kiwilink settings’ click on auto attendant settings
- Decide on your menu options. You can assign forwarding numbers to all 10 digits (0-9). The ‘*’ digit alays repeats your auto-attendant message.
- Dial *22 from your kiwilink phone and after the beep, record your Welcome message for customers along with your menu options. When done hangup or press the ‘#’ key.
Dial *23 from your kiwilink phone if you wish to play back the recording you have just made - When you are happy with the recording you can enable the auto attendant service by clicking on ‘Enable’ in the web interface or dialing *24 from your kiwilink phone. The service will not work until you have recorded a message. If you wish to de-activate the service at any time then dial *25
- If you wish to change the default settings you can also set the following options (in the kiwilink Live web interface only):
- Select the time of day to enable the auto attendant service (default is ‘At all times’)
Enter the number of seconds to wait for a response from the user (default is 5 seconds and must be at least 1 second) - Enter the number of times to replay the recorded message (default is 3 times and must be at least 1 time)
- Select whether to ring through to your kiwilink phone number (following normal inbound call logic) following the recorded message or in the event of an invalid digit being entered (i.e. one where you have not setup a forward). If this is not selected then the call will be hung up instead (or the menu replayed if an invalid digit was entered).
Typically your recording will go along the lines of: “Hi there. If you wish to speak with Bob then press 1, if you wish to speak to John then press 2, if you want to speak to Fred then press 3 or hold the line to be connected to Bill”. Of course your menu could be aimed at different individuals or just different contact numbers for yourself. It’s up to you of course!
At the moment we only support simple single-level menu structures which is sufficient for most customers, you could build multiple menu levels of course by adding new lines to your account and activating the auto-attendant service on those lines too with sub-menu prompts.NOTE: If you wish to record your auto attendant message from a non-kiwilink phone then you can set this up via the remote dialtone service which will present you with a dial tone from which you can then dial the required star codes (e.g. *22 to record a message). You can enable temporarily enable remote dialtone on your number in kiwilink live (specify a PIN), dial into your number, record your message and then disable the remote dialtone service again if required.
If you already have your own auto-attendant/IVR message and you wish to use that recording instead then you can email support@kiwilink.co.nz with the details and we can load the recording onto your profile for you. However this a very manual and time consuming activity which costs $75 + GST. The file needs to be in a WAV format. MP3 and other formats are not suitable for uploading. The Service Level Agreement to upload a file is 7 working days for the upload to be complete.
Another cheaper and quicker solution is for you to play the message into a phone or microphone while you manage the message via the phone.