What Is an Auto-Attendant?
An auto-attendant, also referred to as an IVR (Interactive Voice Response), is an automated system that answers incoming calls and presents callers with a menu of options. Rather than speaking to a receptionist, callers press a number on their keypad to reach the department or person they need. Most businesses use an auto-attendant as the first point of contact for inbound calls.
How Callers Experience It
When a caller dials your main business number, they hear a recorded greeting followed by a list of options. For example: “Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Support, Press 0 to speak with the operator.” The caller presses the corresponding key and the system routes them accordingly. If the caller does not press anything within a set time, the system either repeats the menu or routes the call to a default destination.
What Each Option Can Do
Each key on an auto-attendant can be configured to do one of the following:
- Route the caller to a specific extension
- Route the caller to a ring group or department
- Route the caller to a call queue
- Route the caller to another auto-attendant
- Route the caller to a voicemail box
- Play a recorded information message
- Disconnect the call
After Hours Auto-Attendant
Many businesses set up a separate after-hours auto-attendant that plays a different greeting and offers different routing options when the office is closed. This is typically managed using time frames. When the business hours time frame is not active, calls automatically route to the after-hours attendant instead.
Updating Your Auto-Attendant
Changes to auto-attendant greetings, key assignments, or routing require administrator-level access or a support request. If you need to update any part of your auto-attendant, such as changing a menu option, updating the recorded greeting, or adding a new destination, contact support with the details of what you need changed and they will apply the update on your behalf.
Recording a New Auto-Attendant Greeting
If you need to record a new auto-attendant greeting, the process involves dialing the recording code for that specific auto-attendant from any internal phone and recording the new message at the prompt. The recording code for your auto-attendant is listed in your phone reference guide. Contact support if you are unsure of the correct code or need help locating the right attendant to update.