Setup #2: Auto Attendant Without Department Extensions – How to Set Up a Main Greeting, Employee Extensions, Call Forwarding, and Voicemail

This guide will show you how to set up an Auto Attendant. In this system, you forward your Unitel Voice number to your Main Greeting without using a menu of department and employee extensions. Instead, callers will be directed to speak to the next available representative.

Example Main Greeting:

When customers call your business, they might hear:

• "Thank you for calling ABC Company. To speak to the next available representative, please press zero now."

This Auto Attendant setup has four steps:

1. Create Employee Extensions
2. Invite Your Team
3. Add Employee Extensions to Department Extension 0
4. Record & Upload Your Main Greeting

Step 1: Create an Employee Extension for Yourself.

The first thing you'll want to do is set yourself up with your own Employee Extension so you can use the Unitel mobile app and customize your personal voicemail box.

Here's how to do it: 

1. Log into your phone system and navigate to Extensions.

2. Create an Employee Extension for yourself by clicking “Add Extension.” Enter your name and email address, select a time zone, and set the permission level to “Admin.” Then uncheck the invitation email and click “Add.” The new Extension will appear in the employee extension list with its Edit Menu open.

3. Set up your employee extension to forward calls to the Mobile App. Under "General Information", turn on "Mobile App & Devices".

4. The "Mobile App & Devices" menu will appear in the right-hand column. Here, you will see a link to the device setup form for the mobile app, softphone, and IP phones. You'll want to finish creating your team's employee extensions before completing the form. We'll cover this more below in Step 3.

5. Scroll down to the section “Forwarding Extensions & Numbers” and delete the default forwarding number by clicking the “trash can icon” and hitting “OK”.

6. Then, go to the "Voicemail Forwarding" section and enter the email address to which you would like your voicemails to be forwarded.

7. Next, go to "Voicemail Greeting." To record a greeting, select “Add your own greeting.” Then select “record by computer.” This will launch the recording tool. Once you are happy with your recording, save it and make sure it is selected. 

8. Then scroll up and click “Save” to save the extension’s settings.

Step 2: Create and Invite Your Team to Their Employee Extensions

Now that you’ve created an Employee Extension for yourself, it’s time to create one for every member of your team. 

Here's how to do it:

1. Navigate back up to your list of Employee Extensions and click “Add Extension”. 

2. Add the user's information and set the permission level. 

Note: However, you can make them an Admin, turning this toggle to “On,” which gives the user complete access to your phone system with the exception of your billing and account information. As an alternative, you also have the option to give them specific access to manage other extensions in addition to their own Employee Extension. 

3. Then, make sure the send invite email is checked and click “Add.” This will send an email invitation to the user, allowing them to log in, reset their password, and manage their own call forwarding.

4. Repeat this process for every member of your team.

NOTE - If you would like to set up a mobile app, softphone, or IP phone for your teams' extensions, you'll want to toggle on "Mobile App & Devices" in the "General Settings" menu of each employee extension and SAVE! before completing Step 3.

Step 3: Setup Devices For Your Team

Inside new employee extensions, the "Mobile App & Devices" menu contains a link to the Device Setup Form. 

The Device Setup Form creates unique logins to connect the mobile app and softphone to each employee extension. It also allows you to order new IP phones or connect any existing IP phones our systems support.

Once the form is completed, you will receive logins & instructions based on the device types you're setting up.

Here's a quick video on the Setting Up Devices.   

Step 4: Add Employee Extensions to Department Extension 0.

1. Go up to your Department Extensions and select “Edit” on Department Extension Zero.

2. Scroll over to the section “Forwarding Extensions & Numbers” and delete the default forwarding number by clicking the “trash can icon" and hitting “OK.”

3. Now, you’ll want to add the Employee Extension of every member of your team. Click “Add a Forwarding Number” and then select each applicable Employee Extension under "Forwarding Number.” You have the option to enter a short description to label each Extension and adjust the ring duration. We recommend 15 seconds. Select "Create.”

4. If you click “Edit,” you can also adjust the “Forwarding Schedule,” which designates what days and times this specific Employee Extension can answer calls.

5. Repeat the process until all of our Employee Extensions have been added to Department Extension Zero. 

6. Once you’re done adding every Employee Extension, notice you also have the option to control how Department Extension Zero forwards calls to each member of your team: "in order", "random order", or "simultaneously". And you can reorder the list. 

7. Next, you should enter the email address (or addresses) to which you would like your voicemails to be forwarded. 

8. Then, you’ll want to record and upload a professional Voicemail Greeting. To record a greeting, select “Add your own greeting.” Then select “Record by Computer.” This will launch the recording tool. Once you are happy with your recording, save it and make sure it is selected.

9. Then scroll up and click “Save” to save the extension’s settings.

Step 5: Record and Upload Your Main Greeting.

Now that your Extensions are created, you’ll need to record or upload your Main Greeting.

1. Navigate to “Settings” and then “Greetings.” Here’s where you can manage your Main Greeting. You’ll see the system is currently playing a Default Main Greeting.

Recall the Main Greeting example we started with: 

“Thank you for calling ABC Company. To speak to the next available representative, please press zero now.”

When it comes to adding your own custom Main Greeting, you have two options: 

Option 1. You can record a greeting yourself by selecting “Add your own greeting.” Then select “Record by Computer,” which will launch the Recording Tool. Once you are happy with your recording, save it and make sure it is selected. 

Option 2. Visit studio.unitelvoice.com to use our Voice Talent Studio and have a professional recording done for you by a Voice Talent of your choice. 

Note: We recommend using our Voice Talent Studio so your business makes a great impression when customers call. You can order professional recordings for your Main Greeting, your After-Hours Greeting, and any Department Voicemail Greetings you need. Your first 100 words are free. And if you need more, you can purchase additional 100-word blocks for just $25 apiece.  

2. Once you've uploaded and saved your Main Greeting, you have the option below to have your recording replay if your caller does not dial an Extension. Or, you can have your recording play once, and if your caller does not dial an extension, after a brief delay, have the caller automatically forward to an extension of your choice.

AND, you're done!