AT&T ® MERLIN PIus COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM MERLIN Attendant User’s Guide
©1990 AT&T All Rights Reserved Printed in USA Issue 1 June, 1990 NOTICE The information in this document is subject to change without notice. AT&T assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. MERLIN is a registered trademark of AT&T. To order copies of this document, call the AT&T Customer Information Center, 1-800-432-6600 and include the document number 518-600-041 with your order.
Contents Section 1: Overview Introduction The MERLIN Attendant 1-1 1-2 Section 2: Changing the Current Settings Changing the Current Settings 2-1 Section 3: Troubleshooting Troubleshooting 3-1
FCC Notification Information INTERFERENCE INFORMATION Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules require that you be notified of the following: ● This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions in this manual, may cause interference to radio communications.
Section 1: Overview
Introduction This User’s Guide explains how the MERLIN Attendant works and how to change initial settings. To use the MERLIN Attendant: ❑ Consult the MERLIN Attendant Planning Configurator Form that your AT&T representative completed for your MERLIN Plus system.
The MERLIN Attendant The MERLIN Attendant answers incoming calls on designated lines with a prerecorded message and directs the calls to the appropriate extension in your MERLIN Plus Communications System Release 1 or 2. The MERLIN Attendant can help your business by answering calls immediately or after a delay to assist a busy receptionist. It can also answer calls when your company is closed for holidays and weekends, and after normal business hours.
DAY AND NIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS You can choose from two different announcements (day or night) to play to callers when the MERLIN Attendant answers incoming calls. Both the day announcement and the night announcement can direct calls to up to nine different routes (1 through 9, 0 is reserved for the receptionist). Additionally, these announcements can offer callers the option to dial individual extension numbers.
CALL HANDLING Three types of call handling are available with the MERLIN Attendant: ● Immediate Call Handling (See Figure 1-1) Immediate call handling can be set up so that the MERLIN Attendant answers these kinds of calls: ➤ All incoming calls on all lines. The receptionist is required to help callers who have a rotary telephone, or who need assistance, and to act as a backup for the MERLIN Attendant to answer calls if the MERLIN Attendant is busy. ➤ All incoming calls on specified lines.
Central office lines \ MERLIN Plus System control unit (Release 1 or 2) Receptionist ↓↓↓ MERLIN Attendant Central office lines \ Overflow MERLIN Attendant is Immediate Call Handler - Calls ring immediately at the MERLIN Attendant. If not answered on the first ring, calls will ring at the receptionist. MERLIN Plus System control unit (Release 1 or 2) MERLIN Attendant Receptionist Overflow MERLIN Attendant is Backup Call Handler - Calls ring immediately at the receptionist.
HOLD ANNOUNCEMENT Informs callers to hold until the call transfer is completed. Because unanswered calls return to the MERLIN Attendant, you must include information about what to do if the call transfer fails. Example: “Please hold during silence while your call is being transferred. If you hear the greeting again, please dial zero for assistance.“ RECEPTIONIST The receptionist answers calls that cannot be handled entirely by the MERLIN Attendant.
USING REMOTE LINE ACCESS Remote Line Access allows callers with password access to company lines to make outside calls. If the lines assigned for Remote Line Access are busy after hours, the MERLIN Attendant answers the call. In this case, the night announcement should ask callers who want to use RLA to call back when a line is available. Example: “Thank you for calling ABC Motors. Our sales hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
10VAC serial i/o reserved out to line FIGURE 1-3 Back view of the MERLIN Attendant. Refer to Figure 1-3 for a diagram of the back of the MERLIN Attendant unit and to the following paragraphs for its description. ● reset This recessed button resets the MERLIN Attendant. See ‘Troubleshooting” for details. ● setup switches There are four setup switches. Switches 1, 2, and 3 control the MERLIN Attendant’s response to a power outage; switch 4 is not used.
NUMBER OF ATTENDANTS ● 10 VAC This is the power connector. ● serial i/o This is for diagnostic tests by an authorized AT&T technician. ● audio out Not used ● reserved Not used ● to line This connects the MERLIN Attendant with the Basic Telephone and Modem Interface 2 (BTMI-2) on the MERLIN Plus system control unit. If you use the MERLIN Attendant only for backup call handling or after hours, you need only one Attendant unless call traffic is heavy, as shown in Table 1-3.
Section 2: Changing the Current Settings
Changing the Current Settings You may need to change one or more of the current settings for the MERLIN Attendant if, for example, your business hours change or you need to reset the clock for daylight saving time. On-site changes can be made only from a multi-line MERLIN system telephone. Changes can also be made from a remote location using a standard Touch-Tone telephone. If you have more than one MERLIN Attendant in your MERLIN Plus system, all their settings must be exactly the same.
REFERENCE TABLE FOR CHANGING SETTINGS Table 2-1 shows you where to find the appropriate information in this section.
SETTING THE CURRENT DAY, DATE, AND TIME 4 Dial *6 followed by the new authorized caller code you have chosen. 5 Dial ##. The two-beep confirmation tone sounds. 6 Enter the new authorized caller code again. 7 Dial # # to confirm the new authorized caller code. The two-beep confirmation tone sounds. 8 Continue programming or exit authorized caller mode by dialing * ##. 9 To disconnect, dial ##.
11 Dial # # to set the clock with the current day, date and time. The two-beep confirmation tone sounds. 12 Continue programming or exit authorized caller mode by dialing * # #. NOTE: If you have more than one MERLIN Attendant, you may transfer to each one by dialing the intercom numbers assigned to them— usually 11, 12, and 13. Follow the procedures in this section to program every MERLIN Attendant identically. 13 To disconnect, dial # #.
7 Dial two digits for the closing hour (00 through 23) using 24-hour time (00 is midnight). 8 Dial two digits for the closing minute (00 through 59). The two-beep confirmation tone sounds. 9 Repeat steps 4 through 8 of this procedure for each additional day as needed. 10 Continue programming or exit authorized caller mode by dialing * # #. NOTE: If you have more than one MERLIN Attendant, you may transfer to each one by dialing the intercom numbers assigned to them— usually 11, 12, and 13.
CHANGING YOUR BUSINESS DAYS If you schedule a day as “open” for business, the MERLIN Attendant plays the day announcement during business hours and switches to the night announcement after closing. If you schedule a day as “closed,” the night announcement plays. To schedule for a holiday or business closing on a day that your business is usually open, use this command to enter the day as “closed” up to six days before the closing.
RESETTING THE CLOCK FOR DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME To adjust the MERLIN Attendant’s clock by one hour (for daylight saving time), use the following instructions. 1 Select an outside line and dial a telephone number that is answered by your MERLIN Attendant. NOTE: If you are programming from a remote location using a single-line standard Touch-Tone phone, enter only one pound sign (#) for every two pound signs ( # # ) that appear in a programming command. 2 Wait for an answer.
When recording announcements be sure to speak clearly, using a normal tone of voice. When providing route numbers, pause between each one so that when the message is played the caller has an opportunity to hear the number he or she needs to enter. If you are transferring your announcements from a tape recorder, make sure the volume is not set too high. NOTE: At the end of the time allocation to each message, you will hear a beep.
ERASING ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REALLOCATING ANNOUNCEMENT TIMES You can decrease the time allocated for one announcement to lengthen the time for another provided the total time for all announcements equals 64 seconds. For example, you can add 25 seconds to the day announcement if you are not using the night announcement. To do this, you would use the procedure below to allocate 50 seconds to the day announcement and 00 seconds to the night announcement.
CHANGING THE ROUTING PLAN The routing plan determines how your MERLIN Attendant handles incoming calls, including where and when calls are transferred. You must establish separate routing plans for both your day announcement and night announcement, if applicable. To change the routing plan you must identify the business function of each route number (such as sales, customer service, accounting) and the route (0 through 9) the caller dials to reach an extension.
2 Wait for an answer. 3 Dial * followed immediately by your authorized caller code and # #. The two-beep confirmation tone sounds. 4 Dial *8. 5 Dial the route number (0 through 9). 6 Dial the extension code. 11 21 7 = = Day Primary Extension Night Primary Extension 2 5 = = Dial the transfer code. Blind Transfer Disconnect 8 Dial the extension number where the caller will be connected. 9 Dial # # # #. The two-beep confirmation tone sounds.
Programming a New Route for Blind Transfer Follow the steps below to program a blind transfer: 1 Select an outside line and dial a telephone number that is answered by your MERLIN Attendant. NOTE: If you are programming from a remote location using a single-line standard Touch-Tone phone, enter only one pound sign (#) for every two pound signs ( # # ) that appear in a programming command. 2 Wait for an answer. 3 Dial * followed immediately by your authorized tiller code and # #.
TABLE 2-3 Call Processing Options Program Code 2901 2902 2903 9709 9710 Option/ Description Day Answer Delay In day mode, number of rings before the MERLIN Attendant answers an incoming call. Night Answer Delay In night mode, number of rings before the MERLIN Attendant answers an incoming call. If not using night mode, set to 15. To use with Call Forwarding or Remote Line Access, set to 5 or more.
USING CALL FORWARDING OR REMOTE LINE ACCESS Follow the procedure below if you plan to use Call Forwarding or Remote Line Access for lines also assigned to the MERLIN Attendant: NOTE: These features are available only with the MERLIN Plus Release 2 system. 1 Follow the instructions in the MERLIN Plus System Release 2 System Manual to assign lines to Call Forwarding or Remote Line Access. 2 Set the Night Answer Delay option to five or more rings.
Section 3: Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting OUT-OF-SERVICE CODES When the MERLIN Attendant detects a problem, the unit enters an out-ofservice state and will not answer calls. The light labeled “battery” on the front of the unit blinks up to ten times, pauses, then repeats the pattern. NOTE: A single blink indicates that time is allocated for announcements but that either no announcements have been recorded or they have been erased.
CALLERS NOT TRANSFERRED If callers dialing into the MERLIN Plus system hear the MERLIN Attendant greeting message but are disconnected instead of being transferred, one or more required announcements may not have been recorded. To verify that this is the problem: 1 Select an outside line and call the MERLIN Attendant by dialing the main number of your business. 2 Listen to the greeting message. 3 Dial a valid extension number for your MERLIN Plus system.
Index 10 VAC connector, 1-9 24 hour operation, 1-3 24-hour format, using, 2-4 A Adapter, General Purpose, 1-6 After hours, 1-3, 1-4, 1-9 call answering, 1-3 call handling, 1-4 operation, 1-3, 1-4 Alternate attendant, 2-14 Announcement, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-8, 2-2, 2-4, 2-7, 2-8, 2-9, 2-13, 3-1, 3-2 bypassing, 1-2 changing, 2-7 — 2-8 day, 2-4 duration, 2-7 \ m2-8 erased, 3-1 erasing, 2-9 failing to record, 2-8 lost, 3-1 night, 2-4 playing back, 2-8 power failure, 1-8 prerecorded, 1-2 reallocating allotted
Defaults, 1-8, 2-2, 2-12, 3-1 call processing options, 2-12 code number, 2-2 power failure, 1-8 restoring code, 3-1 Diagnostic tests, 1-9 Dial plan, 2-12 Dialing delay, 2-13 Disconnect, 1-4, 1-8, 2-10, 3-2 ac power, 1-8 after announcement, 1-4 calls, 2-10, 3-2 E Early closing, 2-5 Erasing an existing route, 2-11 Erasing announcements, 2-9 Error tones, 2-1 Extending business hours, 2-5 Extension, 1-2, 2-10, 2-12, 2-13 highest, determining, 2-13 individual, entering, 2-12 invalid, 2-10 lowest, determining,
Rotary phone, calling from, 1-2, 1-4 Route, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 2-10, 2-11 0, transferring calls to, 2-10 eliminating, 2-11 invalid, 2-10 maximum number of, 1-2, 2-10 specifying function, 2-10 Routes, power failure, 1-8 Routing plan, 1-8, 2-10 — 2-11, 2-12 changing an existing route, 2-10 — 2-11 erasing an existing route, 2-11 programming for blind transfer, 2-12 saving, 1-8 S schedule, business, 1-1 Serial i/o, 1-9 Settings, changing, 2-1 — 2-2 Setup switches, 1-8, 3-1 Station port, 1-1 Switch, 1-8, 3-1
518-600-041
