Auto Attendant Setup: How to Set Up a Main Greeting with a Menu of Extensions
This Auto Attendant Setup is designed to provide the best customer experience, whether you're a one-person team or have a larger staff. By setting up a main greeting with a menu of extensions, your callers will be greeted professionally and directed to the appropriate department or employee, making your business sound organized and efficient.
What You’ll Be Setting Up:
In this setup, you will:
- Forward your Unitel Voice number to your Main Greeting.
- Provide callers with a menu of departments and employee extensions to choose from.
- Set up an After-Hours Greeting to answer calls when your business is closed.
Example Main Greeting:
When customers call during business hours, they might hear:
- "Thank you for calling ABC Company. To speak to our Sales Department, press 1. For our Customer Support Department, press 2. If you know your party’s extension, you may dial it at any time. For our Dial-by-Name Directory, please press 8."
Example After-Hours Greeting:
When your business is closed, customers might hear:
- "Thank you for calling ABC Company. Our office is now closed. Our normal hours are 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. To leave a message for a team member, press 7, and we'll follow up as soon as possible."
Step 1: Create Employee Extensions
Start by setting up your Employee Extension to use with your mobile app and customize your voicemail.
1. Log into your system and navigate to Extensions.
2. Click Add Extension and enter your name, email, and time zone. Set the permission level to "Admin," and uncheck the invitation email box, then click Add.
3. Turn on Mobile App & Devices under the General Information section to forward calls to your mobile. 
4. Download the Unitel Voice Mobile App from the Apple Store or Google Play.
5. Scan the QR code in the Employee Extension settings to sync your app or enter the login credentials manually.
6. Remove the default forwarding number under Forwarding Extensions & Numbers.
7. Enter an email address for Voicemail Forwarding.
8. Record your Voicemail Greeting and save it under the "Voicemail Greeting" section.
9. Save your extension settings.
Click here for more help on creating employee extensions.
Step 2: Invite Your Team to Their Employee Extensions
Now, create extensions for each team member.
1. Go to the Employee Extensions section and click Add Extension.
2. Enter the user’s details and set their permission level. Optionally, toggle them to Admin if they should have access to your full system, excluding billing info.
3. Check the invite email box and click Add to send them an invite to log in, reset their password, and manage their mobile app and call forwarding.
4. Repeat this process for all team members.
Click here for more help on creating employee extensions.
Step 3: Create Department Extensions
You’ll need Department Extensions for each department you mention in your Main Greeting (e.g., Sales, Support, Billing).
1. Go to Department Extensions and click Add Extension.
2. Name the extension (e.g., “Sales Department”) and select the time zone.
3. Remove the default forwarding number and add a Sales Team Member's Employee Extension.
4. Adjust the ring duration to 15 seconds, and click Create.
5. Set up the Forwarding Schedule to designate when calls can be answered by this extension (optional).
6. Repeat for all departments in your greeting (e.g., Customer Support, Sales, etc).
7. You can control how the Department Extension forwards calls to each member of your sales team: either "in order," "random order," or "simultaneously." You can also reorder the list.
8. In the Voicemail Forwarding section, enter the email address where you'd like the voicemails to be forwarded.
9. Under Voicemail Greeting, select “Add your own greeting,” then choose “Record by computer” to launch the recording tool. Once you're happy with your recording, save it and ensure it’s selected.
10. Click Save & Close to save the extension's settings.
11. Repeat this process to create the Customer Support Department Extension (Extension 2), and you’ll have finished creating the Department Extensions for your Main Greeting.
Click here for more help on Department Extensions
Step 4: Activate Your Dial-by-Name Directory
The Dial-by-Name Directory lets callers look up extensions by employee name.
1. Scroll to Other Extensions and click Edit to manage the directory.
2. Add each Employee Extension to the directory by selecting them.
3. Ensure each employee’s name is recorded under the Recorded Extension Name section.
Important Note: Callers will not be able to select an Employee unless their name has been recorded within their Employee Extension under the section “Recorded Extension Name”. If you go back to your Employee Extensions and click “Edit” you will find the“Recorded Extension Name” below the voicemail greeting menu.
Click here for more help on the Dial-By-Name Directory.
Step 5: Record and Upload Your Main Greeting
Now, record your Main Greeting.
1. Go to Settings > Greetings > Add your own greeting
Recall the Main Greeting example we’ve been working with:
“Thank you for calling ABC Company. To speak to our Sales Department press 1, for our Customer Support Department press 2, if you know your party’s Employee Extension you may dial it at any time. For our Dial-by-Name Directory please press 8.”
2. You can either record by computer or use Voice Talent Studio for a professional recording (recommended for a polished business impression).
Option 1. Choose “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 each.
3. Save your greeting, and choose whether to have it "Repeat greeting" or "Transfer to extension" if the caller doesn’t dial an option.
Click here for more help on main greetings.
Step 6: Record and Upload Your After-Hours Greeting
Set up your After-Hours Greeting for when your business is closed.
Let's use the following After-Hours Greeting as an example:
“Thank you for calling ABC Company. Our office is now closed. Our normal hours of operation are 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday. If you’d like a member of our team to contact you, please press 7 to leave your name, number, and a brief message and we’ll follow up with you as soon as possible.”
1. Set your Business Hours Schedule to match your business hours.
2. Click Add Your Own Greeting and record your After-Hours Greeting just like your Main Greeting.
Click here for more help on After-Hours Greetings.
Step 7: Create a Voicemail Extension for After-Hours Messages
To receive after-hours messages, you need to create a Voicemail Extension.
1. Go to Department Extensions and click Add Extension.
2. Under “General Information,” make sure the extension number is 7 and add the extension's name, “After-Hours Voicemail.” (Adjust the time zone if needed.)
3. Disable Call Forwarding for this voicemail-only extension.
4. Enter an email address to forward voicemail messages.
Note: Since our After-Hours Greeting acts as a voicemail greeting informing the callers to leave their information, there’s no need to upload a voicemail greeting.
5. Then scroll up and click “Save” to save the extension settings.
Click here for more help on creating a voicemail extension.
AND, you're done!