Company Virtual Receptionist Service

Virtual Receptionist service is a speech application that answers calls and directs them to people, departments or services in a company.  People who call the company phone number are greeted using a custom company message before being offered the option to say the name of the person or service they want to reach (or enter the appropriate extension). Using speech recognition or touchtone commands, the Virtual Receptionist forwards the calls to the appropriate user or service using their call forwarding preferences (Smart Number service). Company members are users who subscribed using keys from the same company account. All company members are automatically included in the speech-enabled company directory. Members can belong to one or many groups that form sub-directories available for speech name dialing.  Groups can represent any group of people  in a company (sales department, technical support team, etc.). A company DID is required for the service.

Note that the Virtual Receptionist option is offered only to organizations or groups that have a company account on the Evatel system, and that company users can also be reached directly using their personal DID numbers (Smart Number service).

Use the following links to get answers to some common questions about Company Account Setup:

How The Virtual Receptionist Works

Technically speaking, the Virtual Receptionist is a tree-structured application composed of states (menus), events (options) and transitions (actions). In each state, the caller is given information and options to choose from. After each option selection by the caller, the call is transferred (transitions) to its next state which can be dialing the user's extension or mobile phone number, offering another menu of options, starting an application, etc. Part of the options include saying the name of the person or service to reach, or saying a keyword such as Help or Sales. Here are some technical aspects of the Virtual Receptionist service:
  • Menus: The Virtual Receptionist is made of one or many menus. There is at least one menu (the root) for each service. Each menu has its own options and audio prompts.
  • Options: Menu options are choices offered to the caller. An option is a speech or DTMF command entered by the user that triggers the execution of an action.
  • Actions: Each user command results in the execution of an action to transfer the call to one of the following destinations:
    • User: transfer the call to a User
    • Phone: transfer the call to a Phone number
    • Service: transfer the call to an application Service
    • Menu: transfer the call to another Menu
  • Directory of Users : Each menu can be configured to automatically load the list of users (company members or employees) and enable callers to dial them by name. For each menu, the directory can be made of the full list of users or only those who belong to a specific group.
  • Audio Prompts: Custom audio prompts can be recorded and imported into the Evatel system for use in the Virtual Receptionist service. Each menu option can have its own prompts.

Service Customization

The Virtual Receptionist offers auto attendant functions with speech recognition and a flexible menu structure to meet many company requirements.  Its Web configuration interface provides the flexibility and simplicity to easily build and manage the company speech directory of employees, departments and services. The Virtual Receptionist service is created and customized by the company administrator. Customization includes the possibility to change the following menus and options:
  • Add options and audio prompts to existing menus
  • Import custom audio prompts into the system for use by the Virtual Receptionist
  • Define new speech keywords and DTMF keys as menu option commands.
  • Customize the transfer actions for each menu option
  • Create new menus and link them to the service call flow using incoming and outgoing menu options
  • Link external speech applications to the service call flow menu options
  • Define groups of users for specific departments in the organization
  • Configure each menu to provide speech access to company directory or its sub-directories simply by checking a "Load Users" option.

Configuration Session

From the Company Administrator view, click the Virtual Receptionist  button on the Web Portal toolbar. A Virtual Receptionist page opens enabling you to view and edit the following fields and options:
  • The Greeting Messages associated with the Virtual Receptionist
  • The telephone number (DID) assigned to the Virtual Receptionist service
  • The option to have users calls forwarded directly to their account for an Evatel session
  • The list of existing menus
  • The Add Menu and Upload Prompts command buttons

Creating and Managing Groups

A group is a list of users in the same category (department or team). Groups can be the sales team, the technical support group, the administration department staff or the employees in a specific regional office.  Groups are used to select the users that can be reached in a given menu either by name or extension number.

Creating New Groups

You can create and add new groups of users from the main Virtual Receptionist page as follows:
  • Click on the Groups button. A Groups window appears.
  • Click on the New Group button. A blank New Group window appears showing the list of company users.
  • Enter the name of the new group in the group name field, then select the users assigned to the new group. To select all users, check the user selection title box. You can check and uncheck user to add them or remove from the group as needed. Click Submit when finished.
  • Click Submit to confirm the new group creation, or Cancel to close the window without adding the new group.

Viewing the List of Groups

You can view the list of existing groups from the Virtual Receptionist  page as follows:
  • Click on the Groups button. A Groups window appears showing the list of existing groups.
  • To view the list of users in any group, select the group from the Subgroup in View list.
  • The list of users in the selected group is displayed with a checkbox.
  • Click Cancel to close the window without changes.

Modifying Existing Groups

You can modify the list of users in groups from the Virtual Receptionist  page as follows:
  • Click on the Groups button. A Groups window appears showing the list of existing groups.
  • Select the group to modify from the Subgroup in View list.
  • The list of users in the selected group is displayed.  Set a checkbox to add a user to the group. Unset a checkbox to remove a user from the group. Click Submit when finished.
  • Click Submit to confirm the changes or Cancel to close the window without any change.

Removing Groups

You can remove existing groups from the Virtual Receptionist  page as follows:
  • Click on the Groups button. A Groups window appears showing the list of existing groups.
  • Click the Remove link corresponding to the group you want to delete. A confirmation window will open asking you to confirm the removal of the group.
    Click OK to remove the group, or Cancel to close the window without change.

Assigning a DID Number to your Virtual Receptionist

From the main Virtual Receptionist  page, select the telephone number of your Virtual Receptionist service (usually, this is the company's main phone number). If the number is not in the list of DIDs assigned to your Company, you can select New and enter manually. Click Apply when finished.

Defining the Operator User

From the main Virtual Receptionist  page, select the user who will be assigned the operator role. Operators get all calls of people who have not been able to reach the person or service they want, or who specifically wanted to speak to the operator for information or help. Any user can be the Company Operator. You may even create a virtual user with multiple phone numbers and a specific call forwarding schedule to transfer calls to different people at different dates and times.  Click Apply when finished.

Auto-Forwarding Users to their Assistant

Check this option to automatically transfer users to their assistant when they call  from their Auto-ID or Auto-PIN numbers. This will give them access to their mailbox and enable them to control their call forwarding, account profile, etc. Select this feature if you want to use the same Virtual Receptionist phone number for customer calls and user calls (virtual assistant service). Click Apply when finished.

Asking Unknown Callers to Select their Language

Check this option if you want the Virtual Receptionist to ask unknown callers to select the language of navigation. Unknown callers are people calling from a number that is unknown or cannot be identified to a user or contact on the system. This option is only for bilingual virtual assistant services.  Uncheck this option if you want unknown callers to be greeted in the primary company language (default) as set in the company profile. Click Apply when finished. Go to Changing Company Languages for more.

Configuring the Greeting Messages and Menu Prompts

The main role of the Virtual Receptionist service is to answer customer calls. It usually welcomes callers with a greeting message before giving them the options to select the user or service they want to reach.

Default System Greeting Prompts

By default, the Virtual Receptionist service plays generic greeting messages followed by menu instructions to select the person or service to reach. The result is something like this:

"Hello and welcome to <company name>".
"At anytime, say the name of the person or service you want to reach."

For bilingual services, the Virtual Receptionist plays an additional language selection prompt. The language(s) supported are specified in the company profile. Custom greeting messages may be used instead of the default ones. Go to the Uploading Custom Prompts paragraph for more details on how to import and use your own company greeting messages.

Record & Upload Your Prompts

You can record and upload custom prompts for use in your Virtual Receptionist service. Once uploaded, the custom prompts can be used for different purposes: greeting, menu instructions, transfer messages, etc. Here is how you can upload your custom prompts for use in your company Virtual Receptionist service:
  • Make sure that your custom prompts have been recorded and saved in a standard .WAV format on your computer.
  • From the Virtual Receptionist page, click the Upload Prompts button. An Upload Files window opens.
  • Press Browse to select the audio prompts file to upload from your computer. Click Submit to start uploading the selected file to the Evatel Server. If your Virtual Receptionist service is bilingual, then you should select the audio prompt file for each language supported in your company profile.
Repeat the operations above until all your custom prompts have been uploaded. Note that you can always go back and upload other custom prompts at a later stage.

The following generic prompts are installed by default:

  • CompanyGreet
    Hello and welcome
  • Open
    Please say the name of the person you would like to reach

Selecting Custom Greeting Messages

If you have recorded and uploaded custom greeting messages, you can configure your Virtual Receptionist to use them as follows:
  • From the Virtual Receptionist page, in the Greeting Messages section, click the pull-down button to list the available custom prompts.
  • Select the audio file to be used as your company's greeting message in the selected language.
  • Repeat the operation for the second language if your company's Virtual Receptionist service is bilingual.

Main Menu

A default main menu called "AutoAttendant" is automatically created for each new Virtual Receptionist service. It loads the company users and plays the default instructions prompt to select the user to be reached:

"Please say the name of the person you would like to reach."

To view and configure this menu, click the Edit button on its header line. A Menu edit window opens showing the parameters of the "AutoAttendant" menu as follows:

  • The Load Users option is set to Yes confirming that the users directory will be loaded and offered in this menu.
  • The audio file "EAA-Instructions.wav" will be played as an instruction prompt for this menu. You may select a different prompt from the list of available audio files.
  • Click Submit to confirm the changes, or Cancel to close the window without any change.

Adding a New Menu

A menu is a state or step in the dialog interaction with the caller. A menu may or may not include the option to select a user from the company directory. Specific menu options can be added to offer callers the ability to navigate through menus, access services, or get transferred to specific users or telephone numbers. You can define and add a new Menu by clicking the Add New Menu button in the Virtual Receptionist page. A New Menu window opens displaying a menu definition form.
  • In the Name field, enter the name you want to give to the new menu.
  • In the field Load Users, select Yes if you want to make the users directory available in this menu. Choose No if you don't want callers to be transferred to users (company employees).
In the "Messages played as menu instructions" section, select the audio file(s) to be played when this menu is called. Use the list of available prompts to choose the prompt for each language supported by your company.

Click Submit to confirm the changes, or Cancel to close the window without any change. You can now Add Options to your New Menu if needed.

Selecting the Telephone Directory to Load in a Menu: Group or All

For each menu of your Virtual Receptionist, you can choose to offer a telephony directory of users that can be reached by phone. The telephone directory can include all users or only a group. To select the list of users to load in a menu, do the following:
  • To modify an existing menu, click the Edit link corresponding to the menu. For new menus, click Add Menu.
    A Menu properties window appears.
  • Select the Group of users reachable in this menu from the Load Users list.
    To select all users, choose Yes- All.
    If you don't want callers to dial users from the selected menu, choose No.
  • Click Submit to confirm the changes, or Cancel to close the window without any change.

Modifying Menus

From the Virtual Receptionist  page, you can see the list of menus defined for your Virtual Receptionist service.

You can access and modify any menu by clicking on the Edit Menu link for that menu. An Edit Menu window opens showing the parameters of the selected menu. The fields are the same as the ones filled during the creation of the menu. Make the desired changes then click Submit to confirm the changes or Cancel to close the window without any change.

Adding Menu Options

A menu option is one of the menu selection choices offered to the caller in the form of a speech or DTMF command to get something done. Actions that can be triggered by a menu option are primarily call transfers to a user, a service, a telephone number or a menu. To add a new menu option, click on the Add Option link for the selected menu. A Menu Option window opens showing the parameters of the menu option.

The window is divided in two sections:

  • The left section is used to define the speech and DTMF commands for this option.
  • The right section is used to define the action to be executed and the prompt(s) to play while performing the action.

Menu Speech Keywords and DTMF Keys

For each menu option, you can define one DTMF (touchtone) key and up to two speech keywords for each language supported in the Virtual Receptionist service.
  • Speech commands (keywords) are words expected from the caller as commands to get a specific action done. Make sure that the same keywords are not used twice in the same menu.
  • Touchtone (DTMF) key can be any digit (0-9), star (*) or pound (#) entered from a telephone keypad. It is important that DTMF keys for menu options do not conflict with the first digit of user extensions if the users' directory is offered in the same menu.

Menu Actions

For each menu option, you can specify the action to be executed if the caller says the appropriate speech command or enters the correct DTMF key. The action is a transfer of the call to another menu, a service, a user or a telephone number.

Transfer to:  Select the type of call transfer action you want to assign to this menu option. There are four types of call transfer actions and for each transfer, you need to specify the destination as follows:

  • User Select the name of the user to whom you want the call to be transferred.
  • Phone Enter the telephone number where you want the call to be transferred. You can specify a regular telephone number, a PBX extension, or a SIP phone.
  • Service Select the name of the service to which you want the caller to be transferred. For example, you may define a keyword to forward users to their virtual assistant account.
  • Menu Select the menu where you want the caller to go to. Note that the selected menu has its own set of speech and DTMF options.

Menu Audio Prompts

You can specify the audio message(s) to play while transferring the caller to the next destination. Note that this audio prompt is different from the instruction prompt defined for the menu and which is played in the beginning of the menu. Use the list of available custom prompts to select the audio prompt for each language supported by your company.
Click Submit to confirm the changes, or Cancel to close the window without any change.

Modifying Menu Options

You can view and modify any menu option from the Virtual Receptionist page by clicking on its name. A Menu Option window opens showing the option's current settings. Make the desired changes simply by overwriting the existing information.
Click Submit to save the modifications, or Cancel to close the window without saving the changes.

Removing Menu Options

You can remove any menu option from the Virtual Receptionist  page by clicking the Remove link corresponding to the menu option you want to delete. A confirmation window will open asking you to confirm the removal of the menu option.
Click OK to remove the menu option, or Cancel to close the window without change.

FAQs

Can I Develop and Offer IVR Applications through the Virtual Receptionist?

Yes, but you you need to go through your service provider to install the IVR application as a service and assign it to your company account. You will then be able to make the IVR service available to your customers through a direct phone number (DID), a spoken keyword, or a virtual extension. Go to Company Services for more details.

Can Employees Access their Excendia Account_through the Virtual Receptionist?

Yes. You can create a menu option that forwards callers to the virtual assistant service. You can also have all known company employees forwarded to their virtual assistant account automatically if they call from their Auto-ID or Auto-PIN phone numbers. Go to Auto-Forwarding Users to their Assistant and Menu Actions for more on these functions.

Can I Forward Calls to Regional Offices?

Yes. You can have callers forwarded to any phone number whether it is PSTN or SIP, to a user with call forwarding, or to a service. The location of these phone numbers and services can be anywhere. Go to Forwarding Callers to Phone Numbers for more.

Can I Forward Calls to Specific PBX Extensions?

Yes. Simply select PBX as the phone type and enter the PBX extension in the phone fields of the Transfer To action.  Go to Menu Actions for more.

Can I Forward Calls to SIP Phones?

Yes. Simply select SIP as the phone type and enter the SIP address in the phone fields of the Transfer To action.  Go to Menu Actions for more.