# Mailbox Greetings
(Embedded Voice Mail)

## Overview

Mailbox greetings play when a caller reaches a user's mailbox. There are two greetings: one that plays when the user's phone is busy and the other when they don't answer or when they have their phone in Call Forwarded Always to voice mail. The default no-answer greeting plays a message recorded by the user. A typical user-recorded greeting would identify the user and inform callers that they are unable to answer their call— example: "Hello. You have reached John Doe. I am in today but missed your call. If you would like, please leave your name, telephone number and message at the sound of the tone and I will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you."

The greeting can also include a fixed system prompt that instructs the caller to leave a message after the tone or to press a key for further options. The default busy greeting plays a fixed system message that informs the caller that the user is on the phone followed by the prompt to leave a message.

The three parts of the greeting— mailbox name, greeting body, and fixed system message or prompt— are optional. You can control which parts play by editing the user's mailbox settings and selecting from the options in the table below. The options allow you to, for example, play the user name and system prompt or play just the greeting body. The greeting body can be a personal greeting (e.g., "Hello, You have reached John Doe….) recorded by the mailbox user or a standard greeting such as "Welcome to ABC Corporation. That extension is not available. Please leave a message." The standard greeting is recorded by phone using the Administrator's mailbox or recorded to an audio file and downloaded into the system using the System Audio Files Update form.

### Non-Busy Options

The following table describes the behavior when bilingual operation is disabled and the mailbox is set up— that is, a name and personal greeting has been recorded by the owner.

If the personal greeting is NOT recorded or uploaded, the fixed system message, "I'm sorry, the person you're trying to reach is unavailable at this time" plays instead of the personal greeting and the mailbox number plays instead of the mailbox name.

Greeting Option | Plays…
0 (default) | a personal greeting (as recorded by the mailbox user) followed by the fixed system prompt, "Begin speaking after the tone, then hang-up when you are finished or press any key for further options.
1 | a personal greeting as per Option 0, followed by the leave-message tone, and then silence.
2 | the fixed system message, "I'm sorry, the person you're trying to reach is unavailable at this time" followed by the fixed system prompt, "Begin speaking after the tone, then hang-up when you are finished or press any key for further options."
3 | the fixed system message as per Option 2, followed by the leave-message tone, and then silence.
4 | a standard greeting (as recorded by the administrator or other person), followed by the mailbox owner's name (as recorded by the owner),and then the fixed system prompt, "Begin speaking after the tone, then hang-up when you are finished or press any key for further options."
5 | a standard greeting as per Option 4, followed by the mailbox owner's name (as recorded by the owner), followed by the leave-message tone, and then silence.
6 | a standard greeting as per Option 5 minus the mailbox user's name, followed by the fixed system prompt, "Begin speaking after the tone, then hang-up when you are finished or press any key for further options."
7 | a standard greeting as per Option 6, followed by the leave-message tone, and then silence.

### Busy Options

The following table describes the behavior when the mailbox is set up— that is, a name and personal greeting has been recorded by the mailbox owner.

If the personal greeting is NOT recorded or uploaded, the fixed system message, "I'm sorry…" followed by the mailbox number and "…is currently on the phone" plays instead of the mailbox name and personal greeting.

Greeting Option | Plays…
0 (default) | the following fixed system message in both the primary and alternate languages if Bilingual operation is enabled and the caller has not chosen a language: "I'm sorry, the person you are calling is currently on the phone" followed by the mailbox owner's personal greeting, then the fixed system prompt, "Begin speaking after the tone, then hang-up when you are finished or press any key for further options. If Bilingual operation is disabled, the following plays: "I'm sorry…" followed by the mailbox owner's name (as recorded by the owner or administrator), then "…is currently on the phone" then the owner's personal greeting, and then the fixed system prompt, "Begin speaking after the tone, then hang-up when you are finished or press any key for further options."
1 | "I'm sorry…" followed by the mailbox owner's name (as recorded by the owner or administrator), then "…is currently on the phone" and then the fixed system prompt, "Begin speaking after the tone, then hang-up when you are finished or press any key for further options."
2 | the fixed system prompt, "I'm sorry…" followed by the mailbox owner's name, then "…is currently on the phone" followed by the mailbox owner's personal greeting, and then silence.
3 | the fixed system message, "I'm sorry, the person you are calling is currently on the phone." followed by the fixed system prompt, "Begin speaking after the tone, then hang-up when you are finished or press any key for further options."
4 | the fixed system message, "I'm sorry, the person you are calling is currently on the phone." followed by silence.
5 | the currently selected Non-Busy Greeting option. For example, if the Non-Busy Option is 0, then callers encountering a busy extension will hear the same greeting heard when the extension is not answering or call forwarded always to voice mail.
6 | Same as Greeting option 0 (default)

## Conditions and Feature Interactions

- For proper operation, the phones should be programmed for Call Forward - No Answer and Call Forward– Busy conditions for both internal and external calls. If programmed for Call Forward - Always, the voicemail system will not know the state of the phone and use the Call Forward – No Answer prompts.

- Mailboxes configured not to play a personal greeting still offer the user the option to record one via the User Options menu. The personal greeting, if recorded, will be ignored.

## Programming

To configure the Mailbox Greetings:

1. Access the System Administrator's mailbox.

2. Press [2] for the Edit Mailbox menu.

3. Enter the mailbox number to edit.

4. Press # repeatedly until prompted to enter a Technician's function code.

5. Enter the desired Non-busy option from the table above.

6. The Technician's function code prompt repeats. Enter the desired Busy option from the table above.

7. Repeat for other mailboxes are required.

To download an audio file containing a mailbox greeting:

- System Audio Files Update form

- Select Mailbox Greeting

- Enter the Mailbox Number

- Select the Greeting Type: Main/Business Open, Business Closed, Temporary, or Name

NOTE: Business Closed greeting is supported only for Multi-level Auto Attendant (MLAA) menu node mailboxes.

- Browse to choose the audio file

- Click Update

To download an audio file containing a standard greeting for the Auto Attendant:

- System Audio Files Update form

- Select Auto Attendant Greeting

- Greeting Set = Primary

- Greeting Type = Default Mailbox

- Select the required language option

- Browse to choose the audio file

- Click Update

Related Topics

- System Greetings

- Recording System Greetings