Applies to: Exchange Server 2007
Topic Last Modified: 2007-06-14

When you install the Unified Messaging (UM) server role, a set of default audio files for system prompts for UM dial plans and auto attendant are copied to the Unified Messaging server. Even though the system prompts must not be replaced or changed, there is a good chance that you will want to customize the audio files that will be used for greetings, announcements, and auto attendant menu prompts.

Although the system prompts must not be replaced or changed, you will probably want to customize the greetings, informational announcements, and menu prompts that are used with UM dial plans and auto attendants. After the Unified Messaging server role is installed, you can configure the UM dial plans and auto attendants to use custom audio files. You must perform the following three steps before you can enable custom voice prompts for callers:

  1. Record the custom greeting and save it as a .wav file. The Linear PCM (16 bit/sample), 8-kilohertz (kHz) audio codec must be used to encode the .wav file.

  2. Copy the customized greeting to the appropriate folder on a Unified Messaging server by using the Copy-UMCustomPrompt (RTM) Exchange Management Shell cmdlet.

  3. Configure the auto attendant to use the customized greeting.

Use the Greetings tab on the auto attendant's Properties sheet to manage recorded greetings for the current Unified Messaging (UM) auto attendant. You can select default greetings or previously recorded custom greetings for business hours and non-business hours.

Business hours greeting
  • This is the initial greeting that is played when a caller calls the auto attendant during your organization's business hours. By default, it is a system prompt that says, "Welcome to the Exchange auto attendant." This greeting plays during your organization's business hours. The business and non-business hours are configured on the auto attendant Times tab.

  • You may want to customize this greeting to represent your company such as, “Thank you for calling Woodgrove Bank." You can configure a customized business hours greeting by clicking Modify to select a previously recorded custom greeting file.

Non-Business hours greeting
  • This is the initial greeting that is played when a caller calls the auto attendant during your organization's non- business hours. By default, there are no business or non-business hours configured. Therefore, there is no default non-business hours greeting. You can configure the business and non-business hours on the auto attendant Times tab.

  • You may want to customize this greeting to represent your company, for example, “Thank you for calling Woodgrove Bank but we are now closed." You can configure a customized business hours greeting by clicking Modify to select a previously recorded custom greeting file.

Informational announcement
  • When it is enabled, this optional recording plays right after the business or non-business hours greeting. An informational announcement may state the organization's hours of operation, for example, “Our business hours are 8:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M., Monday through Friday and 8:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. on Saturday.” An information announcement can also provide information that is required for compliance with company policy, for example, “Calls may be monitored for training purposes.” If it is important that callers hear the whole informational announcement, it can be marked as uninterruptible.

Business hours main menu prompt
  • The business hours main menu prompt for an auto attendant is the list of options callers hear during business hours that are defined on the Times tab. For example, "For technical support, press or say 1. For corporate offices and administration, press or say 2. For sales, press or say 3."

  • To enable a business hours main menu prompt, you must perform the following steps:

    1. Specify a custom menu prompt audio file. To use a custom business hours menu prompt, click Modify to select the default prompt or to specify a previously recorded prompt.

    2. Configure the appropriate business hours by using the Business hours option on the Times tab.

    3. Enable business hours key mapping and configure key mappings on the Key Mapping tab for the auto attendant.

Non-Business hours main menu prompt
  • The non-business hours main menu prompt for an auto attendant is the list of options callers hear during the non-business hours that are defined on the Times tab. For example, "Your call is very important to us. However, you have reached Woodgrove Bank after normal business hours. If you want to leave a message, please press or say 1 and we will return your call as soon as possible."

  • To enable a non-business hours main menu prompt, you must perform the following steps:

    1. Specify a custom menu prompt audio file. To use a custom non-business hours main menu prompt, click Modify to select the default prompt or to specify a previously recorded prompt.

    2. Configure the appropriate business hours by using the Business hours option on the Times tab.

    3. Enable non-business hours key mapping and configure key mappings on the Key Mapping tab for the auto attendant.

For more information about the secondary dialog boxes that you can use to configure custom greetings, see Organization Configuration > Unified Messaging > UM Auto Attendant > Greetings Tab > Greetings Setting Dialog Box (RTM).

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