 | Terry Lewis is the owner of Data LINC Communications, Inc. at 1110 Waddington in Wichita. Data LINC has been in business since 1994. They offer a full range of services from voice and data cable installation to communications’ networking. They sell, install and maintain phone systems, including but not limited to ESI and Clearfly, provider of unlimited long distance, caller ID, free local calling and many other features and services. You can contact Terry by phone at 316-729-0279, by email tlewis@datalinc.net, or visit their website www.datalinc.net.
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Internet Software, Hardware, and Computers
2013-01-02 14:01:07
Communications analysis - series
A-Of course, and thank you for the question. One of the first questions I receive in doing analyses for businesses is, “Tell us about voice mail?” So, let me start with this…
At its most basic level, voice mail is essentially a phone answering system that can take messages for any number of people. Unlike an answering machine that stores messages on a single cassette tape, voice mail systems store messages on a computer disk in “mailboxes.” Each staff person is assigned a mailbox where only his/her messages are stored. This mailbox has a password so that only the assigned staff person can retrieve his or her messages. In addition, these systems allow the individual staff person to create his/her own greeting so that callers can receive specific information such as daily schedule, that the person is on vacation, or who else to call for more information.
Voice mail systems can allow an organization to have an “unattended” main line. This means rather than having a receptionist answer the phone, the voice mail system answers the phone, provides a common greeting and then guides the caller to the appropriate staff person. This feature is known as the voice mail's “auto-attendant.”
At its most advanced levels, the voice mail can unify voice, fax, and e-mail messages into a single screen of a user's personal computer. This feature is known as “unified messaging.” Voice mail can also interact with a caller's voice, recognizing the spoken response and act according (e.g. transfer a call to a specific staff person). This feature is known as “interactive voice response.”
Next month I will share with you some things to look for in a voice mail system.
