Table Of Contents

Managing Call Handlers

Overview: Default Call Handlers

Creating, Modifying, and Deleting Call Handler Templates

Creating Call Handlers

Modifying Call Handlers

Overview of Call Handler Greetings

Managing Call Handler Greetings

Changing Phone Language Settings

Offering One-Key Dialing During Call Handler Greetings

Taking Messages

Transferring Calls

Deleting Call Handlers

Managing Call Handlers

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See the following sections:

•Overview: Default Call Handlers

•Creating, Modifying, and Deleting Call Handler Templates

•Creating Call Handlers

•Modifying Call Handlers

•Overview of Call Handler Greetings

•Managing Call Handler Greetings

•Changing Phone Language Settings

•Offering One-Key Dialing During Call Handler Greetings

•Taking Messages

•Transferring Calls

•Deleting Call Handlers

Overview: Default Call Handlers

Cisco Unity Connection comes with the following predefined call handlers, which you can modify but not delete. Note that you will at least want to modify the greetings for these call handlers.

Opening Greeting	Acts as an automated attendant, playing the greeting that callers first hear when they call your organization, and performing the actions you specify. The Opening Greeting Call Routing rule transfers all incoming calls to the Opening Greeting call handler. By default, the Opening Greeting call handler allows callers to press * to reach the Sign-in conversation, or press # to reach the Operator call handler. Messages left in the Opening Greeting call handler are sent to the Undeliverable Messages distribution list.
Operator	Calls are routed to this call handler when callers press "0" or do not press any key (the default setting). You can set up the Operator call handler so that callers can leave a message or be transferred to a live operator. By default, the Operator call handler allows callers to press * to reach the Sign-in conversation, or press # to reach the Opening Greeting call handler. Messages left in the Operator call handler are sent to the mailbox for the Operator user.
Goodbye	Plays a brief goodbye message and then hangs up if there is no caller input. By default, the Goodbye call handler allows callers to press * to reach the Sign-in conversation, or press # to reach the Opening Greeting call handler. If you change the After Greeting action from Hang Up to Take Message, then messages left in the Goodbye call handler are sent to the Undeliverable Messages distribution list.

Creating, Modifying, and Deleting Call Handler Templates

Each call handler that you add in Cisco Unity Connection is based on a template. Settings from the template are applied to the call handler as the call handler is created. Connection comes with the following predefined call handler templates, which you can modify but not delete:

System Call Handler Contact Template	The settings on this template are suitable for most contacts.
System Call Handler Template	The settings on this template are suitable for most call handlers.

You can also create new templates.

Before you create call handlers, review the settings in the template that you plan to use and determine whether you need to make changes or create new templates. For each template, you will want to consider enabling the appropriate transfer, caller input, greetings, and message settings for the call handlers that you plan to create. If you change settings on a call handler template, the new settings will be in effect only for new call handlers that are created by using that template. (Changes to template settings do not affect existing call handlers.)

Deleting a call handler template will not affect any call handlers that were based on that template when they were created. Note that you cannot delete the default templates.

See the following procedures:

•To Create a Call Handler Template

•To Modify a Call Handler Template

•To Delete a Call Handler Template

To Create a Call Handler Template

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Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Templates, then click Call Handler Templates.

Step 2 On the Search Call Handler Templates page, click Add New.

Step 3 On the New Call Handler Template page, enter basic settings, as applicable. (For field information, on the Help menu, click Field Definitions.)

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Note Fields marked with * (an asterisk) are required.

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Step 4 Click Save.

Step 5 On the Edit Call Handler Template page, continue entering applicable settings.

Step 6 When you have finished entering settings on the Edit Call Handler Template page, click Save.

Step 7 From the Edit menu, click any (or all) of the following related pages, to continue adding applicable settings to the new call handler template:

•Transfer Options

•Caller Input

•Greetings

•Message Settings

Step 8 If you change any of the default settings on any of the pages listed in Step 7, click Save before leaving the page.

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To Modify a Call Handler Template

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Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Templates, then click Call Handler Templates.

Step 2 On the Search Call Handler Templates page, click the display name of the call handler template that you want to modify.

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Note If the call handler template that you want to modify does not appear in the search results table, set the applicable parameters in the search fields at the top of the page, and click Find.

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Step 3 On the Edit Call Handler Template, change settings, as applicable. (For field information, on the Help menu, click Field Definitions.)

Step 4 When you have finished changing settings on the Edit Call Handler Template page, click Save.

Step 5 You may also want to change settings on any (or all) of the following related pages, as applicable:

•Transfer Options

•Caller Input

•Greetings

•Message Settings

Step 6 If you change any of the settings on a page listed in Step 5, click Save before leaving the page.

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To Delete a Call Handler Template

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Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Templates, then click Call Handler Templates.

Step 2 On the Search Call Handler Templates page, click the display name of the call handler template that you want to delete.

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Note If the call handler template that you want to delete does not appear in the search results table, set the applicable parameters in the search fields at the top of the page, and click Find.

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Step 3 Click Delete Selected.

Step 4 Click OK.

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Creating Call Handlers

After you have created and/or updated the templates that you plan to use, you are ready to create call handlers.

To Create a Call Handler

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Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Call Management, then click System Call Handlers.

Step 2 On the Search Call Handlers page, click Add New.

Step 3 On the New Call Handler page, enter basic settings, as applicable. (For field information, on the Help menu, click Field Definitions.)

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Note Fields marked with * (an asterisk) are required.

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Step 4 Click Save.

Step 5 On the Edit Call Handler page, continue entering settings for the call handler.

Step 6 When you have finished entering settings on the Edit Call Handler page, click Save.

Step 7 From the Edit menu, click any (or all) of the following related pages, to continue adding applicable settings to the new call handler:

•Transfer Options

•Caller Input

•Greetings

•Message Settings

•Call Handler Owners

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Note Depending on how you set up the call handler template on which this new call handler is based, you may not need to change any settings on these additional pages. At a minimum, however, you should record a name and one or more greetings for the call handler.

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Step 8 If you change any of the settings on a page listed in Step 7, click Save before leaving the page.

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Modifying Call Handlers

After a call handler has been created, you may need to adjust settings. The tools in Cisco Unity Connection Administration allow you to modify a single call handler at a time, or make changes to multiple call handlers at once. Do the applicable procedure:

•To Modify a Single Call Handler

•To Modify Multiple Call Handlers at Once

To Modify a Single Call Handler

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Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Call Management, then click System Call Handlers.

Step 2 On the Search Call Handlers page, click the display name of the call handler that you want to modify.

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Note If the call handler that you want to modify does not appear in the search results table, set the applicable parameters in the search fields at the top of the page, and click Find.

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Step 3 On the Edit Call Handler page, change settings, as applicable. (For field information, on the Help menu, click Field Definitions.)

Step 4 When you have finished changing settings on the Edit Call Handler page, click Save.

Step 5 You may also want to change settings on any (or all) of the following related pages, as applicable:

•Transfer Options (see the "Transferring Calls" section for details)

•Caller Input (see the "Offering One-Key Dialing During Call Handler Greetings" section for details)

•Greetings (see the "Managing Call Handler Greetings" section for details)

•Message Settings (see the "Taking Messages" section for details)

Step 6 If you change any of the settings on a page listed in Step 5, click Save before leaving the page.

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To Modify Multiple Call Handlers at Once

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Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Tools.

Step 2 Click Bulk Edit.

Step 3 In the Make Changes To section, click System Call Handlers.

Step 4 From the Select Call Handlers list, click the applicable search parameters, and click Find.

Step 5 From the resulting list, check the check boxes adjacent to the call handlers that you want to modify and then click Next.

Step 6 On the applicable tab, select the settings that you want to modify. When you have finished changing settings, click Next.

Step 7 Click Finish to apply your changes.

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Overview of Call Handler Greetings

Each call handler can have up to six greetings. The greeting settings specify which greetings are enabled, how long they are enabled, the greeting source, and the actions that Cisco Unity Connection takes during and after each greeting. When a greeting is enabled, Connection will play the greeting in the applicable situation until the specified date and time arrives, and then the greeting is automatically disabled. A greeting can also be enabled to play indefinitely.

Note that Call Handler greetings can be recorded in multiple languages. See the "Changing Phone Language Settings" section for instructions.

You can customize how Connection handles calls to call handlers that have the alternate greeting enabled. For example, you can specify that for as long as the alternate greeting is enabled, Connection will:

•Transfer callers directly to the greeting without ringing the extension that is assigned to the call handler (as applicable) whenever calls are transferred from the automated attendant or a directory handler to the user extension. (The phone will ring if an outside caller or another Connection user dials a user extension directly.)

•Prevent all callers from skipping the greeting.

•Prevent all callers from leaving messages (when the call handler is set up to take message).

Note that Connection plays the greetings that you enable for the applicable situation; however, some greetings override other greetings when they are enabled:

Standard	Plays at all times unless overridden by another greeting. You cannot disable the standard greeting.
Closed	Plays during the closed (nonbusiness) hours defined for the active schedule. A closed greeting overrides the standard greeting, and thus limits the standard greeting to the open hours defined for the active schedule.
Internal	Plays to internal callers only. It can provide information that only coworkers need to know. (For example, "I will be in the lab all afternoon.") An internal greeting overrides the standard and closed greetings. Not all phone system integrations provide the support necessary for an internal greeting.
Holiday	Plays during the specific dates and times specified in the schedule of holidays associated with the active schedule. A holiday greeting overrides the standard, closed, and internal greetings.
Busy	Plays when the extension is busy. (For example, "All of our operators are with other customers.") A busy greeting overrides the standard, closed, internal, and holiday greetings. Not all phone system integrations provide the support necessary for a busy greeting.
Alternate	Can be used for a variety of special situations, such as vacations or a leave of absence. (For example, "I will be out of the office until....") An alternate greeting overrides all other greetings.

Call handler owners can select a different call handler greeting or record the call handler greetings from the Auto Attendant > System Call Handlers > Greetings page in Cisco Unity Connection Administration, or they can use the Cisco Unity Greetings Administrator to do so over the phone. (For more information on recording greetings and using the Cisco Unity Greetings Administrator, see the "Managing Recorded Greetings and Recorded Names" chapter.)

See the "Managing Call Handler Greetings" section for instructions on changing call handler greeting settings.

Managing Call Handler Greetings

You can modify call handlers greetings by using Cisco Unity Connection Administration, or by calling Cisco Unity Connection by phone. When you use the Connection Administration to modify greetings, you can do so for a single call handler, or you can modify the greetings for multiple call handlers at once. Do the applicable procedure:

•To Set Up Call Handler Greetings for a Single Call Handler

•To Set Up Call Handler Greetings for Multiple Call Handlers

To manage call handler greetings when you—or the call handler owner(s) that you assign—cannot access Cisco Unity Connection Administration, you can use the Cisco Unity Greetings Administrator by phone. For more information, see the "Setting Up the Cisco Unity Greetings Administrator" section on page 15-4 and the "Using the Cisco Unity Greetings Administrator to Record or Rerecord Call Handler Greetings" section on page 15-2.

To Set Up Call Handler Greetings for a Single Call Handler

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Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, go to the applicable System Call Handler page.

Step 2 On the Edit Call Handler page, click Greetings.

Step 3 Click Save before leaving the page.

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To Set Up Call Handler Greetings for Multiple Call Handlers

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Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Tools.

Step 2 Click Bulk Edit.

Step 3 In the Make Changes To section, click System Call Handlers.

Step 4 From the Select Call Handlers list, click the applicable search parameters, and click Find.

Step 5 From the resulting list, check the check boxes adjacent to the call handlers that you want to modify and then click Next.

Step 6 On the Greetings tab, select the settings that you want to modify. When you have finished changing settings, click Next.

Step 7 Click Finish to apply your changes.

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Changing Phone Language Settings

Call Handler greetings can be recorded in multiple languages.

To Change Phone Language Settings for a Call Handler

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Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, go to the applicable System Call Handler page.

Step 2 On the Edit Call Handler page, click Use System Default Language or Inherit Language from Caller, or select one of the languages from the Language list.

Step 3 Rerecord applicable greetings in the new language.

Step 4 As you make changes on the pages, click Save before leaving a page.

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Offering One-Key Dialing During Call Handler Greetings

One-key dialing enables you to designate a single digit to represent a user extension, call handler, interview handler, or directory handler. Instead of entering the full extension, the caller presses a single key during a call handler greeting and Connection responds accordingly. By specifying several different keys as caller input options, you can offer callers a menu of choices in the call handler greeting.

Callers can also bypass one-key dialing. You set the system to pause a certain number of seconds for additional key presses before routing the call according to the way you have set up a one-key dialing menu. These pauses allow callers to press full extension IDs to bypass one-key dialing menus, even during the handler greeting.

Further, you can lock certain keys to take the caller directly to the action programmed for that key without waiting for an additional key press. Note that you should not lock any key that matches the first digit of user extensions; otherwise, callers will not be able to enter an extension to reach a user.

To Offer One-Key Dialing During a Call Handler Greeting

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Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Call Management, then click System Call Handlers.

Step 2 On the Search Call Handler page, in the Search Results table, click the display name of the applicable call handler.

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Note If the call handler does not appear in the search results table, set the applicable parameters in the search fields at the top of the page, and click Find.

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Step 3 On the Edit Call Handler page, on the Edit menu, click Caller Input.

Step 4 In the Single Key Settings table, click the applicable touchtone key.

Step 5 On the Edit Caller Input page for the key that you selected, check the Ignore Additional Input (Locked) check box.

Step 6 Click an Action, and change settings as applicable.

Step 7 Click Save.

Step 8 Optionally, you can rerecord the greeting to mention the key that callers can press while listening to the call handler greeting. On the Edit Call Handler page, click Play/Record, and record a greeting. Then click Save.

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Taking Messages

By using the settings for a particular call handler greeting, you can configure the call handler to take a message after playing the greeting. You can specify who receives the messages for the call handler, the maximum recording length for messages from outside callers, what callers can do when leaving messages and whether their messages are automatically marked secure, and what action to take next on the call after a message is left.

Note that for some integrations, you can set up Cisco Unity Connection so that as a caller records a message, a warning tone is played before the caller reaches the maximum allowable message length. See the "Enabling a Termination Warning for the End of Recording" section on page 15-6 for details.

Transferring Calls

The call transfer settings for a call handler specify how Cisco Unity Connection transfers calls that reach the call handler from the automated attendant. Each call handler has three transfer rules that you can customize: one for standard hours and one for off (nonbusiness and holiday) hours of the active schedule, and an alternate transfer rule that, when enabled, overrides the standard and off hours transfer rules and is in effect at all times. When a call is transferred to the call handler, Connection first checks the applicable transfer rule to determine where to transfer the call—either to the call handler greeting, or to an extension.

When transferring to the call handler greeting, Connection plays the applicable greeting (standard, closed, internal, holiday, busy, or alternate) according to the situation. You configure a transfer rule to transfer to the greeting if you want to use the call handler to provide the caller with a prerecorded menu of options or an informational message.

To route callers to a specific user or to another call handler, you configure the transfer rule to transfer to the extension of the user or call handler. When transferring a call to a user extension, Connection can either release the call to the phone system, or it can supervise the transfer. When Connection is set to supervise transfers, it can provide call screening and call holding options on indirect calls:

•With call screening, Connection can ask for the name of the caller before connecting to a user. The user can then hear who is calling and, when a phone is shared by more than one user, who the call is for. The user can then accept or refuse the call.

•With call holding, when the phone is busy, Connection can ask callers to hold. Each caller on hold uses a Connection port and a phone system port, and therefore the total number of callers that can be holding in the queue at any one time is limited by the number of available ports.

The default wait time in the call holding queue for the first caller in the queue is 25 seconds. If the caller is still on hold after this amount of time, Connection asks whether the caller wants to continue holding, leave a message, or try another extension. If the caller does not press a key on the phone keypad or speak a voice command to indicate that he or she wants to continue holding, leave a message, or dial another extension, the caller is transferred back to the Opening Greeting. Subsequent callers in the holding queue will be told how many other callers are in the queue ahead of them, in addition to these options. (See the "Call Waiting Hold Time" section on page 13-2 for more information on call holding.)

If call holding is not selected, callers are sent to the user or handler greeting that is enabled: the standard, closed, holiday, busy, or alternate greeting.

Deleting Call Handlers

We recommend that you investigate dependencies among your call handlers prior to deleting one. After you delete a call handler, any call routing rules or other call handlers that directed calls to the call handler will instead direct them to the Opening Greeting call handler. If you delete call handlers that are referenced by other call handlers, be sure to re-record the greetings so that callers hear the appropriate information about input options.

To Delete a Call Handler

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Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Call Management, then click System Call Handlers.

Step 2 On the Search Call Handlers page, click the display name of the call handler that you want to delete.

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Note If the call handler that you want to delete does not appear in the search results table, set the applicable parameters in the search fields at the top of the page, and click Find.

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Step 3 On the Edit Call Handler page, click Delete.

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Caution Before deleting the call handler, verify that no routing rules or other call handlers point to it. If other call handlers reference the deleted call handler, be sure to rerecord the greetings of those call handlers and change other settings as necessary to remove mention of the deleted handler.

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Step 4 In the dialog box that opens, asking you to confirm the deletion, click OK.

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