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Barracuda Phone System

Setting Up Automated Attendants

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Automated attendants are menu-based dialogs that prompt the caller to press a key and have the system respond accordingly. Use the Extension > Automated Attendants page to add a new automated attendant.

Add Automated Attendant

Navigate to Extension > Automated Attendants and select Add New Automated Attendant. Give the automated attendant a name, and select an extension number. You must also specify a sound file that will act as the greeting. (You may optionally specify the Short Greeting Sound, Invalid Sound, and Exit Sound.) Once the automated attendant is created, it appears in the list of automated attendants.

Edit Automated Attendant

Select an automated attendant to view its configuration. The following configuration options are available:

  • Rename – Rename the automated attendant
  • Change Primary Extension – Change the primary extension number
  • Delete – Delete the automated attendant from the system
  • Keypad – The keypad represents different keys that the caller can dial while listening to the automated attendant's greeting. Each keypad can have one of several different options:
    • Do Nothing – No action will be performed
    • Go to the Top Menu – Navigate to the top level menu of a menu tree
    • Go Back One Menu – Navigate to the previous menu of a menu tree
    • Hang Up – Disconnect the call
    • Transfer to an Extension or Number – Transfer the caller to an extension number on the system or to an external phone number. When using external numbers be sure to enter the number exactly as you would dial it from a telephone on the system, i.e., add a leading 1, etc.
    • Transfer to a Person's Voicemail – Transfer the caller directly to a person's voicemail box without ringing the telephone.
    • Go to Another Automated Attendant – Send caller to another automated attendant – used to create menu trees.
    • Dial-By-Name Directory – Sends the caller to the directory when he or she can enter the first or last name of the person trying to be reached.
    • Play A Sound File – Plays a sound file to the caller and then the automated attendant replays its greeting.
  • Summary – This displays a summary of all of the digit destinations for this automated attendant
  • Sound Files – Select the sound files for this automated attendant. There are five different types of sounds to configure:
  • Greeting Sound – Required; this is the greeting file that is played when a caller enters the automated attendant.
  • Short Greeting Sound – Optional; this greeting is played only after the caller has heard the greeting sound. Useful for cases where you have a welcome message ("Thank you for calling…") and a list of options. The short greeting sound can contain only the list of options so that the caller does not hear the welcome message on subsequent passes through this automated attendant.
  • Invalid Sound – Optional; sound file caller hears after making an invalid entry.
  • Exit Sound – Optional; sound file caller hears after not pressing any keys when about to be disconnected.
  • Transfer Sound – Optional; sound file caller hears before being transferred.
  • Other Options – Other ways to customize automated attendant:
    • Allow Dial-to Extension – Set this option to allow callers to dial a specific extension number. (i.e., "If you know your party's extension, please enter it now…") Specify an optional prefix to be added to the extension number that the caller dials.
    • Repeat – Specify how many times the automated attendant should repeat the greeting before assuming the caller has hung up or is not going make a selection. Do not use a short value here (i.e., less than 4 seconds) to allow for callers who wait until the greeting ends to make a selection.
    • Secondary Extensions – If needed you may add a secondary extension number or an external number, i.e., a direct inward dial (DID) number, to this automated attendant.