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Connectware Auto Attendants

Connectware Auto Attendants

Owned by Aaron Bailey
Last updated: Mar 28, 2025
5 min read

Auto attendants, also called IVRs, are used to play a message to a caller and allow them to select from a set of options (i.e. β€œPress 1 for Sales, 2 for the GM…”). Auto Attendants can be set up with intro greetings that play only once.

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Auto Attendant.mp4

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Add Auto Attendant

A simple name for the auto attendant.

Set the extension for the bridge here. Note, this can’t be changed later.

Set the time when this auto attendant will be active. Normally this is set to default (all the time).

Edit Auto Attendant

This is a message that is played only once upon entering the auto attendant. Used most commonly to play messages about the call being recorded.

Here the main IVR greeting can be added. In addition the numbers a caller can dial and where the call is sent can also be set here.

Menu Prompt

The main greeting can be uploaded, recorded from a phone, or created using text to speech.

When using TTS, always make sure to listen to the recording as the system might at times not pronounce words as intended. Extra commas or periods can also be used to increase the time between words.

Dial Pan Menu

If the main greeting says to press 1, then 1 needs to be defined as a valid action in the IVR. To edit the action for a number click on the number, the available options are as follows:

  • User: Send the call to a User. Note that in Connectware nearly everything is a user, including call groups. This is the most common option.

  • Conference: Sends the caller to a conference bridge.

  • Call Queue: Sends the caller into a Call Queue.

  • Directory: Access to the company directory.

  • Voicemail: Sends the caller directly to a voicemail box.

  • Voicemail Management: This is intended to allow staff to call into their voicemail box to retrieve messages.

  • External Number: Routes the call out of the system to an external number.

  • Play Message: Plays a preset message to the caller.

  • Repeat Prompt: Plays the menu prompt again.

  • Add Tier: Adds a new level with a new sound prompt and dialing options. An example use would be a main greeting that says β€œfor accounting, press 2”, when if the caller presses 2 a new message plays giving the caller options for accounts receivable, accounts payable, etc.

Some of the menu options have additional settings, these are detailed below.

Options

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Each dial pad menu level has the options (accessed from the gear icon):

  • Enable Dial by Extension: Check this box to allow callers to dial extensions directly.

  • If no key is pressed: What happens if the caller does not press any button. Options include repeating the prompts, ending the call, or following any of the numbered options.

  • If unassigned key is pressed: What happens if the caller presses a key that has not been assigned. Options include repeating the prompt, ending the call, or following any of the numbered options.

  • Time before first key press: How long the system will wait for the caller to press a key after the sound prompt ends. Default is 5 seconds.

  • Timeout after last key press: how long the system will wait for more digits before processing the digits entered. Default is 2 seconds.

  • Maximum key presses to collect: Set a number of digits to collect. Default is 5 digits.

Disabling dial by extension is recommended so that callers can not dial directly to guest rooms.

User - Caller ID Prefix: Whatever text is entered here will display as a prefix to the caller ID name or number on the admin phone. Used to denote what IVR a call came from (helpful for dual brand hotels).

Call Queue - Announcement: When a caller enters the queue there are three announcement options:

  • No Announcement: Says nothing to the caller as they enter the Queue.

  • Announce number of callers in Queue: Tells the caller how many other calls are in the Queue at that time.

  • Announce average expected wait time: Gives the caller an idea of how long their wait time will be.

Call Queue - Caller ID Prefix: Whatever text is entered here will display as a prefix to the caller ID name or number on the admin phone. Used to denote what IVR a call came from (helpful for dual brand hotels).

Play Message - After the message plays: This drop down selects what will happen to the call after the message is played.

Always test the queue by calling in from a cell phone and testing all prompts.

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