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<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I can
give you my experience: It was a hard hurdle to gain acceptance of Asterisk in
my office (6 companies) simply because a receptionist position is a weak point
in Asterisk. Old time receptionists used to Meridians hate learning anything
new, even FOP is not acceptable. However, what *did* work and what my users
love, is DID's. We now give a user a DID number and a DID fax number that those
numbers will now follow them around for the term of their employment. Here's how
we set it up:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>1.
Assign DID to user</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>2.
Instruct user to tell everyone that the DID number is the *only* number that
they can get ahold of them, so callers *always* call the DID</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>3. If
the user does not pick up, an IVR menu kicks in asking them to press 1 to try
the user on their cell or 2 for voicemail</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>4.
Callers to the "main" number get an IVR menu asking 1 for sales 2 for
whatever...and press 0 to go to the receptionist. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>5.
Transfer procedure for receptionist: Xfer key > Internal extension > OK.
If the guy is on the phone, the IVR menu kicks in.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>6.
Receptionist has FOP on her screen for extension state</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>This
is a 4 way win:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>-Users
love having their own "personal" number and fax number (faxes are emailed
directly to them)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>-Receptionist loves it because her call volume has dropped 80%. Transfer
is not too egregious so receptionist complies</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>-Callers love it because they don't have to call a
receptionist</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>-Callers are screened automatically, anybody that you want to be screened
you give the main number to NOT a did number.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=294062718-02092005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>DID's
are $24 per user per year. We are using Snom phones, transfer right out of the
box. hth</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Alain Major/Simard
[mailto:amajor@simard.ca]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, September 02, 2005 12:05
PM<BR><B>To:</B> asterisk-users@lists.digium.com<BR><B>Subject:</B>
[Asterisk-Users] Receptionist<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><BR><FONT face=sans-serif
size=2>Hi,</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Quick question.
With an old phone system a receptionist receiving a call has 1 button to
push to transfer calls to a specific extension, with Asterisk, a receptionist
would actually put the caller on hold, pick up another line, call the
extension, ask if the person is available, hang up pick up the caller again
and transfer. To me it's seems a long way to simply do a receptionist
job. Is there a way we can program the system, or make an application,
that would provide the same functionality ?</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT
face=sans-serif size=2>I am currently looking at buying 4 pbx for my offices
across Canada and this particular feature is preventing us from choosing
Asterisk. Any info would be greatly appreciated.</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT
face=sans-serif size=2>Alain Major,<BR>Directeur,<BR>Département de
l'Informatique et des Télécommunications<BR>Manager,<BR>Information Technology
and Telecommunications Department<BR><BR>L. Simard Transport Ltée<BR>Simard
Transport and Warehousing<BR>1212 32nd Avenue<BR>Lachine, Québec,
Canada<BR>tél : 514-636-9411<BR>email : amajor@simard.ca<BR>web :
http:\\www.simard.ca</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>