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Expansion Console

• Introduction
• Virtual Mailbox Key
• Service observing
• Quick Groups
• Guest mailboxes
• Group mailboxes

Introduction

• The 60-Key Expansion Console is easily attached to a 48-Key ESI Feature Phone to add an additional 60 programmable keys. These extra programmable keys add the ability for attendants to set up station keys for all stations, or for extensive use of Virtual Mailbox Keys to monitor many mailbox functions.
• Executives can use the Expansion Console to create additional station keys to aid in monitoring station activity such as a sales group or for service observing. More available station keys allow for greater use of Quick Groups.
• ESI Communications Servers and IVX X-Class systems can also use a Second Expansion Console, which connects to the 60-Key Expansion Console and provides 60 more keys.

Virtual Mailbox Key

• The Virtual Mailbox Key feature lets you create a programmable key that monitors any mailbox in the system: the boss’s mailbox, a guest mailbox, Q & A mailboxes, etc. A secretary could have a key that indicates when the boss has messages and could easily access them (if so authorized).
• Coverage for guest mailboxes, cascade paging or Q & A mailboxes lets you know when a new message exists and allows you to pick it up by simply pressing the Virtual Mailbox Key.
• If you have outside reps who are not in the office but get phone messages there, give each a guest mailbox so that callers can be transferred to leave them a message. Create Virtual Mailbox Keys on the receptionist’s Console so that when the reps call in to conduct other business and check messages, the receptionist can see at a glance whether they have messages.
• If you have several people in the Shipping Department who don’t have phones, give each a guest mailbox for spouses or others to use to leave them messages. Place a phone in an area that they all can see regularly. Program a Virtual Mailbox Key for each person with his name above it. Each can see if his mailbox has a new message by noting whether his key is blinking. If so, all he has to do is press the key to go directly to his messages.
• A sales department may create a department mailbox for all calls to sales that go unanswered. Create a Virtual Mailbox Key on the sales manager’s phone so he/she can retrieve the messages and move them to the appropriate rep.
• It’s a good practice to set up a general delivery mailbox for callers to reach at night. Create a Virtual Mailbox Key on the operator’s phone; this will show at a glance if messages have been left. If so, the operator can then press the key and use the move feature to move the messages to the appropriate people.

Service observing

• Service observing allows managers to silently observe other conversations in the system. This feature must be activated by the Installer or Administrator for your station. Additionally, the Installer or Administrator must list the stations that you are allowed to observe. To observe, use a programmable key that you have programmed with 5 6 1 and press the desired station key (lit red). Your display will show the details of the call being observed. Neither party will be aware of your monitoring.
   
  Generally, federal law allows for service observing to improve the quality of your phone service. However, by law, you must stop observing immediately upon realizing that you’re monitoring a personal call. Local and state laws should be checked before using this feature.
   
  During service observing, you can record the conversation for later use in critiquing the employee. You can also use service observing to allow new employees in training to observe other employees with similar job functions.

Quick Groups

• Use group mailboxes to send a message to a set group of people; but use Quick Groups when you need to send a message to people who are not in the same group. Press VOICE MAIL and then press the station keys for the appropriate people. Remember to indicate to them that they are part of a group message: “John, Pete, and Sarah — for our meeting at 2:00, please have the latest sales figures for your regions.”
• You can move a message or recording to a Quick Group and add an introduction such as: “John and Bill, here’s a copy of a message left for me today. Please let me know how you think we should respond . . . ” or “John and Tom, here’s part of a conversation with Joe which has the directions to his office. Meet you there at 8:00 tomorrow morning . . . ”
• If you have created a key to transfer to a department such as the Sales or Service Department, you can include that key in Quick Groups and the message will be left in the mailbox for each member of the department.

Guest mailboxes

• Guest mailboxes are usually used for personnel who don’t have a phone assigned to them, such as outside reps, shipping personnel, or any other employees who don’t require phones.
• Assign guest mailboxes to such employees, and they can appear to outside callers just like any other employee. You can list them in the auto attendant directory. They can have their “extension” number printed on their business cards, or have spouses dial their mailbox number at the auto attendant. A station key can also be created for them by programming their mailbox number as a station key; then, it is easy to transfer someone to their mailbox. Also, you can create a Virtual Mailbox Keys to monitor and easily retrieve their messages.
• Guest mailboxes can be created to allow you to have two mailboxes with instructions in your personal greeting for a caller to leave a message at the tone or dial 3 0 7 (your additional guest mailbox) to leave a message regarding a special responsibility such as emergency calls. You can then program that mailbox to call you at home when these types of messages are taken. (See “Urgent messages” and “Retrieving messages from an off-premises location.”)

Group mailboxes

• Group mailboxes allow for messages to be placed in the mailboxes for all members of the group. If you have several sales reps, place them in a group mailbox, so that you can easily leave the same message for all. You can even create a programmable key for the Sales Group Mailbox.
• Remember to use Quick Groups for messages to select mailboxes.
• A group mailbox actually creates messages in its members’ mailboxes so that each can handle his copy of the message individually. Another option would be to create a guest mailbox and create a Virtual Mailbox Key on the sales reps’ phones so that only one of them would end up with the message (when a rep retrieves the message in the guest mailbox by pressing the Virtual Mailbox Key, all the other reps’ Virtual Mailbox Key lamps would go out).