Using special mailboxes

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Guest mailboxes

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Introduction to guest mailboxes

Guest mailboxes (300–489) are perfect for personnel such as outside sales or manufacturing personnel who don’t have an internal extension assigned to them but still need a mailbox. You can handle a guest mailbox as it were a regular extension (i.e., list it in the directory, assign a programmable feature key for transfer to it, etc.).

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Personal greetings

You can record up to three different personal greetings in your own voice indicating your availability to return calls. Also, you can change the personal greetings as often as necessary by recording over a previously recorded personal greeting. (See “Select personal greeting” to learn how to program these greetings.)

Examples

Greeting 1:	Hi, this is [name] at [company]. I’m away from my desk or on the phone right now; so please either dial 0 to reach our operator, or leave me your name, number and message at the tone and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Greeting 2:	Hi, this is [name] at [company]. I’m outside of the office. You may dial 1 2 2 for my assistant. If you prefer, you may leave me a voice message at the tone — I’ll be checking in regularly — or, if it’s important, dial 2 now to leave me an urgent message that will page me automatically.
Greeting 3:	Hi, this is [name] at [company]. It’s after normal business hours here, so please leave a message at the tone and I’ll respond on the next business day.

Following is a list of options that you may wish to include in your personal greetings:

Option	Instruction
0	To reach the operator
1	To skip directly to the record tone (or “beep”)
2	To mark this message as urgent (see “Urgent messages”)
8	To the main greeting (if your system is using the ESI auto attendant)
XXX	An extension number of another user

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Retrieving guest mailbox messages from an ESI Feature Phone

1. Press VOICEMAIL ∗ and the guest mailbox number.
2. Enter your password if required (you may change the requirement for a password in user programming menu 5; see “Password”).
3. Your ESI phone system will start playback of messages with the oldest new message and continue until all messages are played. The display will show the origination of the message, the countdown duration of the message, whether new or old, and the time/date of when the message was left.
    
   
    
4. At the end of each message, the phone system prompts you for instructions (see the chart, “Keys’ functions during voice mail message retrieval”). Once you’ve learned these prompts, you can proceed more rapidly by pressing one of the appropriate keys any time during a message or during a prompt.

Exiting voice mail message playback

To finish playback of messages, simply hang up your phone (please see the second Note below step 4, above).

Keys’ functions during voice mail message retrieval

Key	Function name	Description
2	Time and date/number toggle	Toggles the bottom line of the display between the message’s time/date and the caller’s number.*
3	Reply	Replies to the originator of a message (possible only if message came from another user in the system). Record your reply at the tone and then press 1 to stop, after which the system returns you to your mailbox and the message to which you were replying.
4	Back up (rewind)	When pressed during message playback, rewinds four seconds for each key-press. If pressed after the playback has finished, returns to beginning of message.
5	Fast forward	Advances playback four seconds for each key-press.
6	Move	Moves a copy of the message to another user’s mailbox. You may move the copy with or without an introduction. After the move, the system returns you to your mailbox and the original message.
7	Delete	Deletes the message from the mailbox (see “Message Recycle Bin”).
9	Save	Saves the message (it will play as an old message the next time you retrieve messages).
9 9	Save as new	Skips over a new message and leaves it as a new message (i.e., it will be played as a new message the next time you pick up messages). You must press the 9 key twice within two seconds.
#	Leave message	Lets you leave a message in another mailbox. At the prompt, enter the desired mailbox number.
∗	Check other box	Checks messages in another mailbox (may require a password, depending on the mailbox’s setting; see “Password”).
Redial	Auto-callback	Exits your mailbox (without erasing the message) and automatically dials the number.*

Virtual Mailbox Key

If you frequently pick up messages from another user’s ESI Feature Phone or have someone else monitor your mailbox, ask the user to dedicate a programmable feature key (see also “Programmable feature keys”) on his/her ESI Feature Phone as a Virtual Mailbox Key for your mailbox. Then, when you have new messages, the designated key on the other user’s ESI Feature Phone will blink rapidly, whereupon you can press it to connect automatically to your mailbox. To set the programmable feature key as a Virtual Mailbox Key, press VOICEMAIL ∗ followed by your guest mailbox number — for example, if your guest mailbox number is 485, press VOICEMAIL ∗ 4 8 5 on the other user’s ESI Feature Phone.

You can pick up messages when away from the office or from an analog station. Since the display is not available to you, message handling will operate slightly differently.

To retrieve your message from a remote location:

1. If the auto attendant’s main greeting answers your call, press ∗ and enter your mailbox number. If the operator or another user answers your call, have the person transfer you; he/she can do so by pressing VOICEMAIL ∗, then pressing your station key (or entering your mailbox number) and hanging up.
2. If required, enter your password.
3. Your ESI phone system will announce the number of new and old messages, and will start playback of messages starting with the oldest new message and continuing until all messages and recordings have played or you press ∗ to disconnect.

Functions available during off-premises voice mail message retrieval

Key	Function	Description
2	Hear time/date	Pauses the message, plays the time/date when the message was left and resumes.
5	Access user programming	Access certain user-programmable features. Note: Fast forward is not available from a remote location.
8	Main greeting	Goes to the main greeting.
0	Operator	Transfers you to the operator.
#	Leave message	Lets you leave a message in another mailbox. At the prompt, enter the desired mailbox number.
∗	Disconnect	Disconnects you from the system. Always press ∗ before hanging up (if you press it during message playback, the system will save the playing message and any other currently unsaved messages in your mailbox).

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Programming your guest mailbox from an ESI Feature Phone

Press PROG/HELP ∗ followed by the mailbox number and then press # to confirm. You will be prompted to: record the greeting; change the password; enter an external paging number; or exit by hanging up.

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1  Select personal greeting

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5  Password

Your password may consist of 2–8 digits followed by # (0 cannot be the first digit). The password will apply to station programming, voice mail retrieval and certain other features when activated. If you prefer not to have to enter a password, enter 0 as your password or select one of the following password levels:

Selection	Result
0	No password required for access from any phone
1	Password required only for remote access, either off-premises or from other stations within the system
2	Password always required

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Off-premises message delivery

Your ESI Feature Phone can be programmed to deliver messages to an off-premises phone and/or to page you when your voice mailbox receives a message. You can set the phone number (cell phone, home number, another extension, etc.), the pager number and a delay time (the period that the system is to wait before attempting to deliver the message/page). You can further set the system to deliver only messages marked as urgent (see “Urgent messages”).

The administrator can also set for your station the following:

• Number to be called or paged
• Delay period
• Number of attempts
• Interval between attempts (in increments of 30 minutes)
• “Quiet period” which suspends message delivery for late night, etc.

If you have programmed both an off-premises delivery number and a pager number, the system will prompt you to choose one of the following delivery options:

• Phone-only
• Pager-only
• Phone, then pager — Attempts phone delivery until maximum number of attempts has been tried, then follows paging programming.
• Phone and page at the same time
• No off-premises delivery

Message delivery to a phone

Whenever your mailbox receives a new/urgent message (see “Urgent messages”), the system will call the number that you have programmed and play this prompt: “You have messages. Please enter your password.” The prompt will repeat three times before the system assumes that no one has answered (i.e., because it has “heard” no password) and disconnects.

Upon answering, enter your password (if you have set your password options for no password, you must enter 0 as your password). You will then be connected to your mailbox and can proceed with normal remote operation (see “Retrieving voice mail messages from an off-premises location”).

Message notification to an external pager

You can program pager notification to operate either as the sole notification method or in conjunction with phone delivery.

You can have the system call and activate your external pager whenever the first new/urgent message is left in your mailbox and repeat the page (at the interval programmed by the Administrator) until all new messages have been retrieved.

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Urgent messages

You can have all new messages delivered or choose to have only urgent messages delivered. If you have enabled the urgent message feature as part of user programming (PROG/HELP 6 4), your personal greeting must include instructions for the caller to press 2 to mark the message as urgent. If you have new, urgent messages, your VOICEMAIL key’s LED will “flutter” (blink rapidly) and, when you retrieve your messages, the system will play urgent messages ahead of other new messages.

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9  Message Recycle Bin (un-delete)

Your ESI Feature Phone stores your most recently deleted 10 messages in a Message Recycle Bin to allow you to recover, or “un-delete,” messages that may have been deleted in error.

You access the Message Recycle Bin through user programming (PROG/HELP 9). Press 9 to advance through deleted messages. Press 8 to restore a message to your mailbox as an old message.

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Group/broadcast mailboxes

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Before we proceed: A note about Quick Groups

Any user can use the Quick Groups™ feature to send a message to any combination of users (for each of whom a station key has been programmed) without having to create specific group mailboxes. No programming is required to initiate Quick Groups. Group mailboxes are used if the members of the group rarely change or if members want to be able to easily leave messages for one another, etc.

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Introduction to group mailboxes

Group mailboxes let you broadcast a “master” message to all members of a pre-defined group of users (or guest mailboxes). When you record a master message in the group mailbox, your ESI phone system instantly copies it into the mailbox of each member who has recorded a personal greeting.

The master message remains in the group mailbox until all members have saved their copies or deleted them from their mailboxes. If you delete the master message from the group mailbox, all remaining copies will automatically be deleted from the members’ mailboxes.

You may give the group mailbox number and password to others to allow them to also record master messages. Setting 0 (zero) as the password eliminates the password requirement.

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Introduction to the broadcast mailbox

So that you may easily contact all users on the system, your phone system’s Group Mailbox 500 automatically consists of all station users who have personal greetings recorded.

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Leaving a group message

Call the mailbox number and enter the appropriate password (if required).

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Deleting a group message from the group mailbox

Enter group mailbox programming by pressing VOICEMAIL ∗ and then the group mailbox number. You will hear any previously recorded group messages not yet deleted by all members of the group. Delete by pressing 7. Exit by hanging up.

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Programming a group mailbox

Press PROG/HELP ∗, the group mailbox number, and then # to confirm. You will be prompted to record the mailbox greeting, change the password, or edit the list of members. Exit by hanging up.

For frequent access to leave group messages, program a group mailbox number as a programmable feature key. (See “Programmable feature keys”).

Virtual Mailbox Key™

To help monitor that all messages have been picked up, you can program a programmable feature key on any ESI Feature Phone as a Virtual Mailbox Key for the group mailbox. When new messages exist, the key will blink rapidly; press it to connect automatically to the mailbox.

Program the programmable feature key with VOICEMAIL ∗ and the mailbox number (see “Programmable feature keys”).

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Cascade paging mailboxes

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Introduction to cascade paging mailboxes

A cascade paging mailbox pages up to three designated numbers (of up to 24 digits each) in a sequence called a cascade.

If a cascade paging mailbox receives a new message, your ESI phone system will page the first number for a set number of times. If it receives no response, the system then pages a second number for a set number of times. If, again, there is no response, the phone system pages the third paging number; and the system will then page all three pagers, in sequence, until someone does finally retrieve the message. This is useful for a variety of individuals who must be “on-call” after hours, such as doctors, plumbers, technical support representatives, wrecker drivers, and volunteer firefighters.

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Programming your cascade paging mailbox

Press PROG/HELP ∗, the cascade paging mailbox number, and then # to confirm. You will be prompted for: recording mailbox greetings; password administration, programming the pager numbers and intervals; and accessing previously deleted messages.

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Retrieving cascade paging mailbox messages

Retrieving messages when off-premises

1. Call the main number.
2. If the auto attendant main greeting answers, press ∗ and the cascade paging mailbox number. If a live operator answers, have the operator transfer you (he/she can do so by pressing VOICEMAIL  followed by the mailbox number).

Retrieving messages when using a ESI Feature Phone

Press VOICEMAIL ∗ and then enter the mailbox number.

Virtual Mailbox Key™

To help monitor that all messages have been picked up, you can program a programmable feature key on any ESI Feature Phone as a Virtual Mailbox Key for the cascade paging mailbox. When new messages exist, the key will blink rapidly; press it to connect automatically to the mailbox.

Program the programmable feature key with VOICEMAIL ∗followed by the mailbox number (see “Programmable feature keys”).

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Message Recycle Bin (un-delete)

Your ESI phone system stores your 10 most recently deleted messages in a Message Recycle Bin to allow you to recover, or “un-delete,” messages that may have been deleted in error.

You access the Message Recycle Bin through user programming (PROG/HELP 9). Press 9 to advance through deleted messages. Press 8 to restore a message to your mailbox as an old message.

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Q & A mailboxes

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Introduction to Q & A mailboxes

Q & A (question and answer) mailboxes allow you to ask callers for more detailed information, such as on an employment questionnaire or a survey.

As a Q & A mailbox owner, you can record up to 10 questions. The phone system groups the individual answers and plays them back as a single message (separated by short beep tones). Normal message handling capability — delete, save, etc. — applies to all answers within the message.

Include in the first question instructions to conclude each answer by pressing 1 or to pause for the next question: “Record your name at the tone, then press 1 — or pause for the next question.” [Next:] “Record your address at the tone…” [etc.]

At the conclusion, the caller can be forwarded to another extension, mailbox, or automatically disconnected. Include in the last question the appropriate information such as: “This is the last question. After you have finished, please hang up...”

Q & A mailboxes are turned “on” only when questions have been recorded. Deleting all questions will “turn off” the mailbox.

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Programming Q & A mailboxes

1. Press PROG/HELP ∗ followed by the Q & A mailbox number; then press # to confirm.
2. You will be prompted to do one of the following:
   1. Record the questions
   2. Change the password
      or
   3. Access previously deleted messages.
      (See the following explanations.)
3. When finished, exit by hanging up.

1  Select question

2  Password

9  Message Recycle Bin (un-delete)

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Retrieving messages from a ESI Feature Phone

Press VOICEMAIL ∗ and then enter the mailbox number.

Virtual Mailbox Key™

To help monitor that all messages have been picked up, you can program a programmable feature key on any ESI Feature Phone as a Virtual Mailbox Key for the Q & A mailbox. When new messages exist, the key will blink rapidly; press it to connect automatically to the mailbox.

Program the programmable feature key with VOICEMAIL ∗ and the mailbox number (see “Programmable feature keys”).

Retrieving messages when off-premises

1. Call the main number.
2. If the auto attendant main greeting answers, press ∗ and the Q & A mailbox number. If a live operator answers, have the operator transfer you (he/she can do so by pressing VOICEMAIL  followed by entry of the mailbox number).

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Product specifications subject to change without notice.
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