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Voice Mail and Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

IT Connect > Phones and Cabling

On This Page Voice Mail Voice Mail Menu Accessing The UW Voice Mail System Setting Up Your Mailbox For The First Time Reviewing Messages Sending Messages Changing Your Greetings Establishing Or Changing Your Notification Telephone Number and Schedule Enhanced Call Processing Mailbox Flowchart Voice Mail Hints

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) IVR Peg Counter Retrieval and Reset Instructions IVR Recording Instructions

To Order Service or Questions: help@u.washington.edu or call 206-221-5000

Voice Mail

Voice Mail Menu:

Accessing The UW Voice Mail System:

From your personal campus phone:

1. Dial [2][1][1].
2. Aspen will answer with your recorded name.
3. Enter password followed by [#].
4. The system will announce the number of messages you have received.

From any campus phone:

1. Dial 3-2121.
2. Listen to introductory prompt.
3. Press [#].
4. Enter mailbox number.
5. Enter password.
6. The system will announce the number of messages you have received.

From an off-campus phone:

1. Dial 206-543-2121.
2. Listen to introductory prompt.
3. Press [#].
4. Enter mailbox number.
5. Enter password.
6. The system will announce the number of messages you have received

Setting Up Your Mailbox For The First Time:

The following instructions assume that a mailbox and temporary password have already been set up for you. If not, please contact UW Technology Service Center at 206.221.5000.

To set up your mailbox for the first time:

1. Access the UW Voice Mail System using your temporary password.
2. Follow the prompts to create a new password, and then to record your name and greeting.
3. Listen as the system plays the abbreviated Main Menu.
4. Change your prompt level to either:
5. 1. Rapid Prompting (suggested for most users):
   2. 1. At the Main Menu, press [4][2][3][3].
      2. Listen for confirmation.
      3. Press [*] to return to the Main Menu.

      or

   3. Extended Prompting:
   4. 1. At the Main Menu, press [4][2][3][2].
      2. Listen for confirmation.
      3. Press [*] to return to the Main Menu.
6. Press [*] again to exit the Voice Mail System.

Reviewing Messages:

The Voice Mail System gives you several options for handling the messages in your mailbox. From the Main Menu, you may:

• Press [1][1] to Listen to a new message.
• Press [3][3] to Skip to the next new message.
• Press [#][#] to Skip All new messages and go to archived messages.

After reviewing a message, you have the following options:

• Press [4] to Replay.
• Press [5] to hear Envelope Information.
• Press [6] to Send a copy.
• Press [7] to Erase.
• Press [8] to Reply.
• Press [9] to Save .

HINT:

• Date/Time Toggle allows you to hear the date and time each message was left before the messages are reviewed. To turn Date/Time Toggle on from the Main Menu, press [4][2][4][1].

Sending Messages:

To send a message to a Voice Mail subscriber, a distribution list, or a guest mailbox from the Main Menu:

1. Press [2].
2. Record your message.
3. Press either:
   • [#] to Store, or
   • [1] to Replay.
4. Enter destination mailbox number.
5. Choose one of the delivery options suggested by the system.
6. Press [#] to Send.
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for each additional destination.
8. Press [*] to return to the Main Menu.

HINTS:

• If you do not know the destination mailbox number, you may spell a subscriber's name in step 4 by pressing [#].
• When sending messages to other campus subscribers, dial their 5-digit mailbox number. To send a message to someone at the UW Medical Center, it is necessary to dial all 7 digits of their mailbox number.

Changing Your Greetings:

The voicemail system provides three choices of greetings: personal, extended absence, and name. NOTE: If you are assigned an existing voice mailbox, you may need to change both the personal greeting and the name greeting.

Personal Greeting
The personal greeting allows you to record an everyday greeting, such as “Hello. You’ve reached First Name, Last Name in the Department.  Please leave a message after the tone and I’ll return your call.” 

While listening to your greeting, callers can press # to bypass your message.  Your greeting will stop and the caller will hear a beep indicating they may begin recording their message.  You can even tell them this trick in your greeting so they do not have to listen to your entire recording every time they call, especially if it is a long greeting.

Change Your Personal Greeting:

• From the Main Menu, press [4][3][1][2].
• Record your new personal greeting.
• Press:
• [#] to Store the new greeting,
• [1] to Replay, or
• [*] to Re-record.

Extended Absence Greeting
The extended absence greeting allows you to record a temporary greeting.  It is useful for vacation, out of office, meetings, or other temporary changes you wish to notify callers about.  Also, this greeting prevents callers from pressing # to bypass your message. 

Recording an extended absence greeting does not replace your personal greeting.  When you check your messages, the system will ask if you wish to retain your extended absence greeting.  You can choose to retain or delete the greeting.  If you retain the greeting, the system will ask you each time you check your messages if you wish to retain or delete the extended absence greeting until you choose to delete it.

Record an Extended Absence Greeting:

• From the Main Menu, press [4][3][2].
• Record your temporary greeting.
• Press:
• [#] to Store the new greeting,
• [1] to Replay, or
• [*] to Re-record.

Name Greeting
When you set up your mailbox, the system asks you to record your name.  This recording is played every time you log into your mailbox.  If you choose not to record a personal or extended absence greeting, the name recording becomes the default greeting played for your callers.

Change Your Name Greeting:

• From the Main Menu, press [4][3][3].
• Record your name.
• Press:
• [#] to Store the new greeting (you will hear beeps while your recording is saved),
• [1] to Replay, or
• [*] to Re-record.

Exiting the System
After changing or recording your greeting, the system will return you to the Personal Options menu. 

• Press [*] to exit to the Main Menu or
• Press [*][*] to exit your mailbox.

Establishing Or Changing Your Notification Telephone Number and Schedule:

The Notification Schedule feature allows you to instruct the system when and where to call you when there are waiting messages. You may change your schedule(s) at any time.

To establish or change your Notification Schedule:

1. From the Main Menu, press [4][4].
2. Select the schedule you wish to set up or change:
3. • First,
   • Second, or
   • Temporary.
4. Enter the phone number where the system will call you.
5. Enter the weekday notification time period.
6. Enter the weekend notification time period.
7. Select the message type that will cause the system to call you:
8. • All messages,
   • Only urgent messages, or
   • Only urgent messages from a specific distribution list.
9. Select how soon the system should call you after a new message arrives. This waiting period can be different for urgent -vs. non-urgent messages.
10. Press:
    • [1] to Confirm,
    • [2] to Listen again, or
    • [*] to Cancel.

Enhanced Call Processing Mailbox Flowchart:

Voice Mail Hints:

The [*] Key

Press the [*] key whenever you wish to:

• Cancel what you are doing.
• Back up to a previous menu.
• Erase and re-record.
• Re-enter a destination number if you make a mistake.
• Disconnect when at the Main Menu. (If you just hang up, you will miss the "check new messages" prompt.)

The [#] Key

Press the [#] key whenever you wish to:

• Complete a step.
• Skip the message you are reviewing. (Skipped messages remain in queue as new messages.)
• Send a message.
• Skip personal greetings and introductory prompts.

Press [#][#] whenever you wish to:

• Skip new messages to reach archived messages during review.

The [0] Key

Press the [0] key whenever you are:

• In the Main Menu and wish to learn how many new and archived messages are in your mailbox.
• Not in the Main Menu and wish to hear a Help prompt.

Press [0][0] whenever you wish to:

• Reach a live operator.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

IVR Peg Counter Retrieval and Reset Instructions

IVR Peg Counters provide call volume information.  You may retrieve and/or reset peg counters by application telephone number or by individual option numbers within an application.

From a touchtone telephone:

1. Dial 7-4247

2. When prompted, enter the main number for your application.  Enter the number as if you are dialing the number from campus (in most cases, as a 5-digit number).

3. When prompted, enter your application’s unique password.

4. When prompted, press 2 for peg counts.

5. Follow the voice prompts to hear or reset the main menu peg counter (the total call count for your application), the zero (0) option counter, and the individual option counters.
   NOTE: After you have heard the current number of calls to a given option, you will be offered the opportunity to reset the peg counter for that option back to zero.
   • If you want to reset it, follow the prompt to press the zero key on your phone.
   • If you do not want to reset it to zero at that time, then follow the system prompts to access other counters or return to the main menu.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Recording Instructions

From a touchtone telephone:

1. Dial 7-4247

2. When prompted, enter the main number for your application.  Enter the number as if you are dialing the number from campus (in most cases, as a 5-digit number).

3. When prompted, enter your application’s unique password.

4. When prompted, press 1 for audio recordings.

5. The IVR voice prompts will walk you through the listing of available recordings. After choosing the recording you want to update, the system will either play the existing recording, or, if it has never been recorded before, will tell you that "Your current recording is: not available". The system will then prompt: "To replace this recording, Press 1".

6. Press [1] to begin recording. The system will prompt: "Please record your message after the tone"

7. Press the [#] key when you have finished speaking.

8. The system will then offer you 4 options:
   • To Listen to your recording, Press 1.
   • To Save this recording, Press 2.
   • To Erase and re-record it, Press 3.
   • To discard it and go back, Press *

NOTE: You must wait until all of these options have been offered, before making your choice. None of your keypad entries will be accepted until all four choices have been offered.

Your new recording will be saved after the system returns the message: "Your file is now saved, thank you". If you exit the system before this confirmation message, your new recording will not be saved.

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