Overview of Voicemail

The University Voicemail system provides an optional service for the automatic answering of a telephone and for recording messages from callers. When an incoming call is forwarded to the Voicemail system, the Voicemail system plays the caller your custom greeting and then allows the caller to record a message for your later retrieval.

Answering callers

The system can be set-up for message recording in any of three methods:

1. An incoming caller dials your extension and after a period of ringing with no answer, your telephone forwards to the Voicemail system. This is implemented using the Pre-set Call Forwarding feature of the telephone exchange.
2. An incoming caller dials your extension and is immediately forwarded to the Voicemail system. This is implemented using the Direct Call Forwarding feature of the exchange.
3. An incoming caller dials the Voicemail system directly and upon prompting, enters your Voicemail ID, which connects the caller directly to your Voicemail box.

Notification

When any new messages are present in your Voicemail box, the Voicemail system may notify you in any of several different ways:

1. If you have a digital telephone, the Mailbox light on the telephone will be lit.
2. When you lift the telephone to make a call, the normal dial tone will be replaced by the recorded message “You have a message”.
3. You may set the Voicemail system to telephone you on any number to notify you.
4. If you have installed the ViewMail program into GroupWise on your computer, and it is active, it will notify you via your computer sound card and/or by blinking the program icon.

Message Retrieval

Messages may be retrieved from any telephone, either on campus or external. They may also be retrieved via a network connected PC if the ViewMail program is installed into GroupWise. Once retrieved and heard, messages may be archived for a short while, forwarded to another Voicemail subscriber or downloaded to a PC (if ViewMail is installed). If not archived, then heard messages will be deleted at the end of the day. Unheard messages will also be deleted from the system once they have been on the system for 14 days.

Voicemail Etiquette

 Voicemail can be an important and valuable adjunct to ones work but it can also be a source of irritation to callers. If you subscribe to Voicemail then the following rules are important:

1. Check you mailbox regularly and respond to messages timeously. Not doing so clogs up the Voicemail system and is guaranteed to annoy callers who leave messages.
2. Customise your greeting regularly to inform callers of your current status. If you are going to be away from the office for several days, change your greeting to inform callers when you will return (give the date) so that they will know what delay to expect.
3. Do not leave out of date greetings enabled. A caller who, on the 5th of March, is told that you will be back on the 22nd of January will hold little store by your greeting.
   Call yourself regularly and listen to your greeting to check how it sounds.
4. The Voicemail system is to assist you when you are out of the office. Its function is not to replace you, and should not be used to take your calls when you are in your office.

Retrieving your messages

1. Access the main Voicemail menu as described above in Accessing the Voicemail Menu System. (This varies dependant upon where you are phoning from.)
2. Voicemail will tell you if there are any messages.
3. To hear the messages, press 1 for "yes". The message will then be played.
4. You may either delete the message by pressing "222" (no,no,no) or you may leave it. It will then become an old message that can be reviewed at a later stage.
5. Once you have listened to the messages replace the receiver.

Receiving Voicemail in GroupWise or Outlook

It is now possible to have your voicemail messages delivered to your email account where you may use either GroupWise or Outlook to retrieve your messages, hear them and answer them. To find out more go to Viewmail Instructions.