Phone System Howto

This page will contain instructions on how to operate the phone system at freegeek, including paging, transferring, etc. You may also be interested in reading about Answering the phone, and Changing the Phone Greetings.

Shawn and Matteo are the people on staff who know a little bit about administrating the phone system. MaryKate can change the greetings and add mailboxen. We also have a couple volunteers more expert at it who can be called. Notes about admin stuff can be found here: Phone System Admin and in fgstaff/phones.

Interactive web based tutorial

Some one already made an interactive walkthrough. Check it out here norstar user guide

There's also a quick reference guide to some admin functions of the phone system here.

Making Calls

Internal calls using intercom buttons

The phones are set to go directly to an internal line when the handset is picked up.

1. Pick up the receiver.
2. A > appears beside an intercom button (second from the bottom on the right side), then dial or press an intercom button without >, then dial.

External calls using numbered line buttons

1. Pick up the receiver.
2. Dial 9 or press a numbered line button to get an outside line.

Transferring Calls

For front desk hit the button on the right by the LCD screen (it should say "TRANSFER") and then the extension number. For the rest of you-all:

1. Dial [Feature] then 70
2. Dial the extension number you'd like to transfer to
3. Hang up

Conference Calls

1. On the phone with someone? Good.
2. Put your caller on hold
3. Dial the other person you'd like to reach (whether internal to FG or on outside line)
4. Press [Conf/Trans]
5. Press the held line

Automatic hold

Calls are automatically put on hold when switching from one line to another.

Paging

The page feature is a way to make an announcement over the speakers throughout the building, i.e. to call someone up to the front desk.

Here are instructions for paging from anywhere except the Front Desk:

1. Press Feature.
2. Press 6, 0 (six, zero).
3. You'll be prompted for "Page Choice:". Press 1.
4. You'll be prompted for "Page Zone:". Press 1.
5. After the beep, speak into the phone.
6. When you're done paging, hang up the phone gently by pressing the hang up button with your hand, instead of hanging up the receiver directly.

Here are instructions using the phones at the Front Desk area, including both the donation desk and the volunteer desk.

1. Press Page.
2. Select Both.
3. Select All.
4. After the beep, speak into the phone.
5. When you're done paging, hang up the phone gently by pressing the hang up button with your hand, instead of hanging up the receiver directly.

Buttons

Some of the buttons on the standard office phones have been programmed for your phon-y pleasure.

• Handsfree Mute: Speakerphone
• Intercom: "Intercom" or internal line
• Last No.: Redial
• Voicemail: Voicemailbox for that extension
• Conf/Trans: Conference calls
• Line 1, Line 2, Line 3: External lines 1-3 (line 4 can't be accessed: it's reserved for credit cards, fax, and modem testing. It's left unprogrammed because we may eventually add another line for general use)
• Rls: Hangs up whatever line you're on

Voice Mail Boxen

Features:

• Total time for messages: 15 min
• Max message length: 3 min
• Message retention period: 30 days
• Max outgoing greeting length: 1 min

Setup

• From your extension on an internal line, press the "Voicemail" button, or dial 241
• It will ask you for the password. Get that from Shawn.
  • If you have a voicemail box and no extension, press the # key a few times until it asks for your mbox number and password. Get the password from Shawn.
• It will ask you to change your password. Do that, too.
• It will ask you to record your name (this isn't the outgoing message). Go for it.
• To record your outgoing message, change your name or password, press 8 from the main menu. To change outgoing message, press 2 and follow prompts for the primary message (if you want to record an alternate, too, like for after hours, you can go into the system and switch between the two).
• In general, press * to go up one menu

Accessing Your Messages

From Your Extension

• From your extension on an internal line, press the Voicemail button, or dial 241
• When prompted, dial your password then press #
• Follow the prompts to retrieve, save, and delete your messages. You can also send a message to another voicemailbox (or your own) or press 8 to change your personal options like outgoing message.
• In general, press * to go up one menu.

General Mailbox

• Phone Extension 222

Calls routed to an extension without a mailbox or with a mailbox that hasn't been set up will go to the "general mailbox". This mailbox has an extension of 100, and reception should check it on occasion.

• Press voicemail button
• Press the other button
• Dial 100xxxx (xxxx is the password for the general mailbox), then #.
• Check away!
• Phone Extension 221

Calls routed to an extension without a mailbox or with a mailbox that hasn't been set up will go to the "general mailbox". This mailbox has an extension of 100, and reception should check it on occasion.

• Press voicemail button
• Dial 100xxxx (xxxx is the password for the general mailbox), then #.
• Check away!

From Not Your Extension

There's a few ways to do this.

1. • On an internal line, press the Voicemail button, or dial 241
   • When prompted for password, hit the # key and listen to the error message. Do it again. Do it once more.
   • You'll be prompted to enter your voicemailbox and password, then hit #
   • Use your voicemailbox normally

1. • Call in from an outside line and follow the instructions for accessing your voicemail from outside FG.

1. • Find a phone without an associated voicemail box. The build phone, soon the black hole phone, the public phone at the front are examples.
   • Press the Voicemail button
   • When prompted, enter your voicemail box number and password in succession, then press the # key.
   • Use your voicemail box normally

From Outside Free Geek

• Call our regular number (503)232-9350. The automated attendant will answer.
• Press your voicemailbox number (if you have an extension, that's probably it)
• While your outgoing message is playing, press * *
• You'll be prompted to press your password then the # key.
• Use your voicemailbox normally

Copying Messages to Someone Else's Mailbox

These instructions are intended for the front desk, as they have 3-button LCD screens.

1. When you're finished listening to the message, press "COPY"
2. Record an intro (or not)
3. Dial the extension number that you'd like to send it to: use the number pad, not the transfer buttons.
4. Voila! Now delete the message.

Long distance

Long distance calls are restricted to those needed for Free Geek functions. If you attempt to make a long distance phone call from Free Geek, you will hear a recording that indicates long distance calls are not allowed. At this point, if you are authorized to make long distance calls, you can enter the access code and make the call. (The delay between entering the code and the phone ringing on the other end may seem long...)

Problems & Solutions

1. "Message for you" in your display will not go away

If "Message for you" in your display will not go away (usually after listening to your voice mail messages), press Feature #65. After doing so, it will tell you which station (telephone) left a message. Pressing the Rls button will finally clear the message and return the time indicator to your display.

1. If a button loses it's programming (aka Michael's tech support voice mail button), press "Feature *0" to see what the button is currently. Hit "Rls". Then, press "Feature *2" to program it to be the button you would like instead and type in the 3-digit extension. For voicemail, no matter which phone, that extension is "241". Then, hit "Rls" and it should be re-programmed. These programmable buttons are called "Memory buttons" if you are using the manual.

More fixes at: http://www.datacomsolutions.ca/support1.htm

References

• http://www.micromerl.com/
• http://www.ghtrout.com/ghtrout/
• http://nortel.pbxinfo.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=80