UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 7, Page 11
October 13, 1994
V-mail installation moves quickly across campus

     Voice mail installation is proceeding rapidly throughout campus,
according to Rebecca Riston, coordinator of voice processing
administration, network and systems services.
     All full-and part-time students received voice mailboxes last
fall. Over 2,000 faculty and administrative staff have voice
mailboxes.
     The benefits of having voice mail include reducing the staff time
required to handle phone calls and the ability to leave messages for
people who are talking on the phone. Voice mail reduces the need to
make repetitive phone calls by allowing you to send one message, such
as notification of an upcoming meeting, to a number of people
simultaneously.
     Users must keep in mind that they are the key to the
effectiveness of voice mail. "Our biggest concern now is people not
returning calls," Riston said. "We've found that the same people who
won't return a message they receive on a pink memo won't return a
voice mail message." Riston recommends that employees return a call as
soon as the voice mail message is received.
     Another thing voice mail users occasionally overlook is changing
their outgoing messages to indicate when they will be out of the
office for an extended period of time. "Your voice mail message should
reflect your availability," Riston said. "If you will be gone for two
weeks but don't say so in your greeting, a caller may leave a message
expecting the call to be returned the same day."
     In addition to the telephone-answering capability, Riston notes
that departments can request the "operator revert" feature, which
allows callers to press a number to bypass voice mail and reach a
staff member immediately.
     Voice mail eliminates the busy signal for most callers; however,
some users may want their phones to send a busy signal while they are
on another call. "In some departments, employees may find that while
talking on the phone for a few minutes, they have received five
messages," Riston said. The system can easily be changed, she added,
so that a caller will get a busy signal instead.
     Some instructors have separate listen-only mailboxes for each
course.
     Such mailboxes are used to announce room changes, paper
assignments, deadlines and other information.
     "The system's benefits and uses have only begun to be explored,
and overall, the response of campus users has been very positive,"
Riston said.
     For general voice mail information or help using the system, call
the Help Desk at 831-6000.
     For more detailed questions, or information about having voice
mail installed, call Rebecca Riston at 831-3750 or send e-mail to
riston@strauss.udel.edu.
                                -by Chris Keirstead and Amanda Bunkley

                                 * * *


DO
   return calls promptly. When callers leave messages in your voice
   mailbox, they are expecting a response. Don't forget to call them
   back.

DO
   check your messages often. Because most phones do not have message
   lights, it is easy to overlook something as simple as checking your
   voice mailbox for new messages. Keep in mind that callers can also
   leave you voice mail messages without ringing your phone, so it's
   important that you check your voice mailbox at regular intervals.
   You should check your voice mailbox depending on the number of
   calls you usually receive. For instance, if your phone receives
   calls almost non-stop, you should check your voice mailbox
   immediately after getting off a call. If you don't receive calls
   very often, you should still check your voice mailbox at least once
   an hour.

DON'T
   tell your PIN to anyone!

DO
   set your PIN to something you will remember. However, make sure
   it's not something that is easily guessed.

DO
   record a clear greeting that lets callers know what department or
   office they have reached at the University of Delaware.

DO
   remember to change your personal greeting if you're going to be out
   of your office for any length of time. Also, be sure to leave a
   forwarding phone number so callers who need immediate responses
   will have someone to contact in your absence.

DO
   record a busy greeting that indicates you are on another call. It
   informs the caller that you are not out of your office and you will
   return the call shortly.

DON'T
   hang up when you reach someone's voice mail. The only way anyone
   will know you called is if you leave a message.

DO
   leave an alternative number for people to call or use operator
   revert. Operator revert enables callers to press a number to reach
   someone if they need their call answered immediately.

DON'T
   put callers in a voice mail circle by forwarding calls to a phone
   that is forwarded to another voice mailbox.

DO
   make sure that the phone extension you are using for operator
   revert is covered.

DON'T
   forward a phone extension that is the operator revert line to
   another extension.

Some additional things to keep in mind:
   * You can access UD V-mail from home by calling 831-4000.
   * Voice mail holds messages for 17 days and then deletes them.
   * Voice mail is a tool, not a 100 percent solution to phone
     problems.
   * Proper voice mail usage is your responsibility.
                                                                      
                                 -by Amanda Bunkley and Rebecca Riston