Auto Attendant setup

[MattLS]

Evening and Happy New Year all-

I have been thinking for awhile now about setting up an AA to help sift out the sales calls and especially the "Viagra" sales people that sometimes call daily.

I have the OBi202 and 2 GV accounts Business on SP1 and Home on SP2.

I just want a very simple setup to start- in fact 1 button push would be fine just to weed out the unwanted callers. Possibly I would add a few more actions later. Ideally I would want to record my own message(s) and have separate message for SP1 & SP2.

I'm having a hard time discovering if this is possible- is anyone familiar with this? From what I have read separating SP1 and SP2 on AA might be a problem?

[SteveInWA]

Happy new year to you too, Matt!

I suppose Robert and/or DrGeoff will chime in regarding the OBi AA, but I suggest a different approach.

Callcentric, and some of the other Internet Telephone Service Providers (ITSPs), have various IVRs or auto-attendants that are much more flexible and useful than what's built into the OBi.

I use Callcentric.  It has several features you can combine for call filtering/blocking:  a spam call filter, a phonebook you can use to create a "junk caller" group, and mark calls received as junk, and an option that defeats predictive dialers by requiring the caller to press a random digit to connect your call.

You can either port your "Business" GV number to Callcentric (for free) or you can get a free inbound number from them, and then forward your GV calls to that number.

[azrobert]

See the following thread for some AA basics:
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=10297.0

Create a custom greeting something like: "Press 1 to complete your call"
If you place the custom greeting "%user1" in the Menu option, it will repeat when user doesn't respond.
If you place the custom greeting in Welcome option, it will only play once.
Delete all other greetings.
Change the AA DigitMap to: (0)
Change the AA OutboundCallRoute to: {0:ph}
When the caller enters 1, the OBi passes a zero to the DigitMap.
There is only one AA on the OBi202, so you can only have one message. Maybe there is this option in OBiExtras. I never looked at OBiExtras.
There is also a problem with routing. I assume you want SP1 routed to PH1 and SP2 routed to PH2. I never did this before, but I have an idea how to accomplish it. I would have to test it.


Other things you can do:
You can use a callerid white list for family/friends to bypass the AA.
You can use a black list to block calls without the AA.

You can use NoMoRobo to block robo calls, but it won't work in combination with the AA.
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8802.0
See reply#27 in the same thread for valid tollfree providers.

[Taoman]

and an option that defeats predictive dialers by requiring the caller to press a random digit to connect your call.

You can either port your "Business" GV number to Callcentric (for free) or you can get a free inbound number from them, and then forward your GV calls to that number.

Unfortunately, using the Callcentric Telemarketer Block with a forwarded GV number won't work since GV ignores early media.

Note:
Steve, I changed my Callcentric Nomorobo call treatment so that I don't get that initial single ring if it's a spam hit. I route all incoming calls (that aren't in my phone book) to a hunt group. First entry in the hunt group is my toll free Nomorobo number via tf.arctele.com. Ring time is 5 seconds. Second entry is my primary extension with a 30-second ring time. This effectively gets rid of the first ring if Nomorobo gets a hit on the incoming number. This can't be done on VoIP.ms since they don't support hunt groups.

[SteveInWA]

and an option that defeats predictive dialers by requiring the caller to press a random digit to connect your call.

You can either port your "Business" GV number to Callcentric (for free) or you can get a free inbound number from them, and then forward your GV calls to that number.

Unfortunately, using the Callcentric Telemarketer Block with a forwarded GV number won't work since GV ignores early media.

Note:
Steve, I changed my Callcentric Nomorobo call treatment so that I don't get that initial single ring if it's a spam hit. I route all incoming calls (that aren't in my phone book) to a hunt group. First entry in the hunt group is my toll free Nomorobo number via tf.arctele.com. Ring time is 5 seconds. Second entry is my primary extension with a 30-second ring time. This effectively gets rid of the first ring if Nomorobo gets a hit on the incoming number. This can't be done on VoIP.ms since they don't support hunt groups.

RE:  CC telemarketer block, right.  I wasn't clear in that I was offering two alternatives; don't use GV and port the GV number to an ITSP, or, forward it to a CC DID.  The first alternative would, of course, work better by utilizing all of CC's tools.

Cool idea about the hunt group, thanks.

[MattLS]

I didn't think I got any replies to this post- Thank you all

the telemarketers that are calling use some sort of system that makes it appear they are calling from a different city and number with each call so blocking specific numbers is of little use.

I already have SP1 set to PH1 and SP2 set to PH2 so that's no problem.

Sounds like I will just have to use the same recording for both lines, also no problem.

I will hopefully get time to try this soon and report back.

BTW it amazes me that all providers don't make this easy to do- they could even charge for it.. Feels like they are in league with the telemarketers.

[SteveInWA]

There is no perfect solution to the robocallers who spoof different telephone numbers and change them frequently.  Nomorobo catches a lot of them.  Creating a whitelist would be the alternative.

I get a few (less than 5) spam calls per month to my Callcentric numbers that Nomorobo doesn't kill.  When I get one of those, I add it to my CC junk caller list, which has a call treatment to send any future calls from those numbers to the disconnected number SIT.

[Lavarock7]

Many of the telemarketer calls I *used* to get were robo calls. There would be a ring, I would pick up and speak. A few seconds later a human or computer started their spiel.

If the phone is answered with a "Press 2 to find me" and a default to go to voicemail, the robo call goes to voicemail because their computer doesn't know to dial a digit. A telemarketer gets a notification when you answer and ends up connecting after your short message so he just hears dead air and eventually voicemail.

[azrobert]

The following is how I would setup an OBi202 to block robo calls. SP1 calls will be routed to Phone1 and SP2 will be routed to Phone2. The caller must enter "1" to proceed after hearing your custom prompt. As Lavrock explained the instructions to proceed must be in the 1st few seconds, otherwise you will be telling the robo caller how to proceed. The message can be longer with additional information. You need to use OBi Expert to make the following OBi202 configuration changes.

Voice Services -> Auto Attendant

Under Auto Attendant Prompts set the following.
Menu: %User1%
%User1% will point to custom prompt#1.

All Other Prompts set to: &pause()
&pause() is the equivalent of deleting the prompt.

DigitMap: (<0:$1>)

OutboundCallRoute: {(<A:>@.):ph},{(<B:>@.):ph2}

AnswerDelay: 0

Voice Services -> SP1 Service -> X_InboundCallRoute: {(<A>@.):aa}

Voice Services -> SP2 Service -> X_InboundCallRoute: {(<B>@.):aa}

CallerID will be prefixed with "A" or "B"
In the AA outbound route CallerIDs beginning with "A" will be routed to Phone1 and "B" routed to Phone2.

If you want white list for bypassing the AA for selected CallerIDs:

User Settings -> User Defined DigitMaps -> UDD Map2:
Label: wlst1
(15556660001|15556660002|15556660003)

User Settings -> User Defined DigitMaps -> UDD Map3:
Label: wlst2
(15557770001|15557770002|15557770003)

Voice Services -> SP1 Service -> X_InboundCallRoute: {(Mwlst1):ph},{(<A>@.):aa}

Voice Services -> SP2 Service -> X_InboundCallRoute: {(Mwlst2):ph2},{(<B>@.):aa}

Record a custom prompt
Dial the following:
***0
1001#                   This will save the recording to %User1%.
                             1002# will save to %User2%
1                           This is for a new value for the recording
1                           Any digit will start the recording
Say your custom message
#                          Will end the recording. Leave a couple of seconds
                             of silence at beginning and end.
1                           Confirm the recording and save

[MattLS]

Thanks allot for pointing me in the right direction I tried azroberts settings with a few minor adjustments

for example I have sp1 mapped to PH2 and SP2 mapped to ph1

So in voice services\AA
I changed OutboundcalllRoute to: {(<B:>@.):ph},{(<A:>@.):ph2}

and in Voice Services \ SP1 Service I changed Inboundcallroute to {(<B>@:):aa}
and in Voice Services \ SP2 Service I changed Inboundcallroute to {(<A>@:):aa}

It works but only on either SP1 or SP2 depending on the setting of Voice Services \ Auto Attendant \ PrimaryLine (choses which line has the AA??) reading the description for this setting I don't understand "which service is the primary line when dialing out for the AA"

What I need is for the AA to work on both SP1 and SP2 and for that matter SP3 and SP4 when I add them

[drgeoff]

Your InboundCallRoutes are not the equivalents of azrobert's.  Look at the character after the @.

Each of ph1, ph2 and aa has its own setting for Primary Line.  It is the default SP that will be used for outgoing calls from that ph1, ph2 or aa unless overridden by specifying a different SP for that call.

[MattLS]

Thanks drgreoff

I had the inbound typed correct on my config...

It seems to all work now
The problem was that I needed to leave inbound SP1 as {(<A>@.):aa} and inbound SP2 as {(<B>@.):aa}
I did need to change AA outbound to {(<B:>@.):ph},{(<A:>@.):ph2} (just because I need sp1 to ring on ph2 and sp1 to ring on ph1)

so far so good

A note for anyone struggling with these settings- one trick I think I have learned today is to wait a few minutes for everything to update before testing new settings

next step is to create a forward so after auto attendant lets the call through, if ph1 doesn't answer in 4 rings it transfers to my cell- looks like this can be done in physical interfaces/ call forwarding/ forwardonnoanswer? can I just add any phone number in this field as 1-555-555-5555? or is this looking for some other format in this field?

[MattLS]

Thank you for the tip about Callcentric- I have looked into this and agree that this will be more powerful and much easier to do what I need in one place.

[drgeoff]

@GarFin
You should really have started a new topic as your requirements are different from those discussed in this one.

If you want the AA to answer calls from the PSTN line, then SP1 and SP2 have absolutely nothing to do with that so their settings are irrelevant.

The normal use of the AA is to do what you want so put the AA's InboundCallRoute back to defaults. Or if you never want to use the callthrough or callback features you can simplify it to {0,ph}. The DigitMap and PrimaryLine are only applicable to callthough and callback. CallbackAnswerDelay is only applicable to callback. Additionally you can choose what happens if the caller does not give a valid response to the prompt(s). The default (setting NumberOnNoInput to 0) will send the call to the phone.  If left blank the AA will hang up the call.

As you want the the incoming PSTN calls to go to the AA and not directly to the phone, set the LINE port InboundCallRoute to {aa}.


The relevant section of the Admin Guide is http://www.obihai.com/OBiDeviceAdminGuide#_Toc367543095

[GarFin]

Post removed. Will create a new topic.