Detailed description of Attendant Timers

Last Updated : Oct 30, 2012 |

Attendant Timers automatically alert the attendant after an administered time interval for the following types of calls:

  • Extended calls that are waiting to be answered or waiting to be connected to a busy single-line telephone

  • One-party calls that are on hold at the console

  • Transferred calls that are unanswered after a transfer

The Attendant Timers feature informs the attendant that a call requires additional attention. After the attendant reconnects to the call, the user can either choose to try another extension number, disconnect, or continue to wait.

Communication Manager supports a variety of administrable attendant timers. Attendant timers include:

  • Unanswered DID Call Timer. Specifies how long a direct inward dialing (DID) call can go unanswered before the system routes the call to the administered DID, TIE, or ISDN intercept treatment.

  • Attendant Return Call Timer. Unanswered calls that the attendant extends return to the same attendant, if the attendant is available. If the same attendant is unavailable, unanswered calls return to the attendant group queue.

    The Attendant Return Call Timer is not set for calls that are extended from one attendant to another attendant. The system redirects a transferred call that times out to an attendant after the interval that is administered for the Attendant Return Call timer.

  • Attendant Timed Reminder of Held Call Timer. Specifies how long a call is held. When the timer expires, the held call alerts the attendant. The attendant's screen displays the message hc. You can administer either a high-pitched ring or a primary alert.

  • Attendant No-Answer Timer. Specifies how long a call that terminates at an attendant console can ring with primary alerting. When the timer expires, the call rings with a secondary, higher-pitch ring. The ringing pattern of a disabled Attendant No Answer Timer remains the same for the primary pattern and the secondary pattern. If the call remains unanswered during this interval, the system routes the call to the attendant group and console where the call was placed in a Position Busy state. This timer does not apply to calls that are placed to the extension of the attendant, or to calls that the attendant originates.

  • Attendant Alerting Interval (Timed Reminder). Specifies how long a call that terminates at an attendant console can ring with secondary alerting. When the timer expires, the attendant console is placed into position busy mode, and the system forwards the call to the attendant group. If the console where the alerting interval is reached is the last active day console, the system goes into Night Service, if Night Service is enabled. This timer does not apply to calls that are placed to the extension of the attendant, or to calls that the attendant originates.

    You can disable the alerting interval. In this case, a call continues to ring at the extension of the original attendant until the caller hangs up, or another feature disconnects the call. If the call reaches the timeout limit for unanswered DID calls during Night Service, for example, the Night Service feature disconnects the call.

  • Line Intercept Tone Timer. Specifies how long line intercept can be. For example, LITT:10 seconds means that line intercept stops after 10 seconds.