Create non-business hours navigation menus in Exchange Server
Applies to: Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016
You can enable non-business hours key mappings for a Unified Messaging (UM) auto attendant. After you create a UM auto attendant, a default system prompt will be used for the non-business hours main menu prompt greeting that callers hear after the non-business hours welcome greeting is played. The default non-business hours main menu prompt says, "Welcome to the Microsoft Exchange after hours auto attendant." Because no key mappings are defined by default, no menu options are available to callers and they hear only the default non-business hours main menu prompt.
When you configure key mappings, you define the options and the operations that are performed if a caller speaks a phrase while they're using a speech-enabled auto attendant or presses a key on the telephone keypad while they're using an auto attendant that isn't speech-enabled.
For more management tasks related to UM auto attendants, see UM auto attendant procedures.
What do you need to know before you begin?
Estimated time to complete: Less than 1 minute.
You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure or procedures. To see what permissions you need, see the "UM auto attendants" entry in the Unified Messaging permissions topic.
Before you perform these procedures, confirm that a UM dial plan is created. For detailed steps, see Create a UM dial plan.
Before you perform these procedures, confirm that a UM auto attendant is created. For detailed steps, see Create a UM auto attendant.
For information about keyboard shortcuts that apply to the procedures in this topic, see Keyboard shortcuts for the Exchange admin center in Exchange 2013.
Tip
Having problems? Ask for help in the Exchange forums. Visit the forums at Exchange Server.
Use the EAC to enable non-business hours key mappings on a UM auto attendant
In the EAC, navigate to Unified Messaging > UM dial plans. In the list view, select the UM dial plan you want to change, and then click Edit
.On the UM Dial Plan page, under UM Auto Attendants, select the UM auto attendant for which you want to create a non-business hours navigation menu. On the toolbar, click Edit
.On the UM Auto Attendant page, click Menu navigation, under Non-business hours menu navigation, select Enable non-business hours menu navigation, and then click Add
.On the New menu navigation entry page, use the following options to create a new menu navigation entry:
Prompt: Use this box to type the name of the new navigation menu. The navigation menu name is used for display purposes only. This is a required field.
Because you want to specify multiple new navigation menus, we recommend that you use meaningful names for your key mappings. The maximum length of the name for the key mapping is 64 characters, and it can include spaces. However, it can't include any of the following characters:
" / \ [ ] : ; | = , + * ? < >.When this key is pressed: Use this list to enable key mapping. The key mapping is the number key that a caller presses to have the auto attendant perform a specific operation, for example, forwarding the caller to another auto attendant or to an operator. By default, no entries are defined.
Use the drop down list to select the numeric key (from 1 through 9) that the caller must press. Zero (0) is reserved for the auto attendant operator.
If you select Time Out from the drop down list, it enables callers to be transferred to an extension number or to another auto attendant if they don't press a key on the telephone keypad. For example, "Please stay on the line and your call will be answered by the next available representative." The default setting is 5 seconds. If you enable this option, a blank key mapping is created.
Play the following audio file: Use this option to select a previously recorded audio file for callers. Click Change, and then click Browse to locate the audio file. If you leave the audio file as the default <None>, the Unified Messaging TTS (Text to Speech) engine synthesizes a non-business hours main menu prompt. Alternatively, you can create a customized audio file that can be used for the non-business hours main menu prompt for a speech-enabled auto attendant that would say, for example, "You have reached Contoso during non-business hours. To leave a voice message for sales, say 1. To leave a voice message for technical support, say 2. To leave a voice message for administration, say 3. To reach an after hours operator, press zero."
Perform this additional action: Select one of the following options to define the action that you want the auto attendant to perform for the caller:
None: If you don't want the auto attendant to transfer the call to an extension or to another auto attendant, or leave a message for a user, use this option.
Transfer to this extension: Select this option to enable calls to be transferred to an extension number. If you enable this option, use the box to type the extension number where the call will be transferred. This field allows only numeric characters. It can't include any of the following characters:
" / \ [ ] : ; | = , + * ? < >.Transfer to this UM auto attendant: Select this option to transfer the call to an existing auto attendant. Click Browse to locate the auto attendant that you want to use. Before you enable this option, you must first create and configure the auto attendant. This option is used when you create a parent/child structure of UM auto attendants.
Leave a voice message for this user: Select this option to enable a caller to leave a voice mail message for a user that's on the same dial plan as the UM auto attendant that you're configuring. When a caller chooses this option from an auto attendant menu, they're prompted to leave a voice message for the user that was selected. Click Browse to locate the UM-enabled user.
Announce business location: Select this option to enable a caller to choose an auto attendant menu option and hear the location of the business that's configured on the UM auto attendant. To enable this to work correctly, you must first enter the business location in the Business location box on the General page on the UM auto attendant.
Announce business hours: Select this option to enable a caller to choose an auto attendant menu option and hear the hours of operation for the business configured on the UM auto attendant. To enable this to work correctly, you must first configure the business hours on the Business hours page on the UM auto attendant.
Click OK to create the new menu navigation.
On the UM Auto Attendant page, click Save to save your changes.
Use the Shell to enable non-business hours key mappings on a UM auto attendant
This example configures a UM auto attendant named MyAutoAttendant and enables non-business hours key mappings so that when callers say "After Hours" they're forwarded to extension number 12345, and if they say "Directions" they'll be forwarded to extension number 23456.
Set-UMAutoAttendant -Identity MyUMAutoAttendant -AfterHoursKeyMappingEnabled $true -AfterHoursKeyMapping "AfterhoursOperator,12345","Directions,23456"