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Xpressions Voicemail

Recording Greetings

Instructions for Setting Popular Greetings

Xpressions provides a variety of Greeting options to suit most every user's needs. With that flexibility comes complexity, especially when compared with the original PhoneMail system's more limited options for greetings. Detailed instructions are provided here for some of the more popular preferences for Greetings in Xpressions.

Recording only one general purpose greeting

I'd like to record just one greeting which will always be heard by callers. When I go on vacation, I'll record a different greeting, and I don't mind recording the original greeting again when I return.

Recommendation: Use the Alternate Greeting

To record, or re-record the Alternate greeting, you must first make sure it is activated.

  1. Login to Xpressions
  2. Press 8 for Answering Options
  3. Press 1 to change Personal Greetings
  4. Press 3 to activate the Alternate Greeting. (If the Alternate Greeting is already in use, you may skip this step). Greeting plays.
  5. Press 1 to change the Alternate Greeting. Current Greeting plays.
  6. Press 1 to record a new Alternate Greeting. Press * when done, then #
  7. Press # to finish

When you go on vacation, re-record your Alternate Greeting. When you return, do the same to set your everyday greeting.

Recording separate greetings for daily and vacation use

I want to record a greeting for normal daily use. When I go on vacation, I want to record another greeting without erasing the greeting I use every day. When I return from vacation, I want to go back to my regular daily use greeting without having to record it again.

Recommendation: Regular Greetings plus Alternate Greeting

PhoneMail made this pretty easy, allowing a regular daily use greeting and an Alternate Greeting to coexist. Xpressions does this, too, but requires you to record four regular greetings instead of just one for your normal daily use. There are different regular greetings for different kinds of calls. The four regular greetings are:

Note: Your business hours are 24 hours per day by default, so the After Hours Greeting will not play unless you change your Business Hours. If necessary, this can be done using the Web Assistant. Regular Greetings must be recorded prior to changing Business Hours.

You can record identical messages in each of the four greetings, or tailor them as you see fit. To record any of these regular greetings, you must first turn off the Alternate Greeting if it is in use.

  1. Login to Xpressions
  2. Press 8 for Answering Options
  3. Press 1 to change Personal Greetings
  4. Press 3 to deactivate the Alternate Greeting (if necessary)
  5. Press 2 for Regular Greetings
  6. Press 2 for Busy Line, 3 for Internal Greeting, 4 for External Greeting, 5 for After Hours Greetings
  7. Follow the prompts to record each of the four different types of greetings

When you go on vacation, activate, and then record the Alternate Greeting. The Alternate Greeting overrides all greetings except Today's Greeting (see below) and only plays during normal business hours.

Note: Your business hours are 24 hours per day by default, so the Alternate Greeting will always play unless you change your Business Hours. If necessary, you may change your business hours using the Web Assistant. Regular Greetings must be recorded prior to changing Business Hours.

  1. Login to Xpressions
  2. Press 8 for Answering Options
  3. Press 1 to change Personal Greetings
  4. Press 3 to activate the Alternate Greeting. Hear current Alternate Greeting.
  5. Press 1 to change the Alternate Greeting. Follow prompts to record a new Alternate Greeting.

When you return from vacation, deactivate the Alternate Greeting, and return to your Regular Greetings.

  1. Login to Xpressions
  2. Press 8 for Answering Options
  3. Press 1 to change Personal Greetings
  4. Press 3 to deactivate Alternate Greeting
  5. Press # to finish

Recording a new greeting every day

To improve customer service, I'd like to record a new greeting every day advising callers of my availability.

Recommendation: Use Today's Greeting (also known as the Daily Greeting)

Today's Greeting expires each day at midnight. Record a new Today's Greeting when you come into work each day. To record a new Today's Greeting:

  1. Login to Xpressions
  2. Press 8 for Answering Options
  3. Press 8 to change Today's Greeting
  4. Press *, then # to end the recording. Today's Greeting is automatically activated.

To deactivate Today's Greeting:

  1. Login to Xpressions
  2. Press 8 for Answering Options
  3. Press 1 to change Personal Greetings
  4. Press 3 to deactivate Today's Greeting
    • Optional Step: Choose Regular Greetings or Alternate Greetings
      Press 2 to activate Regular Greetings or
      Press 3 to activate the Alternate Greeting
      Note: If you do not choose either option, the system will select Regular Greetings.

Page Updated: 2012-02-16

Standards & Policy

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Page Updated: 2012-02-16; © 2012 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia.

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