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Home My WebLink About(1994, 04/25) - M-7 - AdoptedM-7 VOICE -MAIL GENERAL POLICY PURPOSE To guide the use of electronic voice -mail, to take ads efficiencies, while preserving and enhancing service to BACKGROUND ige of cost savings and staff public. As a service organization, the City is concerned with its public image and responsiveness to citizens and customers. The telephone is often the first, and sometimes the only contact residents have wit the City. It is imperative that telephone inquires be handled promptly and courteous. However, the City of Newport Beach, work force and is striving to incr monopolize employees' time, efficienc for employees. Voice -mail has prove eliminating "telephone tag", busy i speedier delivery of routine informyl'ti4 i other enterprises, has reduced the size of its % e effectiveness. Since telephone calls can .s offered by voice -mail must be added as a tool that it can free up time and increase service by pals and unanswered lines, and will provide Unfortunately, the common per5eption of voice -mail is that it is impersonal, at best, and frustrating or infuriating, a Fits worst. Long interminable messages and unending loops leave customers begging or a "real person". This policy sets forth the procedures and guidelines necessary to pr vent such discourtesy. DEFINITIONS 1. Voice -Mail - An electrbnic system to receive, send, transfer or store telephone calls using individual "mail boxes" for each employee or department. 2. Enhanced Call Professing - A device to route calls to an individual mailbox for special purposes rich as providing pre-recorded information or collecting specified information. 3. Call Sequencer - A device to queue incoming calls for the first available receptionist. 4. Automated Attendant - A device which answers calls with a greeting and a menu of choices. M-7 GUIDELINES Use of the voice -mail system by City employees shall be governed by the following guidelines: 1. City employees shall answer all incoming calls during regular business hours. 2. City employees shall accept telephone calls promptly. 3. City employees shall retrieve voice -mail messages frequently and promptly. 4. A caller shall not be transferred to a voice -mail box without specific consent. 5. All callers using the voice -mail devices shall have the option of transferring to a live operator at any time during regular business hours. EXCEPTIONS TO THE GUIDELINES In limited circumstances, minor exceptions will be tolerated as follows: Guideline #1 Whenever possible, callers to the City will be greeted by a human voice except when the caller knowingly uses an enhanced processing device (such as an information line) or when a call sequencer is in use during busy periods. Call sequencers shall eventually be answered by an employee. Automated attendants and all other exceptions to this guideline shall only be installed as specifically approved by the City Manager. Guideline #2 Employees shall attempt to respond to calls as they arrive and shall not use voice -mail to "hide" from callers. However, as is often the case, employees who are otherwise engaged in meetings or priority work, can elect to return a call at the next, most convenient time. Guideline #3 Employees shall make every attempt to listen to their voice -mail messages often throughout the work day. Remote retrieval is also possible and should be used as appropriate. Exceptions will be provided when an employee is traveling or on leave, at which time the voice -mail message shall state the date of return of the employee. 2 C Guideline #4 1 M-7 Receptionists answering general City phone lines shall not automatically transfer callers to an individual's voice -mail box without the caller's consent. No individual employee telephone extensions shall be automatically forwarded to an individual's mail box, except as provided for under Guideline #3, above. Callers for an unavailable employee shall be asked if they want to leave a message with the person answering the call or if they want to be connected to that employee's voice -mail message box. Callers asking for specific information available on enhanced call processing shall be asked if they want to be transferred. Callers to the Newport Beach Central Library may be routed directly to an automated attendant when call volumes are heavy. Callers shall have the option to transfer out of the voice -mail system to a "live person" at any time. IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION COverall control and administration of the system is the responsibility of the Telecommunications Division of the Utilities Department. The Telecommunications Division shall assist each department with the design and installation of their individual programs, consistent with the following: 1. Each department shall develop an implementation plan, including assignment of mail boxes, call routing and sequencing, message scripting and employee training for review and approval by the Telecommunications Division. Plans shall be phased in during a test period of at least one month. 2. All messages on any voice -mail device shall be scripted consistent with attached examples. Whenever possible, messages will be recorded by a selected narrator with special voice skills. 3. Notice shall be given to the general public and to specific user groups regarding the advent of voice -mail. 4. All employees shall receive both initial and on-going training in the use of voice- mail. 5. The Telecommunications Division shall produce periodic management and usage reports on the use of the system, including a summary of any complaints or problems. K M-7 b 6. Additions, deletions and changes to the system must be requested y department directors or their designee and approved by the Telecommunications Division. However, individual mail box messages may be altered in accord with the attached examples. 7. The voice mail system is the property of the City and is to be used only for City business. As such, all voice mail is subject to monitoring and discovery. (Attachment Examples) Adopted - April 25,1994 4 0 (Attachment) M-7 City of Newport Beach Voice Processing Policies & Procedures ACCEPTABLE EXAMPLES OF VOICE MAILBOX GREETINGS 1. For in-house office personnel to be used as a standard greeting. "Hello, this is John Doe. Today is Thursday, July 2nd.I'm in the office but away from my desk right now, and will be in meetings after 2 o'clock. At the tone, please leave a detailed message and your phone number and I'll return youre'call as soon as possible. If you need to speak to someone immediately please press 'O!j4hank you." A shorter version for the same may be "Hello,;;{his is John Doe. I am currently away from my desk or on the phone. Please leave your name, number and a detailed message and I will get back to you with as quickly possible. If you need to speak to someone immediately please press '0'. Thank you "r 2. For field personnel or those frequentlyp{,6ut of their offices: "Hello, this is John Doe. I am currently out in the field (out of my office) right now. I will be checking for messages regularlyand I'd appreciate it if you'd leave your name, number and a detailed message so I can gt back to you as quickly as possible. If you need to speak to someone immediately pleaseress 'O'. Thank you." 3. For personnel on vacation: Hello, this is John Doe an '11 be on vacation from August 1st through August 15th. I will not be checking my in ssages until I return. For immediate assistance, please press U. Thank you. M-7 (Attachment City of Newport Beach Voice Processing Policies & Procedures SECRETARY/RECEPTIONIST VOICE MAIL ACCESS PROCEDURES For primary secretaries/receptionists dealing with an incoming caller, it is appropriate to notify the caller of the possibility of accessing one's voice mailbox. 1. When the caller has requested Mr. Doe and the secretary/receptionist already knows he's not available: "I'm sorry, Mr. Doe is currently unavailable. If you is you can leave a detailed, confidential message directly in his voice mailbox or, I can take a message for him to return your call." scenario, tt In this je, first option is preferable since the caller can leave a detailed message or question in the mailbox without taking the operator's time to fill out a pink me age sig, possibly n-iisinterpre I ting the message or incorrectly wr . iting some bit of in ation down, d some urgent concern, the operator could offer to of course, if the caller was irate, or had pthanner, the caller has been transfer the call to someoneothMmai to the caller and 5iorially,witthe voicebox presented as an option is accomplished dealt with professions information about the call as possible. All of this John'Doe gets. as with ininimal.involvement of the secretary/receptionist ther Johnno oe is avaiab, 2. In situations where a secretary/receptionist is unaware e wh answer,lthe lecallthe operator may transfer the call. if John Doe's phone is busy or there is :Will forward to user's voice mailbox. There will always be the option for the caller to return. to thesecretary/receptionist. wifts to option back to secretar/recetionist, and she/he knif it ows possible called party is in the building, the ithe 3. When the caller t will ask the person s secretary/receptyionispd: on hold and return shortly, at which time the operator may respon to place the call "Thank you for holding_I can transfer. your call now."