The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About(1997, 06/09) - F-19 - AmendedVOICE -MAIL GENERAL POLICY PURPOSE F -19 To establish procedures for City departments and individual employees using electronic voice -mail to answer incoming telephone calls. BACKGROUND As a service organization, the City must be responsive to the needs and requests of its residents and customers. The telephone is often the first, and sometimes the only contact members of the public have with the City. It is important that telephone inquiries be handled promptly and courteously by City staff. However, the City of Newport Beach has reduced the size of the work force and is striving to increase its effectiveness to accommodate ever increasing service demands with fewer City employees. Voice -mail can increase efficiency and effectiveness by eliminating "telephone tag," busy signals and unanswered lines, and can provide speedier delivery of routine information. Unfortunately, sometimes voice -mail can be impersonal, and at times frustrating for the caller, especially if the system has long complicated messages and unending loops. This policy sets forth the procedures and guidelines to avoid these common voice -mail problems. DEFINITIONS 1. Voice -Mail - An electronic system to receive, send, transfer or store telephone calls using individual "mail boxes" for each employee or department 2. Enhanced Call Processing - A device to route calls to an individual mailbox for special purposes such 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. is F -19 • 5. City and Departmental General Information Phone Lines - The main phone line for each City Department or Division within the City. GUIDELINES Use of the voice -mail system by City employees shall be governed by the following guidelines: 1. All City department and division general information telephone lines shall be answered by a receptionist during City business hours. All City department and division general information lines shall always be answered by a "live' receptionist. Under no condition shall these lines be routed through the voice -mail system. If the assigned receptionist is unavailable at any time during City operating hours, the department shall assign a back -up receptionist to answer incoming calls. All exceptions to this policy shall be approved by the City Manager prior to implementation. Current exceptions to this policy are the following: City Information Line: The information Line uses an enhanced • processing device which provides pre- recorded information on City events and services. The caller also has the option to speak with a City employee, if desired. Call Sequencer System: Some City phone lines, such as the Central Library, experience a high volume of calls during certain times of the day. A call sequencer queues incoming calls until an operator is available. 2. Calls transferred to or made directly to an employee's direct phone line shall be answered promptly, if at all possible. Employees shall attempt to answer phone calls as they arrive and shall not use voice -mail to screen calls. Employees otherwise engaged in meetings or priority work may use voice -mail to answer calls, with the intent to return the calls as soon as possible. 3. City employees shall retrieve voice -mail messages frequently and promptly. Employees shall listen to their voice -mail messages at regular intervals throughout the workday. Remote retrieval when an employee is outside City Hall is also possible and shall be used when out of the office for extended time periods. If an employee is traveling or on leave, he /she shall record a • 2 F -19 voice -mail message informing the caller when the employee will return to work. 4. A caller shall not be transferred to a voice -mail box without his/her specific consent. 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 automatically be forward to an individual's mailbox, 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 employees voice -mail message box. Callers asking for specific information available on enhanced call processing shall be asked if they want to be transferred. 5. All callers transferred to City voice -mail shall have the option of transferring to a live operator at any time during the voice -mail message. All voice -mail messages should end with the following option: "If you need to speak to someone immediately, please press 'O'." IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION Overall control and administration of the system is the responsibility of the Telecommunications Division of the Administrative Services 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 mailboxes, 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. F -19 • 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. 6. Additions, deletions and changes to the system must be requested by department directors or their designee and approved by the Telecommunications Division. However, individual mailbox 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. Refer to Attachment -- Examples) Adopted - April 25,1994 Amended - February 26,1996 Amended - June 9,1997 Formerly M -7 • 4 • F -19 Attachment 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 your call as soon as possible. If you need to speak to someone immediately, please press '0. Thank you." A shorter version for the same may be "Hello, this 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 as quickly as possible. If you need to speak with someone immediately, please press O'. Thank you." 2. For field personnel or those frequently out of their office: Hello, this is John Doe. I am currently out in the field (out of my office) right now. I will be checking for messages regularly, and I would appreciate it if you would leave your name, number and a detailed message so I can get back to you as quickly as possible. If you need to speak to someone immediately, please press 'O'. Thank you." 3. For personnel on vacation: Hello, this is John Doe and I will be on vacation from August 1st through August 15th. I will not be checking my messages until I return. For immediate assistance, please press 'O'. Thank you." 5