Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: portal!cup.portal.com!JDurand@apple.com Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Automated Attendents/Answering Machines Message-ID: Date: 18 Sep 89 16:28:15 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Lines: 15 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 386, message 5 of 10 I have noticed a disturbing trend in companies using automated attendent systems. With an automated attendent, it's even easier for twits to call you than it was with a Centrex system. The result of this is most if not all extensions in an office are programmed as "away from my desk" so the call is routed to the voice-mail system. Now if you are in a company that is set up this way and you are trying to reach someone else who is also "away from his desk", you might as well send a letter since neither one of you will ever talk directly to the other. I design voice-mail and automated attendent hardware, but I use a standard answering machine to screen my calls so that I can pick up any call that sounds important. Maybe I should add an option like this to the voice-mail systems we design? Any ideas? Jerry Durand, Durand Interstellar, Inc., sun!cup.portal.com!jdurand