FAQs: Menus

Menus

What is a menu?

A menu is generally the first thing incoming callers will hear when they dial your Phone.com number. Your system will play your custom audio message telling callers which key to press. (”Press 1 for Customer Service, press 2 for Sales…”).

How do I add a new menu?

Visit the Menus section from within your Phone.com account. To add a new menu, select the Add New Menu on the Menu page.

How do I edit an existing menu?

Select the Menus option from the navigation bar. In the Manage Menus table, select the menu to configure by clicking Settings. This will take you to the Edit Menu page.

Where can I modify the name for my existing menu?

Give each menu a nickname to help you identify it when configuring actions for other areas of your system. You can modify the name from within your account by selecting on the Menu option from the navigation bar then selecting Settings.

What is the outgoing message?

This is your pre-recorded audio message telling callers which key to press (”Press 1 for Customer Service, press 2 for Sales”). For information regarding Greetings, please click here.

If a caller presses an incorrect key, do I have the option of inputting my own invalid message entry recording?

This is an audio message that plays when caller makes invalid menu selection. You must first record your entry on the Greetings page. After you have done so, you will be able to select the entry from the drop down menu.

What does allow extension dial mean?

This setting allows callers to enter in an extension number at anytime to bypass the menu and dial that extension.

How do I configure each number that a customer dials with a specific extension?

This option is managed in the Menu section through the Number Action. You can configure as many selections as you need (up to 11). Each menu option (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, #) destination is set by the action(s) you set using the Number Action.

What are some examples of an outgoing message for my menu?

Menu script #1
“Welcome to [business name]. If you know your party’s extension, you may dial it now. If not, please stay on the line to hear the following list of menu options: Press 1 to reach…Press 2 to reach…Press 3 to reach…”

Menu script #2
“Thank you for calling [business name]. To direct your call, please choose from the following menu options: Press 1 for…Press 2 for…Press 3 for…If you know the extension of your party, please feel free to enter it at anytime.”

What is the difference between a Menu Item and an Extension Number?

To clarify the difference between menu items and extension numbers, consider this example:

A customer dials your business number and reaches the main menu options. The customer is trying to reach the Sales department, which is option “4″ on the menu. Linda, who is the operator for this department, sits at extension 525. The customer presses 4 on their keypad to be transferred to the specific extension and Linda picks up.You can set up your menu option, i.e. 4, to route to your extension 525; however, your actual extension number is 525, not 4.

The menu option masks the extension number. Menu items use options 1 through 9 plus 0 and # on the numeric keypad and extensions must be at least two digits.

What is the purpose of a nickname?

Giving each menu a nickname will help you identify it when configuring your call routing options.

On my menu, what is the difference between Outgoing Message and Invalid Entry?

Outgoing Message is the greeting that plays for your callers upon dialing and connecting to your Phone.com number. An example of an Outgoing Message can be found below:

“Thank you for calling. Please press 1 to reach Jeremy. Please press 2 to reach Matt. Please press 3 to reach Brian. To speak with an operator, please press 0.”

Invalid Entry is an optional recording that plays when your caller presses an invalid menu option. An example using Invalid Entry can be found below:

(1.) Your Outgoing Message: “Thank you for calling. Please press 1 to reach Jeremy. Please press 2 to reach Matt. Please press 3 to reach Brian. To speak with an operator, please press 0.”
(2.) Caller presses option 5, which is not an option on your menu. To alert the customer they pressed a wrong option, record an Invalid Entry Message to say, “I’m sorry, that option is not available. Please try your selection again.”