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Volume 13

No. 5   May/June 1998

Planning for Changes in Phone or Voice Mail Service

Valerie Hartt

The end of the academic and fiscal years often rings in change. This can include changes in telephone service ­ whether a person is leaving MIT, going away for the summer, or just changing offices. This article summarizes the various situations in which phone or voice mail changes are needed, and the procedures involved.

First, Who to Contact
Every MIT department has an authorized telephone administrator ­ in almost all cases, it is the department's Administrative Officer (AO). The AO handles requests for telephone service changes, including those for voice mail. Funneling requests through one person in each department streamlines the process and simplifies billing.

In some instances, noted below, there are things you should do yourself or information you should gather for your AO.

Telephone Changes
If you are changing offices, talk to your AO about telephone changes as far in advance as possible. This applies whether you are keeping your phone number or getting a new one. Most changes take about five working days from the day the request is received.

The request should be as specific as possible. This will prevent misinterpretations that could cause delays. For example, if a room has multiple jacks, it helps if you can specify the number on the jack where you want the phone installed.

Also, try to include all changes in one request to save on expenses. It costs nothing, for example, to add another line to your phone if it is done during a move. After a phone move is completed, each additional change generates extra charges.

Updating Your Listing
When you change your office location and/or phone number, you should complete a Personal Change Notice card (in the back of the MIT Faculty and Staff Directory). This updates records maintained by the following MIT offices: Personnel, Payroll, Telecommunications, the Information Center, and Medical. It also updates your listing in the electronic Online Directory and the yearly printed directory.

If your entire department, lab, or center is moving, your AO may coordinate the Personal Change Notice for everyone in the group.

Voice Mail Changes
If you are changing offices but keeping the same phone number, your voice mail service remains intact.

If you are leaving MIT or moving to another office and not keeping your phone number, your voice mailbox should either be deleted or reassigned to another person (who must be registered as the new voice mail subscriber). For either deletion or reassignment of a voice mailbox, your AO must send a written request to a Customer Service Representative in E19-741.

If the mailbox is to be reassigned, be sure to provide your AO with the voice mail password so that it can be passed on to the new subscriber.

If you are leaving a voice mailbox, remember to delete all your messages, including archived ones.

Going Away for the Summer?
If you are going to be away from campus for extended periods, there are a few important things to do with respect to your voice mail service. Before you leave, you should record an extended absence greeting, request an extended class of service, and decide whether or not you want to assign an attendant extension. Read on for explanations of what these are.

Extended Absence Greeting
An extended absence greeting tells callers you are away from MIT and will not be checking messages. Here is how to record one:

1. From the main menu of your voice mailbox, press 4-3-2. The system will prompt you to record your greeting at the tone.

2. After you have finished recording, press #-1 to review the greeting. If you are satisfied, press # to save it. If youčre not satisfied, press * and record a new greeting.

3. Once you've recorded a satisfactory greeting, follow the prompts to return to the main menu and exit voice mail.

To restore your regular greeting, call your voice mailbox. A prompt will give you the choice of retaining your extended absence greeting (press 1) or restoring your regular greeting (press 2).

Extended Class of Service
Voice mail keeps messages for a limited time. Class A service stores new messages for 30 days, Class B for 14 days. (If you are unsure what class of service you have, ask your AO.) If you will be away longer than your class of service saves messages, call your AO to coordinate an extension.

Attendant Extension
If, while you're away, you want callers to have the option of speaking to someone in your department (not the MIT operator), ask your AO to request an attendant extension. This service forwards a call to a designated attendant when the caller presses zero. Be sure to tell your AO the name and phone number of the person who has agreed to take your calls, as well as your departure and return dates.

For More Information
IS publishes three guides related to phone and voice mail use at MIT:

  User's Guide to the MIT 5ESS Digital Telephone

  MIT 5ESS Analog Telephone Guide

  User's Guide to the MIT Voice Mail System

You can get any of these guides by calling x3-3670 or stopping by E19-741.

If you have questions about voice mail, you can contact Voice Mail Help at x3-3677 or <vmail@mit.edu>. Another resource is the "Voice Mail at a Glance" chart on page 5 of the MIT Faculty and Staff Directory.


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