NameConnector Service: Caller Hints and
FAQs
Caller Hints
- Say only the first and last
name.
Do not include titles, department names,
or multiple options. For example:
Correct: "Jane
Doe"
Incorrect: "Professor
Jane Doe"; "Professor Doe,
Department of Chemistry"; "Jane
or Janet Doe"
- Speak naturally.
It is not necessary to insert pauses
between words.
- Speak directly into the phone.
Try not to speak with the telephone under
your chin.
- Be aware of background noise.
Background noise may affect response
time and recognition accuracy. In situations
with heavy background noise (like cellular
phones or speaker phones) you may have
to speak louder or get closer to the
phone.
- Use a person's formal name.
The NameConnector may not have the nickname
registered (e.g., "Bobby" Smith).
Send email to nameconnector@mit.edu
to add a nickname to the system.
- Cancel and repeat a name that
the NameConnector does not recognize.
Press the asterisk (*) or say "cancel" to cancel and
say the name you want again.
- Report problems or ask questions.
Say "problem report line" to
be transferred to the NameConnector problem
report line.
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FAQs
Is my name included in the NameConnector?
Faculty and staff are automatically included
in the NameConnector, with both a formal
and informal first name. If you are an
employee or faculty member and you are
not in the NameConnector, send email to
nameconnector@mit.edu.
You also have the option of enrolling up
to five additional names in the NameConnector
Service. For example, if your full name
is Susan Davis-Jones, but most people call
you Sue Davis or Sue Davis-Jones, you can
request
both of these variations.
My name is not being pronounced
correctly, how can I get that fixed?
Call 617.253.1000 (or '0' from MIT phone) and
say "problem report line" or
send an email to nameconnector@mit.edu.
Updating pronunciations typically takes
less than 24 hours.
Can I use the service from my
cellular phone?
Yes. The NameConnector can be used from
any telephone including: cellular, pay,
and home telephones.
Why are some pronunciations synthesized
and some are natural voice pronunciations?
New names are added to the system as soon
as IS&T is notified. The names are
pronounced by the computer until they are
collected by Parlance and recorded into
natural voice. This is done on a weekly
basis.
What if the person that I'm calling
doesn't answer?
The calls are handled as they were before.
For example, your calls will continue to
be forwarded to voice mail after three
rings if you have programmed your telephone
in that manner.
What if I use a nickname?
The NameConnector can accommodate nicknames
and other name variations. Send email
to nameconnector@mit.edu
requesting that the nickname be added (e.g.,
Charles Smith can be Charles Smith, Charlie
Smith, and Chuck Smith). The NameConnector
can accommodate up to five name variations.
Can I skip the prompts?
Yes. After you start to hear "You
have reached...", say the name of the faculty, staff, or
department you want or "emergency."
What if two people have the same
name?
The NameConnector will tell a caller that
there is more than one person with that
name, and will instruct the person to say
the name with the "tiebreaker"
attached:
"There is more than one listing for
John Smith. Please say John Smith, Chemistry,
John Smith Engineering."
Where can I learn more about
the Parlance NameConnector service?
See the Parlance
information page.
How else can I get phone numbers?
NameConnector is one of several MIT directory
services with which it is possible to locate
departments and offices, or individuals.
- MIT Search: Search the MIT online
directories from the MIT
Search page or the MIT
home page.
- Offices & Programs ("Blue
Pages"): Look for offices, departments,
labs, centers, programs, residence halls,
services.
- Email Directory Services:
Use your email Directory Services to search
MIT's online directory for departments
or individuals.
- Print Directories: Student, and Faculty
and Staff printed directories are issued
each fall.
Directory Assistance Outside MIT:
How does the NameConnector Service
work?
The NameConnector Service applications
consist of four major components:
| |
Dialog: |
the interaction with the caller
(greeting, confirmation prompts, menus); |
| |
Names Registries: |
the listing of destinations
available to the caller (names, departments,
locations); |
| |
Recognizer: |
the system that identifies
what a caller says and matches it to
the name registry entries; |
| |
Routing Table: |
the interface with the telephone
switch. |
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