• The line the call came in on ("trunk service")
• The port in the VPS that is handling the call ("port service)
• Caller ID of the of the Caller
• Direct Inward Dialing extension number

You will start forming the actual menus, by associating an action with a caller's key stroke on a touchtone phone. It's a good idea to write out a script before you start programming the buttons.

Any key stroke can send the caller to a person, or to a group of people in a department, or to a mailbox, or to another menu, or to the main menu, or can repeat the current menu, or allow the caller to type in a few letters of a last name to reach someone, or do other things.

Create a “tree” diagram to design a route leading callers to the desired person, department, mailbox, or next menu. This tree should include all available caller options and cannot be deeper than eight layers. You might want to discuss available options with users before programming the system.

The top of the tree (at left below -- our tree fell down) should include what callers will hear after a brief company greeting (in the TVS50, it should be a replacement for the pre-recorded prompt # 819 -- more about it in the big yellow box below). Then create a branch for each option. Fill in each box so you can easily see what action corresponds to each keystroke, and make sure that your spoken message corresponds to the programming.

Remember that it is possible and often necessary to have one custom service lead to another custom service. For example, if someone presses [1] for sales, you might want another menu to say “for cars, press [1]; for trucks, press [2].” This way callers are routed directly to the person best suited to handle them.

►The first menu (Custom 1) could be something like:

"If you know the extension number of the person you are calling, you can dial it at any time. For a staff directory, press one. To dial by name, press two. For sales, press three. For customer service, press four. For travel directions, press five. For our fax number, email address and website, press five. To repeat this menu, press six. Thank you."

• After typing in an entry, the cursor will automatically move to the next position.
• If you press ENTER, the cursor will move to the next position.
• You can also use the cursor to move left, right, up and down.
• If you make a mistake, press the backslash button (\) to move back one screen, and then make your correction.

• Maybe change the "Call Transfer Anytime" setting to "No."

• Don't change the "Wait for Second Digit" setting.

• "No DTMF Input Operation" determines what happens when a caller doesn't press any touch-tone button. By default, the call will go to the Operator, usually the person at phone #101. You can change the destination by typing in a letter representing one of the selections near the bottom of the screen, and then type in additional information as needed, such as an extension number.

• Try to structure your menu with relatively few choices at each level (probably no more than 5). People often try to remember each choice while waiting to see if a better choice is offered, and it's hard to remember more than three.
• If you offer lots of choices, make one choice to repeat the menu,
 such as "R" (7 on key pad) or "star."
• Make sure you program some function for every possible keystroke on a touchtone pad. If you are only offering a few choices in a particular menu, program the other buttons to send the caller to a receptionist or someone else who can help, or make the extra buttons repeat the menu (type in the letter "l") or go back to the main menu (type "m").

• Type in a phone number without spaces or punctuation.
• Press ENTER. The system will then put hyphens into the digit  string.
• Type in a description.
• Press ENTER.
• Indicate destinations for each day part by typing in letters from the bottom of the screen, and then specific destinations. Press ENTER after each entry.
• "*" (star) substitutes any number (star = wild card). For example, to route all calls from Area Code 201, enter "201 * (star)".
• To have a "Private" call (no CID provided) automatically forwarded to a desired destination, enter "P".
• For an "Out of Area" call, enter "O".
• When you are through with this page, press backslash ("\") to return to the menu shown in in STEP 35, so you can enter another phone number if you like.
• When you are through entering phone numbers, backslash out to the main page and then exit the program.

1. Access the "Message Manager's Main Command Menu": dial the intercom number for the voice processor (usually 165 in KX-TD816, KX-TD1232, KX-TA1232, KX-TAW848; 295 in KX-TD308, 107 in KX-TA624 -- unless you used a different number), then press  #, 6, *, 998 (or 98 for the KX-TD308).
   ►IMPORTANT: This will not work if a PC is still connected and in the programming mode.
2. Press [5] to modify messages.
3. Press [6] to modify the user prompts,
4. Press [1] to change user prompt 1.
5. Press [1] to change a specific prompt.
   ►OR ON NEWER SYSTEMS, press [1] if you want to re-record a prompt with your own voice,
   or press [2] if you want to turn off a prompt.
6. Enter the prompt number you want to change.

   Prompt 819 is "welcome to the voice processing system." Prompt 248 is "good afternoon." Prompt 249 is "good evening." Prompt 250 is "good morning."

7. Continue following instructions. You can press 3 to turn off a prompt.
8. ►NOTE: by eliminating the pre-recorded prompts, you will cause a delay between the end of ringing and the first sound that callers will hear. To minimize the delay, we recommend that you replace prompt 819 with your own brief message ("Thank you for calling Acme International") which will be be played immediately before your main menu (usually "custom 1").