sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Who should do the programming?

Who should do the programming on a phone and/or voice mailbox setup?

Are phone techs licensed or certified?


If they are, should a licensed or certified technician do the initial install then the end user should be able to make changes afterwards?

What is really best practice for a company in this regard?

Is there an uptime measurement for phone systems?

(hope this is not too many questions and is in the right forum)

thanks!

Well here's the way we do it. As the installing company we provide individual instruction for setting up VM greetings for individual mailboxes. We ask that whoever will be the system administrator please accompany us as we train single users. We also provide a "cheat sheet" that helps busy user's through the process if they blow us off. Most systems have a "tutorial guide" that users can follow.

Then we spend time with the administrator, provide a admin guide and some cheat sheets we developed, ask if there is a back up to sit in and go through setting up a rout box and recording the greetings and menus. The next 30 days we back up the admin person and after that we charge to help out.

That only answered the first question.
Someone - a lead tech or service manager should be certified, there really is no licence. It mostly boils down to who you are most comfortable working with to get what you want accomplished.

An end-user should never tamper with system programming unless the changes are user-level settings. By that, I mean voicemail box resets, password changes, minor button programming, call forwarding and perhaps DID assignments. Too many system settings can be accidentally altered to disable a system.

My belief is that technicians should be licensed/certified for any install and service thereafter. At the very least, an uncertified technician should be able to make changes and troubleshoot in a similar amount of time so that the customer will not be billed for his/her incompetence.

That being said, we do give training to IT and system administrators who request and pay for the training. However, they must know the basics of any phone system and they are made aware that not every possible scenario will be discussed at the training. Otherwise, I would just fire my techs and teach every customer the 'trade secrets'

In my case, I install the VM. I had a VM specialist who was trained by BELL come in and do the VM programming (she would also do the system programming if requested).

She would set it up as per the client's desires after a sit-down with them, then sit down with no more than 2 of the client's personnel who would be the "Administrators" of the system, and who would ultimately be responsible for the VM maintenance.

That being said, she would offer 30 days of adjustments after the initial setup as clients seldom know what they want.

From thereafter, most changes, she could do over the phone, billing at 1 hour minimum, and 15 minute increments.

She is no longer available, so I have to do that part now as well, but she trained me to do the basics and in a pinch she'll still help me out.

Voice mail, especially Nortel VM, can be VERY confusing and intimidating. I would never recommend that the average "Joe Blow" play with it. It costs a lot less to have a trained person make the changes NOW, than to pay him/her to straighten out your mess.

Who should do the programming on a phone and/or voice mailbox setup?

We do basically the same as Mark. We will give each extension owner an instruction sheet written by us that tells them how to set up their mailboxes. The Administrator gets instructions on how to change the AA menu which we have recorded initially for them. We will program all buttons on the phones and include printed desi cards with what each button is, CO numbers, etc. Each extension also gets manufacturer provided booklets that describe all phone and VM functions.

Are phone techs licensed or certified?

There is no licensing but most manufacturers require training and certification in order to sell their products. This is to ensure that the techs who install and maintain their equipment are proficient, will represent the manufacturer in the best possible way and will give the customer what they pay for. A real sore point these days is the internet and the gray market which puts illegitimate products that are only supposed to be sold and installed by certified/trained dealers and techs directly in the hands of the end user and trunk slammers.

Should a licensed or certified technician do the initial install then the end user should be able to make changes afterwards?

If the customer expects to get any value then it must be installed and programmed by a certified tech. After that the customer should be able to do user level changes only. We strongly discourage a customer from doing any installer level changes. Matter of fact we don't even give them the installer documentation unless they kick and scream. Reason being that if it takes a certified tech they have no business trying to do it.

Is there an uptime measurement for phone systems?

Used to be five nines- 99.999% uptime and still is with most TDM equipment. Today you are lucky to get a fraction of that with VoIP computer based junk.

-Hal

to add to whats been said a "Computer Support" person like yourself can get in and do some programing

the issue is unless you totally understand the system,how the programs interrelate to each other and telephony in general you aren't likely to have the system work to its full potential

a forum like this is no replacement for years worth of 5 /6 day a week dealing with phone systems

I really appreciate everyones comments.

Skip I agree with you 100%

At one site I was able to go in , reset all the VM boxes and the auto attendant greeting ( I found the directions online) this was for a Avaya/Partner.

This other site has a Samsung, I was able to tone out some jacks that were not connected , plug cables in and make them work. This site has,what seems to me, an illogical problem, in that 5 jacks ring in one one number and call out on a different number. They want them to ring in/call out on the same number.

The thing that worries me is, I would think there would have to be backups of all these systems.

I am ultra cautious, I hear enough screaming if a computer or the internet connection goes down. They would flip out completely if the phones ever went down.

I am willing to do the work to learn new skills but I don't think teaching yourself on a mission critical system is a good idea

binbrain.....you show more than the average amount of common sense.........

Find an Avaya dealer and a Samsung dealer (just look around the board) and get a good working relationship. Yes, it will cost you for the support but the mission is critical, you will become more comfortable with your responsibilities and, in the end, you will have great working systems and a smile on your boss's face.

Good luck.