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Panasonic voice processor tips

Panasonic voice processor tips
TOP TIP: If you have a voice processor, make sure you use passwords to protect all of the mailboxes, including 998 and 999. If you don't, someone can hack into your system and mess it up, and even make expensive phone calls at your expense. It's also important to block dialing out from the jack(s) where the voice processor is connected. If you're the boss, YOU should assign the passwords, and hide the list in a few safe places.

(1) 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.

(2) Make sure you program some function for every possible keystroke on a touchtone pad. If you are only offering three 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.

(3) Instead of mounting your voice processing system next to the phone system control unit, mount it near one of your computers, so it's easy to make programming changes. It won't take up much space, and the wiring is very simple -- much simpler than extending a serial cable 50 feet.
  (4) You can program a touch-tone button to repeat the current menu. I like to use the "7" button, which also includes "R," and the menu can say "press R to Repeat this menu." If you need to use 7/R for another function, try * for repeating.

(5) IMPORTANT NOTE: when programming a Panasonic voice processing system to use with the KX-TA1232, if your voice processor does not show the KX-TA1232 as a choice,  tell the voice processing system that you are using a KX-TD1232, not an analog 1232!

(6) If you're having trouble getting your PC to communicate with a voice processor, check the Flow Control setting in your communications parameters. It should be "NONE" or "OFF."

(7) If you are programming with HyperTerminal, to save a setting and return to the previous screen, use your back-slash key (\).

(8) Tell your regular callers and your staff that they can save time while leaving messages, by tapping two as soon as they get answered by a voice mailbox. You can also make this timesaver part of your messages: "This is Steve Blippo. In future calls you can skip this announcement by pressing two, and then record your message immediately. Please wait for the beep, leave your name and number, and I will call you back. Thanks."

(9) Instead of starting with a "custom service" menu, record a brief "company greeting" message (KX-TVS75, 100 or older 200) or replace system prompt #819  with a brief announcement, such as "Thank you for calling Honest Charlie's Used Cars." If there is an emergency or temporary change in your company's schedule, you can call in from anywhere and change the opening message to something like "Thank you for calling Honest Charlie's Used Cars. Because of Hurricane Hilda, we will be closed until Wednesday," but you won't have to re-record your big main menu.

(10) You can make a Panasonic Voice Processing System work like a simple answering machine.


(11) You can set up mailboxes that don't correspond to phones (for outside salespeople, or club members, for example. Use numbers starting with "2" and enable the eXtra Device Ports so the extension numbers are valid. You will have trouble if you try to use a mailbox for a non-existent phone beginning with "1."

(12) You can simplify the annoying pre-recorded "leave a message" announcement in your mailbox:

  • Call into your mailbox (usually by dialing intercom 165, 195, 107 or 115)
  • Press 4, and 4 again (for "Incomplete call handling")
  • By default, three options are enabled: option #1: leave a message;  options #5: call the operator; option #6: return to top menu
  • Follow the audible prompts to disable options 5 and 6.
  • Thanks to Panasonic techwizard Rich for this tip.
(13) If message-waiting lights don't work,
  • Make sure that the particular mailbox has the light enabled (in  the settings for that mailbox, accessed by phone. Dial the extension number of the voice processor, then press #("pound")6, then 2, then 1).
  • Make sure that message notification is permitted, in the authorization settings for that mailbox's Class of Service (usually 1). With HyperTerminal, select Program, Class of Service Setting, Authorization Setting.
  • Make sure that "all calls transfer to mailbox" is OFF (in the programming for that mailbox in the voice processor, accessed by PC: Mailbox settings, #7).
  • Make sure that the Call Hunting mode is NOT "AA" or "VM." Phone system program #106 (In KX-TD308, 816, 1232, KX-TA1232), from display phone. "Disable" is fine, unless you have a reason to use another setting (usually because you need inband signalling for a non-Panasonic voicemail system).
  • Thanks to Panasonic techwizard Denton for this info.
(14) How to eliminate the annoying "You have a call" announcement:
In HyperTerminal, press:
1 - Program
6 - Hardware settings
3 - PBX interface parameters
1 - dialing parameters
Change Extension Transfer Sequence to FXA
 
(15) There are pre-recorded bits that produce "good morning," "good afternoon," "good evening" and "welcome to the voice processing system" messages that will be delivered before your first custom menu. You can kill or modify these prompts if you want to, so callers will hear your own message as soon as the system answers. See section D6 in the appendix of the PDF manual, or section 6.1.4 in the HTML manual. 

Make sure you have selected "User 1" not "system" prompt in the custom service setting menu, and the port service or trunk service menu, or your changes will not take effect.

  1. Access the "Message Manager's Main Command Menu": dial the intercom number for the voice processor (usually 165 for the KX-TD816, KX-TD1232 and KX-TA1232; 295 for the KX-TD308, and 107 for the KX-TA624), 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." 248 is "good afternoon." 249 is "good evening." 250 is "good morning." In some older systems (KX-TVS75, 100, 200), the prompts are numbered 315 for morning, 317 for afternoon, 318 for evening, and 316 for welcome.
  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").

 
(16) Normally all the ports in a voice processor are available to handle calls to all of your phone lines. If you want to separate the ports so you can use different menus to serve multiple businesses, or a home plus a business, you can use program #119 (in a KX-TD308, 816, 1232 or KX-TA1232) to put the ports into different extension groups.

With the newest versions of the voice processors, such as the TVS120, you can use "trunk service" to direct incoming calls on specific lines to specific menus, without changing the extension groups. This is a much better solution than using "port service," because all available ports can be used to service all of your phone lines.

Trunk service has priority over port service, so you can simply program trunk service without disabling port service.

OTOH, if you've used trunk service and want to go back to port service, in the trunk service screens, change Incoming Call Service to "none."

Programming hints:
  • Where it says to enter a "Trunk Group Number," you enter a line number (the first line in your system is line one, or "trunk one"), then Day Mode.
  • This is really STOOOPID. A trunk group in the voice processor is a group of one line; it's not really a trunk or a group!
  • Also, in most cases, a trunk group in the voice processor has nothing to do with a trunk group in the phone system, (also known as "CO Line Group," "Outside Line Group," "TRG," "TRK GRP," "lasagna," "purple turnip" and "Harvey.") HOWEVER, if you have one of the new KX-TAW or KX-TDA phone systems, a trunk group in the phone system DOES correspond to a trunk group in the voice processor.
(17) If you want calls going through the voice processor to be forwarded to a phone outside, it's best to have one of the following models: KX-TVS50-2, 80, 90, 110, 120, 125, 200-2, 220, 225, 300, 320, 325. 
  • Program a phone inside to use "Call Forwarding to Outside Line" (in the large user manual).
  • In phone system programming, enable Call Transfer to Outside Line (program 503 for KX-TD816, KX-TD1232, KX-TA1232) and Call Forwarding to Outside Line (program 504) for the Class of Service that includes the phone that you programmed for forwarding.
  • In the voice processor programming, change the Alternate Extension Transfer Sequence.  Press 1 for Program, then 6 for Hardware Settings, then 3 for PBX Interface Parameters, then 1 for Dialing Parameters, then select 5 for Alternate Extension Transfer Sequence, and make the change to FWX. 
  • In the voice processor programming, Class of Service, enable Call Transfer to Outside.

The feature is not "officially supported" for the TVS75, 100 or early 50 or 200, but it will usually work if you set the Alternate Extension Transfer Sequence to FXWD, following the sequence above. These models do not have a Class of Service setting for the feature.

 
(18) Recent Panasonic voice processors have "trunk service," that allows you to program which custom service menus go with which phone lines. When you program, you will be asked for a "trunk group," but the system really wants you to enter a line number. This programming has nothing to do with trunk groups (also known as outside line groups and other things) that may have been programmed in the phone system. If you phone system has a trunk group that includes lines 1, 2 and 3 as trunk group 1, you will have to enter all three lines separately when programming trunk service in the voice processor. HOWEVER, if you have one of the new KX-TAW or KX-TDA phone systems, a trunk group in the phone system DOES correspond to a trunk group in the voice processor.
 
(19) If you want to answer a call that was already answered by your voice processor, your phone needs to be programmed for Executive Busy Override. Press the button for the line where the call came in, and press #("pound") 9, or just tap the line button twice, if you have a KX-TA624 phone system.


 
(20) Panasonic voice processors can let callers dial by name, but they're designed for last names. You can fool the system to let callers dial by first name if you go into Mailbox Editing and change the name from "John Murphy" to "Murphy John." Then re-record prompt 132 (in KX-TVS50, 80, 90) or 152 (KX-TVS120, 220, 320) or 290 (KX-TVS75, 100, 200) to "Enter the first 3 or 4 letters of the person's FIRST name."
(21) Instead of mounting a KX-TVS voice processing system next to the phone system control unit, mount it near one of your computers, so it's easy to make programming changes. It won't take up much space; and the wiring is very simple -- much simpler than extending a serial cable 50 feet. Newer KX-TVA systems can be programmed over your network, so you can put them almost anywhere.

(22) Electronic stuff can be weird, even perverse. Computers and phone systems do things that make absolutely no sense, are totally illogical, and may seem physically impossible. We went through a week of torment trying to install a KX-TVS200 voice processing system with one 4-port KX-TVS204 module, on a KX-TD1232 phone system.

The first of the four ports (#165) refused to answer, but the phone displays indicated that we were indeed calling the voice processor's first port. Ports 166, 167, and 168 worked fine. 

Even though it seemed illogical, we followed Panasonic's advice to swap wires, re-punch wires and replace wires. We also replaced the VS200, replaced the VS204, verified the port service settings, defaulted both VS200s, tried different extensions on the D1232, deleted and re-did the program 117 settings that specify which jacks the VS200 are connected to... and nothing helped.  

The ultimate cure was was very simple. We disabled program 117 and plugged a regular digital phone into the jack where we had tried to use the voice processor. The phone worked fine. Then we re-did 117 to specify the voice processor jacks. The sky cleared, the sun shone brightly, the birds chirped happily, and all was well with the world. BIG THANKS to Panasonic tech wizard Rich Rodriguez for his help on this one.
(23)  Instead of starting with a "custom service" menu, record a brief "company greeting" message (KX-TVS75, 100, 110, 120, 200, 220, 300, 320) or replace system prompt #819 (KX-TVS50, 80 and 90) with a brief announcement, such as "Thank you for calling Honest Charlie's Used Cars." If there is an emergency or temporary change in your company's schedule, you can call in from anywhere and change the opening message to something like "Thank you for calling Honest Charlie's Used Cars. Because of Hurricane Hilda, we will be closed until Wednesday," but you won't have to re-record your big main menu.
(24) Trouble programming your VPS? If you can't get your computer to communicate with your KX-TVS75, 90, 100, 110, 120, 200, 220, 300 or 320 Voice Processing System, shut the power off, turn the little rotary switch from zero to one, turn the power back on, and turn the rotary switch back to zero. (BIG THANKS to Panasonic tech wizard Denton for this life-saver.) The process is different with the KX-TVS50, 80 and 90. Shut off the power, move the "DIP" switches to right, left, left, left. Turn the power back on, and move the switches to left, left, left, left. BIG THANKS to Panasonic tech wizard Frank Goode for his help on this one.

 

(25) When diagnosing a malfunction, test every piece of hardware that is involved. You'd be surprised at the things that can be improperly manufactured, inadequately tested, or ruined by human contact. We recently installed a phone system, and the door intercom wouldn't work. We replaced the door speaker, and then the intercom module, and were about to replace the entire control unit, when I decided to check the cord that was plugged into the intercom module. That stupid $4 cord -- which had no right to be defective -- had caused the problem. It wasted our time and annoyed our customer. We'll remember it, and you should, too. Anything can be made wrong, or messed up. Things that people touch are more likely to get messed up than things that don't get touched.
 

(26) Unless you really want visitors at your front door to be answered by a robot voice, make sure that any jack you're using for an answering machine or voice mail, is programmed NOT to ring on calls from the door intercom.