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Dial By Voice

Speech Auto Attendant is a voice feature which connects users automatically to another person or department within the University by simply speaking the name of the desired party. This eliminates the need to look up phone numbers in a directory, on the web, or in a contact manager.

The Auto Attendant system is synchronized with the University’s Banner system to insure that it is automatically updated as people move around campus, or new employees come on board.

To utilize this system:

  • Dial the Speech Auto Attendant’s phone number - 95500 or from off campus dial 610 519-5500.
  • Speak the name of the person or department.
  • The Speech Auto Attendant system will look up the appropriate phone number and automatically transfer your call to the requested person or department.

Using the Dial by Voice System

Connecting
To connect to the Speech Auto Attendant system, dial 95500 and follow the voice prompts.

Recording Your Name
The first time you use the Speech Auto Attendant feature from your personal phone, it will request that you record your name. This is to replace the system generated pronunciation of your name and allow callers to hear your name in your own voice as they are being transferred to your number. If you do not record your name, callers will hear a synthesized voice phonetically speak your name upon transfer.

Nicknames
The Speech Auto Attendant system has been setup to utilize your official first and last names as they are recorded in the Banner system. If, however, you go by a nickname instead of your official first name, a provision has been made to allow your preferred first name to be included in the Auto Attendant directory. To have your preferred first name (nickname) included in the directory, contact UNIT's Service Desk at support.villanova.edu.

Similar Names
Should your name be the same as, or similar to someone else on campus, the Auto Attendant system will attempt to distinguish between similar names by using the person’s department. For example: If you call the Speech Auto Attendant and ask for "John Murphy"; the Speech Auto Attendant might reply: "Are you looking for John Murphy from Facilities?" If you say yes, you would be connected; if you say no, the Auto Attendant would reply: "Sorry, would that be John Murphy from UNIT?" The Speech Auto Attendant will continue through its list of similar names until you find the individual that you want.

Name Not Found
If for some reason the individual or department you are seeking is not recognized by the Speech Auto Attendant, it will transfer you to the University Operator.

Unpublished Numbers
The Auto Attendant system is currently setup to comply with the privacy rules established in Banner. If your phone number is private, and your calls should be directed to the departmental secretary, that is the number that the Auto Attendant will transfer callers to. If the number that the Auto Attendant is transferring your calls to is incorrect, submit your change to have the number corrected.

Hyphenated Last Names
The names that the Speech Auto Attendant uses are the official names that are stored in Banner. If you have a hyphenated last name, that is what the Speech Auto Attendant will attempt to match when a person calls for you.

Notes on Using 
Speech Auto Attendant

This system utilizes speech recognition as its mechanism to interact with you. If you are in a noisy environment, it will be difficult for the system to understand what you are speaking.

Using a speaker phone can produce different results than using the desktop handset.

Although names may be spelled differently, they may still be phonetically similar to other names. When this occurs, the system suggests names that it believes are similar to what you are looking for.

How you speak and pronounce names will directly impact the accuracy of your results.

Recording Your Name

What You Need First

You will need to know your Banner ID or your Employee Number to complete this process. 
You can find your employee number in:

If you decide that you want to re-record your name in the Speech Auto Attendant system, follow these steps:

  • Connect to the Speech Auto Attendant.
  • On the "person or service" prompt, press 123.
  • Locate your name in the directory.
  • Enter your Banner ID (8-character number); which can be found when you first log into the Banner system.

Printable Guide