An auto-attendant (or automated attendant) is a voice menu system that allows callers to be transferred to an extension without going through a telephone operator or receptionist. The auto-attendant is also known as a digital receptionist.
For a caller to find a user on a phone system, a dial-by-name directory is usually available. This feature lists users by name, allowing the caller to press a key to automatically ring the extension of a user once his / her extension is announced by the auto-attendant. If a user is not available, the digital receptionist directs callers to the appropriate voicemail of the user to leave a message. Having an auto-attendant in a phone system is a very useful and cost-effective feature for a business, as it replaces / helps the human operator by automating and simplifying the incoming phone call procedure. The 3CX used by C2 Communications includes a free digital receptionist feature.
