Rice University KB

Set up Voicemail messages for your Rice telephone

If you will be away from your desk for an extended period of time, you may wish to set an "Operator Assistance Number" so that any caller reaching your voice mail can touch "0" and be transferred to another person in your department. Once you have accessed your voice mail box, touch 8 then 0 then 1 to set an Operator Assistance Number. You may wish to mention this in your vacation message, for example, "I am away from my office, you may leave me a message or touch zero to reach my team member, Amy Anyname."

Near the phone?

1. Use the speaker phone button (green, near bottom of handset) or pick up the handset to get a dial tone.
2. Touch "Message" in the bottom row of buttons.
3. Touch the pound sign button to automatically enter your extension number.
4. Type in your password using the number buttons and then touch the pound sign button.
5. Touch 8.
6. Touch 2.
7. Touch 1 to set the external greeting. This usually never changes after you set it the first time.
8. Touch 5 to start recording.
• Tip: write down your message before you start speaking. This will save you several re-do's!
9. Touch the pound sign to stop recording.
10. Touch 2 to listen to what you recorded or touch 76 to erase it. To re-record, touch 5 and the pound sign again.

Checking Messages while away from campus

1. Call 713.348.2000
2. Type in your 4-digit phone extension followed by the pound sign.
3. Type in your password followed by the pound sign.
4. Listen to your messages. 
5. Delete any message you don't need to keep by typing in 76 while the message is playing.

Temporary greetings are great for Vacations!

1. Follow the steps above for setting up your external greeting, but select the temporary greeting option instead. After touching 8 and 2, select 3 for temporary greeting and record your temporary message.
2. Satisfied with your message? Your temporary greeting will now be played instead of your external greeting.
3. Set the expiring date and time so you don't have to remember to turn off the greeting when you return but touching 9.
4. Enter the digit(s) for the month you want the greeting to expire, followed by the pound sign. Example: 1 and pound sign = January
5. Enter the digit(s) for the day you want the greeting to expire, followed by the pound sign. Example: 1 and pound sign = first day of the month
6. Enter the time you want the greeting to expire. Example: 1000 = 10 o'clock.
7. Enter AM or PM by selecting 1 or 2.
8. Remember to forward your phone to voice mail before you leave your office to send callers directly to voice mail. Look at the faceplate on your phone and touch the button under the word Forward.
9. Touch the button under the word Done to complete the forwarding command.
• Note: to remove the call forwarding, touch the button under the letters "CheckFw" then touch the button under the letters "CanclFw"

Back so soon?

1. If you return to the office before your temporary greeting expires, you can remove the temporary greeting manually.
2. Follow the steps to login to your voicemail.
3. Touch 8.
4. Touch 2.
5. Touch 3 for your temporary greeting.
6. Touch 76 to delete the greeting. 

Forgot to setup voice mail before you left?

1. If you are already off-campus, you can still set up your voice mail message.
2. Follow the steps to login to your voicemail from off-campus by dialing 713.348.2000.
3. Touch 8.
4. Touch 2.
5. Touch 3 for your temporary greeting and follow the rest of the steps above for temporary greetings.
6. The only thing you can't do when you are not at your phone is forward all calls to voice mail.