We’re back with the Attendant Pro app, developed by Landis Computer. Last time I said I wanted to devote a post to Attendant Pro’s shortcuts…which is exactly what I’m doing here.
Attendant Pro has two types of shortcuts: Shortcut Keys
and Quick Access Shortcuts.
I mentioned both of them in my last post. Both are very useful, both within the app and whenever you’re on your computer.
One MIGHT be a little more useful than the other though. Let’s go into more detail and see why.
Shortcut Keys
Shortcut Keys are hotkey combinations. Many are set in Attendant Pro already, but you can change them. They’re available for most of the standard Attendant Pro tools – Answer (F6), Hold (F7), Transfer (F9), Start/Stop Recording (custom), etc.
All of the Shortcut Keys, whether pre-set or custom, have a Global option. Checking the “Global” box turns the shortcut key into a Global Hotkey. Now it will activate no matter what program you’re using at the time.
Say a call comes in while you’re typing in Word. You immediately recognize the call and want to forward it. Do you switch over to the Attendant Pro window and start clicking? No, you just type in your shortcut key for forwarding, like “F8” or “Ctrl+I”.
Attendant Pro recognizes the shortcut (even in the background) and performs the preassigned task of call forwarding. You keep on working.
Quick Access Shortcuts
When I first saw these in Paul’s demo recording, my eyebrows went up. Multi-option custom controls for Skype? Build one in a matter of minutes, with no programming or PowerShell? Talk about a value-add!
Experimenting with a trial version validated my excitement. Quick Access Shortcuts let your front desk build their own Skype “command center.” Unique to their organization, their building, or even one office.
Landis has provided a video for Quick Access Shortcuts 101: One Click Quick Access Shortcuts to Common UC Tasks
Examples of Quick Access Shortcuts
One shortcut is “Night Mode.” Think of it like a new Presence mode – when you’re done for the day, you click the shortcut in Attendant Pro, and all calls are sent to wherever you designate. Voicemail, a special after-hours number, a Response Group, whatever.
You can even assign it a global hotkey – no matter which program window is open, you can enter the keystroke and Attendant Pro switches to Night Mode.
Set it up in the Options menu like this:
- Open Options (the gear icon).
- Click the Shortcut Setup tab.
- From the dropdown menu, click “Blank – Change Call Forwarding.”
- In the Name field, enter “Night Mode” (or whatever title you want). I called it “After-Hours Forward.”
- Enter a Description if you want (not required).
- Click the Hotkey field. Hit a series of keys to define the Hotkey. I used Ctrl+Alt+N.
- Check the Global box so you always have this available.
- In the “Forwarding Type” field, select the type of forwarding you want. Voicemail, in this case.
- Click OK. Done!
Landis has a step-by-step tutorial up on YouTube: Attendant Pro Skype for Business (Lync) Training: Night Mode / Receptionist Night Mode – LandisComputer
How to Create a Quick Access Shortcut
So it looks like there isn’t too much to making a Quick Access Shortcut, right? And that’s the beauty–there isn’t. All you need is a goal and a few minutes. Here, let’s do another example.
Let’s say I wanted to see all the missed calls for the day, at a glance. But those are listed in Outlook, not Attendant Pro. How would I set up the shortcut?
- In the Quick Access Shortcuts dropdown list, I’d pick “Template – Show Missed Calls.”
- Selecting this option reveals the following screen:
- A default value shows up in the Name & Description fields; you can edit it, or leave as-is.
- No Icon is selected by default; you’ll have to pick one. But you have plenty of choices.
(This is only a part of the list. It’s extensive.)
- I’ll choose a simple yellow bar icon.
- Next, the Hotkey field. You can opt to enter a hotkey for activating this Shortcut or not. Either way, you can activate it from the “Me Area” in Attendant Pro with a click.
- I’ll enter a three-key combination: Shift+Ctrl+F. Hmmm, do I want that to work as a Global hotkey? No, leaving it in Attendant Pro only is fine. No checking the “Global” box.
- The Action fields you can leave as-is. They contain the commands needed to locate Outlook and call up the Missed Calls.
- There we have it. A configured Quick Access Shortcut for viewing missed calls.
- I click OK and I’m done.
- I click the Shortcut and I’m zapped over to Outlook, into the Missed Calls view. (Lucky for me, I have none!)
That took 3 minutes. Maybe.
Even More Value for the Front Desk
There’s no limit to the number of Quick Access Shortcuts you can set. Create multiple shortcuts for the same command, and point it to different targets (for example, create a Group Voicemail shortcut for each internal team). The possibilities may not be endless, but they’re pretty close!
I asked for your Front Desk experiences last time. Almost all of the responses I’ve had this week were, “We didn’t even know the Lync Attendant existed!” Well, you don’t have to know. Get Attendant Pro and whoever manages your calls is set.
Attendant Pro Website – Landis Computer