BT Versatility: Auto Attendant and greetings

[BethM]

The BT Versatility phone system is no longer supported by BT Business. Support ended on 30 September 2025, and we won't update this page if anything changes with the product. 

If you're looking for a replacement system, check out our full range of cloud-based phone systems. 

We've brought our BT Versatility auto attendant help together in one post. It covers setting up Auto Attendant, recording and customising greetings, the directory message, and answering with different day and night messages. 

Using Auto Attendant to answer calls automatically 

You can use Auto Attendant if your system's equipped with a Voice Module. 

Auto Attendant answers your calls automatically with a recorded announcement. The time before the call is answered can be programmed. 

To program which lines are answered by Auto Attendant: 

1.      From the programming extension, press the Program key. 
2.      Press the Scroll Down key until you see System programming. 
3.      Select System programming. 
4.      Enter the system programming password (1111 by default) and select Lines. 
5.      Press the Scroll Down key until you see Incoming ringing. 
6.      Select the line or access to be programmed. 
7.      Select Day, Night, or Day and Night. 
8.      Select Auto attendant. 
9.      Press the Hands-free key to finish. 

Customising an Auto Attendant greeting

You can record personalised Auto Attendant messages on the system: 

1.      From the programming extension, press the Program key. 
2.      Press the Scroll Down key until you see System programming. 
3.      Select System programming. 
4.      Enter the system programming password and select System. 
5.      Select Change greetings. 
6.      Select Auto attendant day or Auto attendant night to record the Day Service or Night Service greeting. 
7.      Select Record greeting. 
8.      When prompted, speak to record the new greeting. 
9.      Press the Hands-free key to finish. 

The greeting is recorded through the handset, but professional recording agencies can supply equipment that lets digital recordings be made from a computer through the handset connection. BT doesn't supply this equipment. 

Using a Directory Message with Auto Attendant 

The Directory Message is an additional greeting. For example, your main Auto Attendant greeting might say: 

•        For sales, dial 1. 
•        For accounts, dial 2 — or if you know the extension number of the person you need, dial it now. 
•        To listen to the company directory, dial #. 
•        If you need assistance, please wait or dial 0. 

Dialling # takes the caller to the Directory Message, which could be recorded as: for Jim Smith dial 20, for Joe Bloggs dial 21, and so on. It gives the caller more information - but they choose whether to hear it by dialling #. 

Answering with different day and night messages 

If you're using Auto Attendant or the courtesy features to answer callers, you can record two different greetings - the Night Service feature switches between them. 

If you're not using these features but still need calls answered, use two voicemail boxes. For example: 

•        Day Service calls could be programmed to go to ring group 1, with a divert on no answer routing to the group 1 voicemail. 
•        When Night Service is activated, calls could be programmed to ring group 2, with a divert for all calls routing to the group 2 voicemail. 

You'd need to check both group 1 and group 2 voicemail boxes for messages. 

For full details, see pages 58 and 76 of the Owner’s Manual.