Chapter 15: The Question Box
What is a Question Box?
A Question Box stores a series of questions which will be played to callers who are routed to this box. A single Question Box can be used to present any number of questions and collect voice and/or touch-tone responses from callers. Answers to questions can be saved in a text file (touch-tone responses only), played back to you remotely, or listened to from the computer using the Question Box command in the MESSAGES menu.
You can retrieve the collected information remotely from either the User Access Phantom or the Supervisor Phantom. When you are at either of these Phantom boxes, enter the Question Box number, followed by the password for the accompanying Client Box to review responses remotely.
A Question Box can also be used for testing purposes, or it could also be used as a game box. The caller can be given a score based upon the number of questions answered correctly and be routed accordingly.
There are 3 Add-On Modules that can utilize the basic functions of a Question Box. Please see those sections if you are using those modules:
There will be additional screens beyond what is shown is this section.
The maximum number of questions allowed is 15. That will be lowered by 1 (max 14) if you are using Outbound Box dialing, as the outbound number dialed will be entered into a field.
Box Number
Just like all other boxes, the box number is a reference number between 0 and 999,999,999 (with a maximum of 100,000 boxes allowable on the system) that the system assigns when a new box is created. The reason for allowing such large box numbers is so that boxes can be numbered with seven-digit phone numbers, or even nine-digit Social Security numbers. When you use the New Box Icon to create a new box you can assign the new box any box number that is not already in use within your system.
Box Name
In this field enter a descriptive name that will help you locate this box in the future. You can search on information contained in this field using the Box Finder screen.
Client
Each box belongs to a Client that you have defined using a Client Box. If you are the system supervisor you will be the default Client, and your default Client number is 0. Each Client has a password which allows the Client to remotely access and modify boxes assigned to them. If you wish to assign a box to a different Client, double-click on the field where you enter the Client number and the Client Finder screen will appear. This window will display a list of the Clients currently defined on your system. Double-click the Client you would like assigned to this box.
Keep Complete Only
With this option selected the system will only keep complete sets of answers. If a caller hangs up or exits out of the Question Box before responding to all of the questions, the incomplete set of answers will be discarded.
Keep Incomplete
With this option selected the system will keep incomplete sets of answers even if a caller hangs up or exits the Question Box before responding to all of the questions.
Do Not Keep
This option can be used in situations in which you wish to query callers, but you are not interested in keeping caller responses. You could use this to set up a joke Question Box in which it really doesn't matter how the caller answers.
Scramble Order
With this option checked, the questions defined in the Question Box will be presented to the caller in random order. This is used in conjunction with the Use All Questions and Use Partial check boxes, which are described below.
Use All Questions
With this option checked, the system will present to the caller all of the questions in the Question Box in random order. You might use this option in a contest situation in which you did not want questions to be presented in the same order to all callers.
Use Partial
If you would like the system to randomly select a certain number of questions from a list of available questions, select this option. In the field to the right enter the number of questions you would like each caller to answer. This could be used to set up a contest in which callers are asked a specified number of questions from a large list of questions in the Question Box. This would lessen the possibility of too many people hearing the same questions in the same order.
Upon Correct Goto
The program will ask all the questions (or up to the partial number if you have scrambled checked), regardless of whether they are answered correctly or not. If you do not want all questions to be answered, but to drop out when a wrong answer is entered, you can set that under 'upon wrong answer'. You would check go to box, verses continue. If you do not record a prompt to be played upon a correct answer being given, the system will automatically play the system prompt: correct.voi. If you do not record something special for a wrong answer, the system prompts wrong.voi will be played. This gives you the option of making one 'correct answer' recording and one 'wrong answer' recording for the entire system, or you can record something special for each correct, or incorrect answer. On an incorrect answer, for a school application or any type of teaching tool, you might want to record the CORRECT answer in the 'wrong answer' prompt. More info on this under CONTEST under each individual question.
When this option is selected the Question Box keeps track of the score earned by each caller for correctly answering questions. The score is determined by adding together the Question Difficulty Multiplier for each question answered correctly. The Question Difficulty Multiplier is set independently for each question in the Individual Question window, which is entered by double-clicking on a question.
When all of the questions have been asked, the system compares the score of the caller against the number you have entered in the Upon Correct field. If the caller's score is equal to or greater than this number, the caller will be sent to the box indicated in the Goto field. If the caller's score is less than this number, the caller will be sent to the box indicated in the Default Exit To field.
Play Score at End
By selecting this option the caller will hear the total score earned after all of the questions have been asked.
Default Exit To
In this field enter the box the caller will be sent to after the Question Box has finished asking questions (which could be all questions or partial list of questions, depending upon your settings). This is also the box callers will be sent to if you are using the Upon Correct Goto option and the required score has not been attained by the caller.
Save Queries as Text File
This option allows you to save all touch-tone responses as a text file which can be viewed with any DOS text editor. The default file will be named "LOG.TXT", which is saved in the current Question Box directory (look for the box number) within the Boxes directory on your hard drive. You may simply accept this default log file, or you may save a text file with a name of your choosing. To rename the text file, click on the Browse button. This will bring up a standard Windows NT (tm) Save As dialog box. Name the Text File in the File Name field, and select the directory where you would like to save this Text File using the right side of the Save As dialog box. Click on the OK button to save your new text file.
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save to ODBC file source - all other fields, require IVR add-on module package - see Add-On Module section
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Name
Click on this button to record a name for this box. You might record a company name, an individual's name, or an identifying name for the system to use with this box.
For instructions on how to record, see "Recording Names, Greetings, Messages and Prompts" in Chapter 3.
Greeting
Click on this button to record a greeting for this box. The greeting is the voice announcement that is associated with this Question Box. The greeting usually delivers information to guide the caller. For example, a greeting for a Question Box might say, "We will be asking you six questions - please leave your responses at the tone after each question".
For instructions on how to record, see "Recording Names, Greetings, Messages and Prompts" in Chapter 3.
The Database Fields require the IVR Add-on Module.
The Scheduled Outbound button requires the Scheduled Outbound (Rise'n'Shine Add-on Module).
The PeopleChek button (you will only see this if you have the Scheduled Outbound) requires the PeopleChek Add-on Module.
Questions (submenu)
Click on the Questions button to bring up the Questions display window which contains a listing of all previously defined questions in the current Question Box. If this is your first time using this Question Box you will see three default questions already in the display. You can begin defining questions by double-clicking on Question 1 to bring up the Individual Question window. From the Questions display you also have the option buttons to Add new questions or Delete existing questions.
Individual Questions
You can open an Individual Question window by highlighting a questions number and double-clicking on it in the Questions display window. In this window you will record a question and set limits regarding the type of response which will be accepted.
Question Name
In the Question Name field enter a descriptive name which will allow you to identify this question. The name you enter here will appear in the Questions display window.
Question Description
You may use this field to enter information that will help you when working with this question. For example, you could enter something like, "Choices are 1 for blonde, 2 for brunette, or 3 for red hair."
Answer Type
Responses to questions may be in one of two possible forms. The first option is a Tone (touch-tone key) response, and the second option is a Voice response.
Value Range
The Value Range is one way you have of controlling responses. If you choose to use a value range, enter the lowest value in the first field and the highest value in the second field. For example, to allow an age entry you could set the Value Range from 1 to 105 (people live longer these days!).
Important: The Value Range is the actual numerical value of the entry. You would not use this option if a question prompts the caller for a phone number or Social Security number, for instance, because these types of numbers do not make numerical sense (you couldn't rank them by their actual numerical value).
# of Digits (min. and max.)
These two fields control how many digits will be accepted from the caller before a response is considered to be complete. It is the exact same principle of the Minimum Digits and Maximum Digits fields in the Access Box Tweaks submenu. For example, to allow an age entry you would set the Minimum Digits to 1 and the Maximum Digits to 3 (just in case the caller is over 100!).
If you want to request a caller's Social Security number you would not use Value Range. You would use # of Digits and enter 9 as the min. and 9 as the max. digits.
Contest settings:
Correct Answer
The Correct Answer option is typically used to set up a contest using a Question Box. If you are asking a question which has a single correct answer, check the Correct Answer box and enter the correct answer value in the Correct Answer field. To the right of the Correct Answer is a button labeled Play. Use this button to record a message which will be played to the caller if the question is answered correctly. If you do not record a prompt here, the system prompt: correct.voi will be played. This gives you the option of recording one system wide 'correct answer' prompt, or a special one for each - or perhaps just for some - questions.
Upon Wrong Answer
The Upon Wrong Answer option may be used to play a message to the caller if a question is answered incorrectly. You might inform the caller of the correct answer, or you might simply tell the caller that the answer was incorrect. In a teaching environment you might suggest where the correct answer can be found in a textbook or manual. Click on the Play button next to this option to record the message that will be played to the caller if this question is not answered correctly. After an incorrect answer you can allow the caller to continue on with more questions, or you could send the caller to another box by checking the Goto Box option and entering a destination box number where callers will be sent after an incorrect answer to the question. If you do not record the wrong answer prompt, the system prompt wrong.voi will be played. This gives you the option of recording one system wide 'wrong answer' prompt, or recording a special 'wrong answer' prompt for each - or perhaps just some - questions.
Question Difficulty Multiplier
The Question Difficulty Multiplier can be thought of as the score the caller will earn for answering the question correctly. You may enter any value in this field you wish. For example, if you have two questions defined within a Question Box and each question has a Question Difficulty Multiplier value of 5, a caller who answers both questions correctly will earn a final score of 10. It is important to understand how this multiplier works, because the final score earned is used to determine where the caller will be routed when the Question Box is completed. The Upon Correct Goto option uses the final score earned by the caller to determine where the caller will be sent, not the number of questions answered correctly. In our above example, if the caller must answer both questions correctly to be forwarded to a "winners" Access Box, you should enter 10 in the Upon Correct Goto field, not 2 as you might expect, but 10 because each question has a multiplier value of 5. (See the Upon Correct Goto option description in this chapter for more information.)
Do Value Prompts:
If you have questions that ask 'for a blue widget press 1, for a red widget press', for example, you may want to utilize the value prompts feature. Without the value prompts, the system will simply tell the caller - during answer review - that they entered 'one' or 'two'. With the use of the value prompts, the system can tell the caller 'you entered one for a red widget'. You would record 'you entered one for a red widget' as the prompt for value 1.
Date:
This will allow the caller to hear back their entry in date form. Your question would be recorded as "Please enter the date using 6 digits - for example July 25, 1999 would be entered as 072599". The date will be repeated to them as "Friday, July 25, 1999".
Time:
This will allow the caller to hear back their entry in time form. You questions could be recorded as "Please enter the date in military format - for example 2 PM would be entered as 1400". The time will be repeated as "2 PM".
Phone Number:
This will not make any change in the playback. But, if you are using the Reminders, the IVR function, or the PeopleChek feature (see "Add-On Modules), you will utilize this choice.
Input Data:
When this field is checked, no question will be asked. The system will automatically have either the caller id telephone number in memory (if you have this feature), or a validated mailbox., meaning the caller has already passed through an access box set for validate, or the User Phantom. Typically, this is only used for IVR, Reminders, or PeopleChek applications.
Do CreditCard Check
With this option selected the system will check that a credit card number entered COULD POSSIBLY be a valid credit card number. For this to work correctly you must set the Min Digits to 13 and the Max Digits to 16. This check is possible because credit card numbers and issued using a specific numbering scheme. We can check to see if the number entered is a POSSIBLE credit card number, but no check is made to verify that the number entered belongs to a valid card. This check will eliminate the possibility of callers entering sixteen 1's, or a random series of numbers, for example.
Voice
The Voice answer type allows the caller to record a voice response to a question. The answer types are exclusive - you must choose to accept either tone or voice responses for each question, but not both.
Maximum Message Size
The Maximum Message Size is the maximum number of seconds you wish to allow callers to respond to a question. Be sure to allow enough time for callers to answer, especially if you are asking a particularly difficult question. For example, if you ask the caller to record his name, address, and phone number, you will want to allow enough time for the entire response to be recorded.
Allow Answer Review
Check this option if you would like the system to play back the caller responses to each question. In a situation where you are collecting information from the caller and accuracy is important you would check this option so that the system would review each answer with the caller and allow changes to be made to a response before proceeding to the next question. In a contest situation you would not want allow callers to review answers or modify responses, so you would deselect this option for each question.
Note: When using the IVR, the Reminders (CalenDialer), or the PeopleChek modules, you should ALWAYS check this item.
Maximum Silence
This field contains a value in seconds for the Maximum Silence the system will allow before it assumes that the caller has finished responding. If this value is set too low the system may proceed before the caller has had a chance to record a response. If this value is set too high the caller may become confused when the system sits silently waiting for the Maximum Silence value or the Maximum Message Size value to be reached. The default delay is 3, which usually works well. To speed things along, ask the caller to press a touch-tone key after completing each voice response.
No. Times Repeat
Enter in this field the number of times a question will be repeated in response to invalid entries by a caller.
Exit Question On Key
In the Exit Question On Key field enter a key that can be used to exit the survey if the caller determines that the remainder of the questions do not apply or the Question Box has been entered by mistake. You will want to include this key information in your Question Box message. Your voice prompt might say something like, "The remainder of this survey applies only to customers living within one mile of our store. If you do not live within one mile of our store you may press 8 now to exit this survey. Otherwise, the next question is...".
In your Question Box greeting you might want to explain to callers who have reached this Question Box in error that they can exit without taking the survey. Your greeting could include something like, "If you have reached this survey in error, you may exit now by pressing 8. Otherwise, your first question is...".
Then Goto
In the Then Goto field enter a destination box number for callers who exit the survey by pressing the Exit key you have defined. You can double-click on this field to bring up the Box Finder screen.
Name (submenu of individual question)
Click on this button to record a name for this question. This is not currently implemented, but will eventually be used during remote access operations.
For instructions on how to record, see "Recording Names, Greetings, Messages and Prompts" in Chapter 3.
Question Message
Click on the Question Msg button to record the question that will be played to the caller. If you would like the caller to be able to exit before continuing, be sure to include Exit key instructions in your recorded Question Message.
For instructions on how to record, see "Recording Names, Greetings, Messages and Prompts" in Chapter 3.
Error Message
Click on the Error Msg button to record an error message which will be played to the caller if incorrect digits are pressed in response to a question. Your message could say something like, "Your response was not understood. Please listen carefully to the question and reenter your response". This message will play if you have not recorded a message in the Upon Incorrect Answer field.
After an error the question will then be replayed and the caller will have another opportunity to respond.