Chapter 16: The Screening/Capture Box
What is the Screening/Capture Box?
The Screening/Capture Box (hereafter called a "Capture Box") is where you "capture" a caller's profile, which goes into a database that can be searched and sorted by callers. Information captured by a Capture Box is actually searched and sorted by callers using the companion box to the Capture Box - The Screening/Search Box.
The Capture Box is designed to ask a caller a series of questions and store caller responses in a database along with other box holder profiles. Also, if you want to create Mail Boxes on-the-fly, you can use a Capture Box with or without questions.
It is also possible to create 'entries' in a capture box from the screen - that is, you, the system operator, will be in charge of creating mailboxes (which are required for entry identification), recording the description that the callers will hear, and answering the questions on the screen. After you set up your Capture Box properly, then you can create your entries under Messages, Screening Box Messages.
Note: If you only want a Capture Box to create Mail Boxes you would not check the Get Caller Message option, and you would delete all questions.
Note: However, you MUST have the item 'get caller message' checked in order for a survey description to be recorded.
As an example, let's say that you are running an automobile classified advertising service. Individuals desiring to list an automobile will call your service and will be routed to a Capture Box. The first question might ask them, "Is your automobile domestic or foreign? Press 1 for domestic, press 2 for foreign". Your second question might be, "What age is your car? Press 1 for a '60s model or earlier, press 2 for a +70s model, press 3 for an '80s model, or press 4 for a '90s model". The system then asks the caller to record a profile description of the vehicle, and finally will create a Mail Box for the caller.
Note: Be sure to have Get Caller Message checked in your Capture Box. This will instruct the caller to leave a message by playing the prompt SPKAFT2.VOI, which can be modified by accessing the Prompts command from the MAINTAIN menu.
Other callers wishing to locate specific types of automobiles listed on your service would be routed to a Screening/Search Box (hereafter called a "Search Box") which allows the caller to search and sort through the database of automobile profiles. Questions asked of callers in the Search Box would closely mirror the questions asked of callers to create a profile. For example, the first question in the Search Box in our example might be something like, "Are you looking for a domestic or foreign automobile? Press 1 for domestic autos, press 2 for foreign autos." The second question might say, "What age of vehicle are you interested in? Press 1 for a 60's model or earlier, press 2 for a '70s model, press 3 for an '80s model, or press 4 for a '90s model".
Within the Search Box the star key operates as a wildcard for any question. If a caller searching the database enters the star key in response to any question, that particular question is not used to exclude profiles from the found set. For example, if a caller presses the star key in response to the first question in the above example, both domestic and foreign automobile profiles would be retrieved. You should explain to callers the function of the wildcard key in your recorded message if you would like callers to use this feature. Also, be sure that the Allow Wildcards option is selected in the accompanying Search Box.
Depending upon the caller's choices, the system will find matching profiles and then play the recorded profile descriptions of vehicles that match the caller's selection criteria. After listening to each vehicle's recorded profile description, the system will prompt the caller to make a selection from a menu of options. The caller will be able to press a 1 to go to the vehicle owner's Mail Box, or press 2 to receive a fax (not implemented) from the attached Fax Box if a Fax Box has been attached to the survey. If no Fax Box is attached to the survey callers will not hear the fax option. If the caller chooses to go to the accompanying Mail Box and the Mail Box is set up for transfers the caller could select to be transferred directly to the Mail Box holder. If no transfer is set, the caller will then hear the Mail Box greeting, such as, "Hi, my name is Joe. If you are interested in buying my car please leave me a message".
You may want to exercise control over the information that callers leave in the Capture Box. For instance, you may not want it to be immediately available to the public. To prevent access to new information left in a Capture Box, check Require Validation of Messages in the accompanying Search Box. That way you will be able to approve the information in one of two ways before it becomes available to callers through the Search Box.
To approve (or validate) new Mail Box holders and recorded profile descriptions, you can listen to and approve from the computer screen by going to Screening Box Messages under the MESSAGES menu. Alternatively, you may call in and approve new Mail Boxes and recorded profile descriptions remotely using a User Access Phantom or Supervisor Phantom. When calling in, use a User Access Phantom or Supervisor Phantom. Enter the Capture Box number when the system asks for a Mail Box number, and enter the password for the corresponding Client Box. A series of prompts will then walk you through the approval options that are available to you through remote access.
The typical path for a caller when using a Capture Box is as follows:
1. Hear the Survey Intro
2. Answer Survey Questions
3. Record a profile description (if Get Caller Message is checked)
4. Create a new Mail Box (Clone Template Box)
a. Enter a password
b. Record a box name
c. Record a box greeting
5. Hear Survey Ending
The recorded profile description is different from the Mail Box greeting. The recorded profile description (Get Caller Message) is a description of a vehicle for sale, for example. It might be something like, "I'm selling a '57 Chevy, blue, in great condition. I'm asking $2,000". The Mail Box greeting might say something like, "Hi, my name is Joe - If you are interested in my car please leave me a message".
If you are operating a dating service, the recorded profile description might be, "My name is Joe. I'm 27, and like skiing and photography". Joe's Mail Box greeting could be, "Hi. I'm glad to know you have similar interests. Please leave me a message so we can talk further".
Note: The information in each Capture Box is only accessible from the accompanying Search Box which has the Capture Box number listed in the Capture Box field. If you have Capture Box 20, and Search Box 30 has Capture Box 20 listed in the Capture Box field as the accompanying Capture Box, you can have additional Capture and Search Boxes paired together, and you don't have to worry about them getting mixed up.
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 (Client 0). Each Client has a password which allows the Client to remotely access and modify boxes. 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. To remotely access the Capture Box you will use the password for the Client Box indicated in the Client field.
Name
Click on this button to record a name for this box. You will hear this name during remote access operations.
For instructions on how to record, see "Recording Names, Greetings, Messages and Prompts" in Chapter 3.
Custom Prompts
By default, all capture boxes use the same system prompts - those listed under Maintain, Prompts. However, if you want to run multiple businesses from within the same program, you may want to customize the prompts for the particular capture box. For example, if a capture box is capturing information about a car for sale, you might want to say "Please record a description of your car at the tone. Please give information such as mileage, year, model, and color." Whereas, if a capture box is capturing information for a dateline, you might want to say "Please record a brief description of yourself at the tone. Please include your hobbies and special interests."
By clicking on the Custom Prompts button, you can record specific prompts to be spoken to the caller while they travel through the capture box. You do not need to record all of them. If you only want a few to be customized and the rest to use the default system prompts, then just record the ones you want to be custom for that particular capture box.
The Custom Prompts button displays a file called cbprmpts.txt which is located in the \stplus\boxes\20 directory (for capture box 20). It is an ASCII text file which you can edit the file using any DOS editor or Windows NT Explorer. Keys to press for certain functions cannot be changed - 1,2,3, etc. will always need to go to where they are listed. But you can change the wording of a given prompt.
Clone Mail Box
This option is very important, because this is where you select the Mail Box that will be used as a template, or "cloned", for all future Mail Boxes which are added on-the-fly after a profile description is recorded.
Before you enter a Mail Box number in this field you will need to create a Mail Box with the options and privileges that new Mail Box holders will have. You will need to edit the options of the Mail Box that will become your template box, and you will also want to create a Privilege setting which will be assigned to all Mail Boxes created from the Capture Box. To edit privileges, select the Privileges command from the MAINTAIN menu. (See Privileges section in Chapter 20.)
When Clone Mail Box is selected, the system will make a copy of the Mail Box you specify for each new caller who completes the survey in a Capture Box and records a profile description. In the Clone Mail Box field enter the number of the Mail Box to be used as a template by the system. The system will create a consecutively numbered Mail Box for each new caller. You can double-click on the Clone Mail Box field to bring up the Mail Box Finder screen.
Caution: DO NOT enter any type of box other than a Mail Box in the Clone Mail Box field!
Get Password - If the Get Password option is selected the system will prompt the caller to enter a password for a newly created Mail Box. You might choose not to use this option in a situation in which the Mail Box will be used for tracking purposes only, and will not be used for accepting messages. For example, if you are operating a lost dog bulletin board service you will want callers to leave a recorded profile description, but you may not want them to use a Mail Box for receiving messages. It is still best in this case to allow the Capture Box to create a Mail Box for the caller, but you would not check the Get Password option because it isn't important that the new Mail Box have a password. If the Mail Box holder's dog is located, the Mail Box holder can give to you his or her Mail Box number so you can easily locate the Mail Box holder's Mail Box and recorded profile description. If you had allowed the system to record a profile description without creating a Mail Box, you would have to go to the Screening/Capture Box command in the MESSAGES menu and listen to each recorded profile description to find the correct description to delete.
Get Name - Check this option if you want the system to prompt the caller to record a name for the newly created Mail Box.
Get Greeting - Check this option if you want the system to prompt the caller to record a greeting for the newly created Mail Box.
Use Range
If you do not specify a range of numbers for new Mail Boxes, the New Mail Boxes created on-the-fly will be given the first available box number higher than the Clone Mail Box. By checking the Use Range option and entering a range of box numbers you can determine the numbers of the new Mail boxes created. If you will be using more than one Capture Box, you might want to set aside a different range of box numbers for each Capture Box. This way you will know, for example, that all Mail Boxes from 1000-1999 belong to the first Capture Box and all Mail Boxes numbered 2000-2999 belong to the second Capture Box.
After Box
In this field enter the number of the box the caller will be sent to after the Capture Box has done the following:
1. Played the survey intro recording (Survey Intro)
2. Asked the Capture Box questions (Survey Questions)
3. Recorded a profile description (Get Caller Message)
4. Created a Mail Box for the caller (Clone Template Box)
a. Enter password
b. Record box name
c. Record box greeting
5. Played the survey ending (Survey Ending)
Note: in the box number you have set for 'after box', be sure you do not allow a path BACK into the capture box. Otherwise, the caller can create multiple boxes. Also, do not allow a path to the capture box(es) once a caller has logged in to your system via the User Phantom, or an access box set for validate. Otherwise, the box owner can create multiple survey descriptions. Only the first one can be managed by the system (re-recorded, deleted, etc).
If you would like additional information that would be used by the system operator and not be heard by other callers, you could send the caller to a Question Box. From the Question Box you could ask the caller to spell out their name and address, enter a credit card number, expiration date, etc. You can listen to the new entries from the screen for validation by going to Screening Box Messages under the MESSAGES menu. You could also listen to the attached Question Box information by remote access. After pressing 4 to review the options, you will hear the Question Box number, name, etc. You could then press 5 to review question responses.
Exit Box on Key (Error)
In the Exit Box on Key field enter a key which will allow the caller to exit the Capture Box if it has been entered in error. In your recorded Survey Intro you will want to tell callers the touch-tone key you have selected as the Exit key.
Then Goto
In this field enter the box destination callers will be sent to if the touch-tone Exit key is pressed or an error is encountered in the Capture Box. You can double-click in this field to access the Route Finder screen.
Note: see above information for 'after box'.
Get Caller Message
When this option is selected the caller, after answering the Capture Box questions, will be prompted to record a profile description which will be played to callers searching the database using a Search Box. The caller will then be prompted to also enter a name and greeting for the newly-created Mail Box if Clone Template Box is checked.
If the Get Caller Message option is not selected, the system will not prompt the caller to record a profile description. You would not select the Get Caller Message option if you are only using the Capture Box to create new Mail Boxes on-the-fly and you do not intend to set up a companion Search Box for this Capture Box.
Below three typical scenarios for setting up a Capture Box.
Scenario 1
(To create survey descriptions and Mail Boxes)
1. Hear Capture Box Survey Intro
2. Answer Capture Box questions
3. Record profile description (you must have "Get Caller Message" checked)
4. Create Mail Box (by cloning the box indicated template Mail Box field)
5. Enter password, record Mail Box name and greeting
6. Hear Survey Ending
This scenario requires a Search Box with mirrored questions to allow profiles to be searched.
Scenario 2
(To only create Mail Boxes on-the-fly)
1. Hear Capture Box Survey Intro
(No questions, no Get Caller Message)
2. Create Mail Box
3. Enter password, record Mail Box name and greeting
4. Hear Survey Ending
Does not require corresponding Search Box (there are no question responses to search).
Scenario 3
(Scenario in which callers use Search Box to hear ALL descriptions in the corresponding Capture Box)
1. Hear Capture Box Survey Intro
(No questions)
2. Record profile description
3. Create Mail Box
Requires corresponding Search Box to allow callers to hear recorded profile descriptions, but not to search (there are no question responses to search).
Note: System Operators using Capture Boxes, please read this entire section:
It is possible for a Mail Box to have more than one survey, or "profile" attached to it. If you want more than one survey attached to each mailbox you must set up a specific box sequence so that the system will know which Mail Box the additional survey will belong to. For a caller to create an additional survey they must first go through an Access Box Validation (using Validate in the Tweaks window), and the Upon Success Goto field must send the caller DIRECTLY to the Capture Box that will create the additional survey. Surveys are saved in the directory of their corresponding Capture Box. FOR MOST PROGRAM USAGE THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED. There are several possible problems: The box owner can only remotely re-record the FIRST survey description they recorded. If they want to delete one, you would need to listen to each one attached to the mailbox. This can get to be an Administrative nightmare. If callers want more than one description, have them create more than one mailbox - one for each description. This is easy to handle for both you and and the box owner. You and they both have the mailbox number as identification for the survey recorded.
IMPORTANT: For most system operators, be sure your callers have no path to get to a Capture Box once they have entered their box number and password.
Max Message Size
This is the maximum length allowed, in seconds, for the caller's recorded profile description. The recorded profile description is the message that will be played to callers who browse profiles, so consider carefully how much time Mail Box holders will need to leave an appropriate recorded profile description. You should tell callers in the Survey Intro how long the recorded profile description may be.
Max Silence
This field contains a value, in seconds, for the Maximum Silence the system will allow before it assumes that the caller has finished recording a response. 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 seconds, which usually works well. You can speed things along by instructing callers to press a touch-tone key after completing each voice response.
Survey Intro (submenu)
Click on the Survey Intro button to record a message which will be played to callers as they enter this Capture Box. Your message should contain detailed instructions which explain how the caller should respond to the upcoming survey questions. Also let callers know that, if they will be creating a Mail Box, they should select a long password for security. You will probably also want to explain the differences between the box name, greeting, and recorded profile description, and how they will be used by the system.
For instructions on how to record, see "Recording Names, Greetings, Messages and Prompts" in Chapter 3.
Survey Ending (submenu)
Click on the Survey Ending button to record a message to be played to the caller after a profile has been completed and a Mail Box has been created. This message might thank the caller for entering a profile into the database to be searched by other callers.
Note: In the Search Box is an option to Require Validation of Messages. If you have selected this option in the companion Search Box you will want to mention to callers in the Survey Ending that new profiles must be validated before being accepted into the database, and therefore the caller's newly created profile will not be immediately accessible to callers searching the database. This could be because you want to receive payment first, and/or you want to be sure the recorded information is acceptable.
For instructions on how to record, see "Recording Names, Greetings, Messages and Prompts" in Chapter 3.
Approval Privilege:
When a new customer calls in and creates a mailbox via the capture box, it will have the same privilege as the mailbox you have set for the CLONE MAILBOX number. Their recorded survey description starts out with a status of 'new'. Their survey description will not be heard in a Search box if you have 'validate messages' checked. This allows for you to monitor your system for quality and system appropriate recordings.
Once you approve this recording, along with the mailbox name and greeting, the survey description goes to a status of 'approved'. You can approve these from the screen under 'Screening Box Messages' or you can call in remotely and approve them. At this point the new customer has 'passed a step' in that they are serious enough to have properly recorded their information. You may want this customer to have a few more privileges on your system now. If you would like your customer to have their privilege AUTOMATICALLY bumped up once you have approved their recordings, check this item and choose the new privilege you want to become in force. This saves a step for those of you who want this option.
Survey Questions (submenu)
Click on the Survey Questions button to bring up the Questions display window which contains a listing of all previously defined questions. If this is your first time using this Capture 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 or Delete questions.
Individual Question (submenu)
You can bring up an Individual Question by double-clicking on any question in the Questions display. In the Individual Question window you will record a question and set limits regarding the answers that are acceptable in response to this question.
Name of Question
In the Name of Question field enter a descriptive name which will allow you to easily identify this question. The name you enter here will appear in the Questions display window. For example, "hair color", or "year of auto".
Question Name (submenu)
Click on this button to record a name for this question. This will be used for remote access operations. Not currently implemented.
For instructions on how to record, see "Recording Names, Greetings, Messages and Prompts" in Chapter 3.
Question Message (submenu)
Click on the Question Msg button to record a question to be played to the caller. For example, if you are operating a matchmaking service one of your questions might be, "Press 1 if you are blonde, press 2 if you are brunette". An appropriate question for a real estate survey might be, "Press 1 if your asking price is under $100,000, press 2 if it's between $100,000 and $200,000".
For instructions on how to record, see "Recording Names, Greetings, Messages and Prompts" in Chapter 3.
Allow Answer Review
With this option selected, callers will be able to review their responses to questions, and make changes if necessary.
Response Ranges
The Response Range is one way you have of controlling responses to questions. If you choose to use a response range, enter the lowest value you wish to allow in the first field and the highest value you wish to allow in the second field. For example, to allow an age entry you could set the Response Range from 1 to 105 (people live a long time these days!).
Important: The Response Range is the actual numerical value of an 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).
Number of Digits
These two fields control how many digits may be received 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.
Error Message (submenu)
The Error Msg button allows you to record a message that will be played to the caller if a response is out of range.
For instructions on how to record, see "Recording Names, Greetings, Messages and Prompts" in Chapter 3.
On Error
When an error situation is encountered during the surveying of a caller, the system can respond in three different ways, as follows:
ReQuestion - This option will play the Error Message for the caller, then replay the current question and give the caller another opportunity to respond.
ReSurvey - This option will play the Error Message, then begin again at the first question in the Capture Box.
Exit - This option will play the Error Message, then immediately exit the Capture Box by sending the caller to the box indicated in the After Box field, which is located in the main window of the Capture Box.
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."