Part IV d: Information Hotline

Capture Boxes and Search boxes can be used to capture and give out information about the community and/or upcoming events of any kind.

You can use questions in the capture and search box to break down the type of events people may be looking for such as art shows, community theatre, events just for children, etc. 

If you have purchased the Fax Talker option, callers can request a fax be sent to them about the event.

Decide if you want multiple capture boxes (this gives the most flexibility) or just one or two capture boxes with a few questions in each. Try not make the caller answer too many questions before they start hearing event listings, so keep it as simple as possible.

Many people have local merchants sponsor the community hotline.  All callers hear rotating ads (access boxes with tweaks set for 'next call') when they enter the system, so the local merchants are really paying you to advertise.  You then pay for the advertising of your 'hotline'. However, there are many ways to get the word out without laying out too much money. Spread around fliers, tell your church group, your friends tell their friends, etc. Try to get a catchy phone number if possible and/or a catchy name and soon the entire community will be calling your system to see what's going on.

You can allow certain schools and businesses  to call  in and set up their own events ("The New Mountain High School is having a car wash Saturday March 4 in their parking lot. Please stop by and help the kids earn their trip to Washington DC."

You also might want to have some capture boxes where anyone can call in with upcoming info (a capture box just for local garage sales, for example, or a capture box for lost or found pets).

You can record information in access boxes that rarely changes (Bingo is held every Wednesday and Saturday evening at the New Mountain Lodge Hall starting at 7:30 pm). In large cities, the New Mountain Lodge Hall or Middle School might want it's OWN capture box to list upcoming events.

Each event needs a Mailbox - that becomes the reference number. When it's over they just have you delete the mailbox and the attached survey description. It is also possible for people to give you the information on the event and you can simply record it yourself under messages, then screening capture box. You can set the date for the date of the event, create a search box that plays from today forward (play last days=0), and you are all set. Old events will not play after the date, so you can just periodically go in and delete the old ones.

Outbound Boxes can be used to call members of groups whose events may have changed. Let the people who normally make those group calls  know you have this capability and you will save a lot of people a lot of time! You can also add your sponsor message to the calls.