Variable-length digit strings

Last Updated : Apr 22, 2015 |
When administering the collect digits command, specify the maximum number of digits to be requested from the caller. Sometimes, you can prompt the caller to enter fewer digits than the maximum specified. In fact, the number of digits that the caller enters can vary for several variations of one collect digits command. Each such grouping of digits is called a variable-length digit string.
By using an end-of-dialing indicator in the form of the pound (#) sign, the Call Prompting permits variable-length digit strings does the following:
  • Tells the system that the caller has finished entering digits.
  • Causes the next vector step to be processed immediately.
When the caller is permitted to enter a variable-length digit string, the announcement part of the collect digits command specifies the largest possible number of digits that can be entered. Accordingly, each collect digits command must be administered to collect no more than the intended maximum number of digits. The caller can enter a pound sign part of a variable digit string entry either:
  • At the end of each variable digit string that is entered. In this case, the pound sign must be included in the count of the number of maximum digits that can be entered.
  • At the end of each such string that, not counting the pound sign, contains fewer characters than the maximum number of allowable digits. In this case, the pound sign must not be included in the count of the number of maximum digits that can be entered.
If the caller enters more digits than the maximum number specified, the additional digits are saved as dial-ahead digits for subsequent collect digits commands. If the vector or vectors chained to it do not contain another collect digits command, the extra digits are discarded.
If the caller enters fewer digits than the maximum number specified and does not complete the entry with the pound sign, a Call Prompting timeout occurs. The timeout ends the command and any digits collected before the timeout are available for subsequent vector processing. The Call Prompting timeout period is set to 10 seconds by default. But can be changed to a value between 2 to 10 seconds using the Prompting Timeout field on the Feature-Related System Parameters screen.
Caution:
Avaya recommends that you do not set the timeout to less than 4 seconds except in special cases. If the timeout is set to less than 4 seconds, the short timeout can cause the caller to miss entering the next digit in a sequence. The caller can miss entering the next digit in a sequence if the callers are unaware that the digits must be entered quickly. The setting of this timer is systemwide and affects digit entry for ALL collect digits steps in all vectors.
For more information, see Collect digits command in the Programming Call Vectoring Features in Avaya Aura® Call Center Elite document.
Using an application involving the entering of variable-length digit strings the user can dial either the number for the attendant or an extension to reach the wanted destination. If the maximum number of digits that can be entered is administered to be 3 and the user wishes to reach the attendant, the user must dial 0#. However, if the user chooses to dial a 3-digit extension, the user must dial, for example, 748 and not 748#. As the maximum number of digits that can be dialed in this case is three, dialing 748# causes the pound (#) sign to be saved as a dial-ahead digit. On the other hand, if the caller dials 748# and if the maximum number of digits that can be entered is four, the pound (#) sign is not saved as a dial-ahead digit as the sign is the last of four digits.