Data in or voice answer and data or message collection

Last Updated : Aug 26, 2020 |
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The scenario involves a mutual fund company that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All incoming calls are directed to a single VDN extension that maps to a main vector. The main vector presents a menu of options to the calling party and the vector uses Call Prompting to determine the desired service. The following three services are offered to the customers:
  • New Account: To open new accounts.
  • Account Inquiry: To make inquiries about respective accounts.
  • Net Asset Value (NAV): To receive information on the NAV of the company funds.
If the caller selects account inquiries, the caller is prompted to enter the account number. The agent can use the callr-info button to view the account number.
Note:
If the agent has a two-line display telephone, the account number is automatically displayed on the second line. Some supported display telephones include 6416, 6424, 8410, 8434 and CallMaster® set.
The scenario includes the use of the following three applications supported by Call Prompting:
  • Data In/Voice Answer (DIVA): The caller can receive information on a topic selected at the prompt. The caller selects the desired topic by entering the appropriate digits.
  • Data Collection: Collects the digits entered by a caller. The digits are all numeric and one such example is an account number or US Social Security Number.
  • Message Collection: The caller can leave a recorded message instead of waiting for the call to be answered.
The following four vectors illustrate how the mutual fund company handles telephone calls. The vector is programmed to check if queue slots are available.

Example application - mutual fund company

VDN (extension=1030   name=ABC Inv   vector=10   display override=y)
Vector 10
      1. wait-time 0 secs hearing ringback
      2. collect 1 digits after announcement 3531 [Thank you for calling ABC Investments. If you wish to open a new account, 
         please dial 1. If you wish to make an account inquiry, please dial 2. If you wish to know the current net asset 
         values of our funds, please dial 3.]
      3. route-to number 1031 with cov y if digit = 1
      4. route-to number 1032 with cov y if digit = 2
      5. route-to number 1033 with cov y if digit = 3
      6. route-to number 0 with cov n if unconditionally
      7. disconnect after announcement none

VDN (extension=1031   name=New Account   vector=11)
Vector 11
      1. goto step 5 if calls-queued in split 1 > 19
      2. queue-to split 1 pri t
      3. announcement 3535
      4. wait-time 10 secs hearing music
      5. collect 1 digits after announcement 4020 [We are sorry. All our operators are busy at the moment. Dial 1 to leave 
         your name and telephone number.]
      6. goto step 10 if digit = 1
      7. announcement 3537
      8. wait time 50 secs hearing music
      9. goto step 6 if unconditionally
     10. messaging split 5 for extension 4000
     11. announcement 3538 [We are sorry, we cannot take your message now. Please hold or call back later.]
     12. goto step 4 if unconditionally

DIVA and data/message collection vector example

VDN (extension=1032    name=Account Inq   vector=12)
Vector 12:
      1. wait-time 0 secs hearing ringback
      2. collect 6 digits after announcement 3533 [Please enter your 6-digit account number.]
      3. goto step 7 if calls-queued in split 1 > 19
      4. queue-to split 1 pri m
      5. announcement 3535
      6. wait-time 60 secs hearing music
      7. collect 1 digits after announcement 4020 [We are sorry. All our operators are busy at the moment. Dial 1 to leave 
         your name and telephone number.]
      8. goto step 12 if digit = 1
      9. announcement 3537
     10. wait time 50 secs hearing music
     11. goto step 8 if unconditionally
     12. messaging split 5 for extension 4000
     13. announcement 3538 [We are sorry, we cannot take your message now. Please hold or call back later.]
     14. goto step 4 if unconditionally

 VDN (extension=1033   name=Net Asset Val   vector=13)
 Vector 13:
      1. disconnect after announcement 3534 [The net asset values of our funds at the close of the market on Wednesday, May 15         were as follows: ABC Growth.....33.21.....up 33 cents; ABC High Yield.....11.48.....down 3 cents.]
When the call is placed, vector processing begins in vector 10, which is the main vector. Step 1 of the vector contains the wait-time command, which is placed before the collect digits command in step 2 to provide the caller with feedback in the event that a tone detector is not immediately available. Once a tone detector is connected, the collect digits command provides an announcement that requests the caller to enter 1, 2, or 3, depending on the service. If the caller enters a digit other than 1, 2, or 3, or if the caller fails to enter any digits within 10 seconds, the command fails and the call is routed to an attendant (step 6). If the caller enters 1, 2, or 3 within 10 seconds, the call is routed to the vector specified in the route-to number command, which appears in steps 3, 4, and 5.
For instance, when prompted, the caller enters 3 to learn about the NAV of the company funds. The route-to number command in step 3 and in step 4 fail, because in each case, the digit that is tested for in the condition portion of the command is not 3. However, the route-to number command in step 5 succeeds because the digit that is tested matches the one entered by the caller. Accordingly, the call is routed to VDN extension 1033 and vector processing continues in vector 13.
The announcement command in step 1 of vector 13 provides the caller with the information on NAV and disconnects the call.
The process just described, wherein the caller receives information after entering a digit at the prompt, is an example of the DIVA application.
Returning to the main vector, if caller wants to make an inquiry and enters 2 when prompted, step 3 fails, but step 4 succeeds. Accordingly, the call is routed to VDN extension 1032 and vector processing continues in vector 12.
The collect digits command in step 2 of vector 12 first requests the caller to enter the 6-digit account number. The command then collects the digits. Whether or not the caller enters the digits correctly, the queue-to split command in step 4 queues the call. If an agent does not immediately answer the call, the standard announcement in step 5 plays and a delay is provided in step 6. The announcement in step 7 provides the caller with the option to either leave a message or hold. The caller is prompted to enter 1 to leave a recorded message. If the caller does not enter 1, the goto step command in step 8 fails and an announcement-wait cycle is implemented by steps 9, 10, and 11 until the call is answered or abandoned. If the caller does enter 1 within 10 seconds, step 8 passes control to step 12. The messaging split command in step 12 attempts to connect the caller to an AUDIX or a message center split. If the connection is made, the caller hears ringback and can then leave a message. If the connection is not made, the step is unsuccessful and step 13 provides an announcement that indicates that a connection is not made. Thereafter, the goto step command in step 14 sends the call control back to step 6, which leads the caller back to the steps to leave a message.
The process just described, wherein the caller enters digits that comprise an official number, is an example of the Data Collection application. If the agent has a callr-info button or a two-line display, the agent can see the digits entered by the caller. As a result, the agent does not have to request the caller for an account number.
Finally, if another caller wants to open an account and enters 1 when prompted in the main vector, step 3 of the main vector is successful. Accordingly, the call is routed to VDN extension 1031 and vector processing continues in vector 11.
In step 2 of vector 11, the call is queued to the main split. Thereafter, step 3 provides an appropriate announcement and step 4 provides a delay period. The announcement in step 5 provides the caller with the option to either leave a recorded message or hold. This is an example of the Message Collection application. The caller is prompted to enter 1 to leave a recorded message. If the caller does not enter 1, the goto step command in step 6 fails and an announcement-wait cycle is implemented by steps 7, 8, and 9 until the call is answered or abandoned. If the caller does enter 1 within 10 seconds, step 6 passes control to step 10. The messaging split command in step 10 attempts to connect the caller to an AUDIX or message center split. If the connection is made, the caller hears ringback and can then leave a message. If the connection is not made, the step is unsuccessful and step 11 provides an announcement that indicates that a connection is not made. Thereafter, the goto step command in step 12 sends call control back to step 4, which leads the caller back into the steps to leave a message.