Walkthrough: Make Outbound Calls for an Appointment Reminder with Option to Reschedule

In this walkthrough we will make outbound calls using CALLMaster Out Dial functionality to play a reminder message with the date and time of the appointment as imported for each number and give caller the options to hear the message again or to transfer to agent to reschedule. 

This Sample Application is available for download.  Use link at the end of this walkthrough to download and install sample application.

Walkthrough Overview

In this walkthrough, you will:

  1. Set System Parameters;
  2. Set Dialogic Parameters;
  3. Verify Attendant Parameters required to transfer a call, or drop call in case of a busy or no answer;
  4. Set-up Attendant Record for caller reschedule option;
  5. Create Audiotex Records and Associated Scripts;
  6. Define entry in the IVR Application List for the new custom IVR;
  7. Set Ports.

During this walkthrough, you will learn to do the following:

Prerequisites and Assumptions

Set System Parameters

As we are using Out Dial, we need to make sure that the System Parameters - Local Dialing Prefix, Long Distance Dialing Prefix, System's Area Code and System's Phone Number have the correct values for your environment.  We also need to set the time that CALLMaster can 'Start Calling at' and needs to 'Stop Calling at'.
As we want CALLMaster to continuously attempt outbound calls and reduce the sleep default time from 30 seconds to 3 seconds, we will add flags 'OCNV'  and 'OSST3 in the System Flags field. 
As we want to leave a message if call receives an answering machine connect, we need to adjust the Parameter Record Max Silence (see Out Dial - Human/Answering Machine/Fax Detection for details).

Open the CALLMaster Manager. Click on Parameters, then select System.  Double click on each of the parameters to change their values as needed.  See System Parameters for details.

For this walkthrough we will assume the following values:

Set Dialogic Parameters

As we are using Out Dial and want to detect Human, Answering Machine and Fax connect, we need to adjust the several Dialogic Parameters (see Out Dial - Human/Answering Machine/Fax Detection for details).

Open the CALLMaster Manager. Click on Parameters, then select Dialogic.  Double click on each of the parameters to change their values as needed.

For this walkthrough we will assume the following values:

Verify Attendant Parameters.

To transfer calls for appointment reschedule option, you must know the requirements of your phone lines or PBX.  In particular, you need to know the transfer string to initiate a transfer, and the pull back strings to drop a call in case of busy or no answer. Since the caller can enter a variable length extension ID, you need to set the Maximum Extension Length parameter.

Open the CALLMaster Manager. Click on Parameters, then select Attendant.  Confirm values for all the parameters on the list.  Double click on the parameter to change the value if required.  For this walkthrough, we will assume the values below.  Save and close the Attendant Parameters window after making any changes.

Attendant Parameters
Allow Any Transfer Drop 'Busy' Call Drop 'No Answer' Call Max Extension Length Transfer String
No &, &, 4 &,

Set-up Attendant Records

As one of the options offered to the caller is to reschedule appointment, we need to setup an Attendant record to transfer to an agent .  We will create an Attendant record set the Time Of Day to All Day, and the Type of Transfer to Transfer. 

Since the Type of Transfer is set to Transfer, the Failed Transfer Action fields do not apply.  If you set the Type of Transfer to Supervised, requiring CALLMaster to monitor call transfer status, then you must set the Failed Transfer Action fields as desired. 

See Managing Attendant for details.

Open the CALLMaster Manager. Click on Manage, then select Attendant.  Let's add 4 records in this walkthrough as follows:

Attendant Records
Attendant ID Time of Day Type of Transfer Number to Dial Mailbox
1 All Day Transfer 9,1,2125551111  

Create Audiotex Records and Associated Scripts

As all calls will be starting in Audiotex mode in this walkthrough, the Audiotex Modules will determine the call flow. 

In the Audiotex set-up, the called party will be played a message and given the option to "Press 1 to hear message again or 2 to reschedule". 
NOTE: the Audiotex application will only get processing control if the call results in a connect (i.e. $CR = 10).  If the call does not result in a connect, then the call is reset based on the busy/no answer/no confirm retry values from the OutcallSchedule record.

We will need to create several Audiotex records as shown below.  The Label field provides a brief description of each module.  

Audiotex Records
Module ID Label Write Label
to Log File
Module
Action
Next Module ID Fail Module ID Response
Length
Script File to Run
(Must include full path name)
(c:\Program Files\CALLMaster\Scripts\SampleApp-ApptRem\)
Touch Tone Table
 1 2  3  4 5 6 7 8 9 0
100 Start call and Initialize values Yes Next Module 110 9900 0 InitializeVal.bas                    
110 Perform call analysis to determine if it is a human, answering machine, or fax response.  Yes Next Module 9999 9900 0 OD-CallAnalysis.bas                    
200 Human Connect Detected.  Play Audiotex Module recording. Yes Next Module 210 9900 0                      
210 Say Appointment Date & Time Yes Next Module 220 9900 0 SayApptDateTime.bas                    
220 Provide options "1 to hear message again or 2 to reschedule" and get caller response Yes Touch Tone Table 9920 9900 1   200 230 290 290 290 290 290 290 290 290
230 Transfer to Attendant ID 1 Yes Attendant ID 9999 9900   ReturnAttID.bas                    
290 Invalid input.  Yes Next Module 291 9900 0 CheckTryCount.bas                    
291 Try again. Yes Next Module 220 9900 0                      
300 Answering Machine Connect Detected.  Play Audiotex Module recording. Yes Next Module 9999 9999                        
310 Say Appointment Date & Time Yes Next Module 9999 9900 0 SayApptDateTime.bas                    
400 Fax/Other Connect Detected.  End Call Yes Next Module 9999 9999                        
9900 Call Failure Detected Yes Next Module 9999 9999 0 SetCallFailure.bas                    
9910 Caller Hang-up Detected Yes Next Module 9999 9999 0 SetCallerHangup.bas                    
9920 Maximum tries attempted Yes Next Module 9999 9999 0 SetMaxAttempts.bas                    
9999 Last Module - End call Yes Last Module                            

Audiotex Module Description

Based on the Audiotex modules shown above, we will need several scripts.  Let's make a Scripts sub-folder (Program Files\CALLMaster\Scripts\SampleApp-ApptRem folder) to save the custom scripts.

Create the scripts first.  Open Notepad and create scripts following code examples below.  Remember to save them as .bas type files in the Program Files\CALLMaster\Scripts\SampleApp-ApptRem folder.

CALLBasic Script - InitializeVal.bas Copy to Clipboard
Program
'**************************************************************************************************************
'     Script:  InitializeVal.bas
'     Function:  This script is used to initialize values
'**************************************************************************************************************

     strYes = "Yes"
     strNo = "No"
     intYes = 1
     intNo = 0
     strCallFailure = strNo
     strCallerHangup = strNo
     strMaxAttempts = strNo
     intOne = 1

     ' Set retry counter and maximum attempts allowed
     intTryCount = 1
     intMaxAttemptsAllowed = 3

     strRescheduleAttID = "1"

      ' Get value of OutcallSchedule system variables and assign to local variables.  
     ' If variable is an integer then convert to string local variable
     OD-intOutDialID = $outdialID
     IntegerToString OD-strOutDialID $outdialID

     OD-intResult = $cr
     IntegerToString OD-strResult $cr

     OD-intConnection = $contype
     IntegerToString OD-strConnection $outdialID

     OD-strDialPrefix = $dialprefix
     OD-strAreaCode = $areacode
     OD-strPhoneNum = $phonenum
     OD-dteApptDateTime = $oduserdatetime


     ' Set the module to return to if caller hangs up
     lctrap = 9910

     ' Convert system variable $channel from integer to string to be used in concatenated print statement.
     IntegerToString strchannel $channel

     pline = "***** For channel=" & strchannel
     pline = pline & " Started Out Dial for ID=" & OD-strOutDialID
     pline = pline & " with OD-strDialPrefix=" & OD-strDialPrefix
     pline = pline & "; OD-strAreaCode=" & OD-strAreaCode
     pline = pline & "; OD-strPhoneNum=" & OD-strPhoneNum
     PrintNL pline


EndProgram

 
CALLBasic Script - OD-CallAnalysis.bas Copy to Clipboard
Program
'******************************************************************************************************************
'     Script:  OD-CallAnalysis.bas
'     Function:  This script checks the call connection type and returns based on the system variable $contype. 
'******************************************************************************************************************

     '  Set variables for recording if Answering Machine Connection
     intPmt = 0
     intRecTime = 60
     strT = "0"
     strA = ""

     ' If Call Result Connected
     If OD-intResult = 10 Then
        ' Human Voice Connection
        If OD-intConnection < 4 Then
           Return 200
        Else
           'Answering machine
           Record recfileid intPmt intRecTime strA strT e d
           FileIDToName destname recfileid
           FileDelete destname
           Return 300
        EndIf
     Else
        ' Call Result Fax or other
        Return 400
     EndIf

EndProgram

CALLBasic Script - SayApptDateTime.bas Copy to Clipboard
Program
'**********************************************************************************************************************
'     Script:  SayApptDateTime.bas
'     Function:  This script says the Date and Time.
'**********************************************************************************************************************

     SayDate OD-dteApptDateTime
     SayTime OD-dteApptDateTime

EndProgram
CALLBasic Script - CheckTryCount.bas Copy to Clipboard
Program
'*******************************************************************************************************************
'     Script:  CheckTryCount.bas
'     Function:  This script checks the number of invalid input attempts. 
'*******************************************************************************************************************

     '  If the caller has reached the maximum attempts allowed then the call is routed to module 9920. 
     '  If not then they are returned back to Next Module ID.
     If intTryCount > intMaxAttemptsAllowed Then
        Return 9920
     Else
        intTryCount = intTryCount + 1
     EndIf

     ' Convert system variable intTryCount from integer to string to be used in concatenated print statement.
     IntegerToString strTryCount intTryCount

     pline = "***** For channel=" & strchannel
     pline = pline & " TryCount = "
     pline = pline & strTryCount
     PrintNL pline

EndProgram

CALLBasic Script - ReturnAttID.bas Copy to Clipboard
Program
'**********************************************************************************************************************
'     Script:  ReturnAttID.bas
'     Function:  This script uses the Return command with a variable. 
'                     When used with an Audiotex Module Action 'Attendant ID',
'                     the caller will be forwarded to the Attendant whose value is in variable strRescheduleAttID.
'***********************************************************************************************************************

     Return strRescheduleAttID

EndProgram

CALLBasic Script - SetCallFailure.bas Copy to Clipboard
Program
'****************************************************************************************************************
'     Script:  SetCallFailure.bas
'     Function:  This script sets the strCallFailure variable to yes and prints information in the call log file.
'****************************************************************************************************************

     strCallFailure = strYes

     'Print information to log file for reference and debugging
     pline = "***** For channel=" & strchannel
     pline = pline & "***** Call Failure. *****"
     PrintNL pline

EndProgram

CALLBasic Script - SetCallerHangup.bas Copy to Clipboard
Program
'*********************************************************************************************************************
'     Script:  SetCallerHangup.bas
'     Function:  This script sets the strCallFailure variable to yes and prints information in the call log file. 
'*********************************************************************************************************************

     strCallerHangup = strYes

     'Print information to log file for reference and debugging
     pline = "***** For channel=" & strchannel
     pline = pline & "***** Caller Hangup. *****"
     PrintNL pline

EndProgram

CALLBasic Script - SetMaxAttempts.bas Copy to Clipboard
Program
'*********************************************************************************************************************
'     Script:  SetMaxAttempts.bas
'     Function:  This script sets the strMaxAttempts variable to yes and prints information in the call log file. 
'*********************************************************************************************************************

     strMaxAttempts  = strYes

     'Print information to log file for reference and debugging
     pline = "***** For channel=" & strchannel
     pline = pline & "***** Maximum Attempts reached to enter valid input *****"
     PrintNL pline

EndProgram

Now you can create the Audiotex modules and reference the scripts above.  Open the CALLMaster Manager, click on Manage, then select Audiotex.  Let's add the Audiotex records shown above.

Define IVR Application List Entry

We need to define the custom IVR in the IVR Application List and set it to Audiotex Start Module 100.  Open CALLMaster Manager and select Manage | IVR Application List.  Let's add a new record as follows:

IVR Application List
Audiotex Start Module Application Name
100 Appointment Reminder w/ Reschedule Option Sample

Set Ports

As a last step, we need set the port(s) to the new IVR Application entry created above.  Make sure the Audiotex Start Module field (read only) correctly points to module 100.

Set the Port Greeting File IDs to the main greeting for all calls if you have recorded one.  If you do not want a main greeting then set the Greeting File IDs to zero. Leave all other fields to the default values. 

If you are working with a demo license or have only one line connected, then make sure the connected port is set as specified below.  All other ports should be set to Application 'Disabled'.

Port Records
Port # Application Audiotex Start Module Port Type
Outbound
Port Greeting File IDs
(Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Closed, Holidays)
1 Appointment Reminder w/ Reschedule Option Sample 100 Yes 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
2 Appointment Reminder w/ Reschedule Option Sample 100 Yes 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
3 Appointment Reminder w/ Reschedule Option Sample 100 Yes 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
4 Appointment Reminder w/ Reschedule Option Sample 100 Yes 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

Test the custom application

Save all your work. 

Stop CALLMaster service.

Make Administrator Audiotex Recordings:

-  Set Port 1 to Application Voice Mail.

-  Start CALLMaster service.

-  Make a call using Port 1.

Log in as the Administrator using the Voice Mail Main Menu and make recordings for the Audiotex modules below.

Audiotex Module ID Proposed Recording
200 Recording for Human Connection - e.g. Hi this is Dr. Joe's office calling to remind you of your appointment on...
220 Press 1 if you want to hear the message again or 2 to reschedule
290 Invalid option. 
291 Please try again
300 Recording for Answering Machine Connection - e.g. Hi this is Dr. Joe's office calling to remind you of your appointment on...
9900 We are unable to process your call.  Please contact the system administrator for further assistance.
9920 You have reached the maximum attempts allowed for a valid input.  Please contact the system administrator for further assistance.

Reset Port 1 to Application Audiotex.  Set the Port Greeting File IDs to zeros.

Stop and Start CALLMaster service.

Make a phone call to test the application.

Tip: See Walkthrough: Change Application Without Restarting CALLMaster Service to set port to Voice Mail to make recording without stopping and restarting the CALLMaster service.

 

To download and install, see Sample Applications.