CALLMaster Tour - Create Audiotex Modules

Some applications require multi-level automated conversations - if you don't need to use this feature of CALLMaster, please feel free to skip this section of the Tour. Out Dialing users should definitely take this section of the Tour.

Audiotex has many application possibilities, all of which stem from use of or a combination of two basic concepts Audiotex can be used to give callers choices of different interactive paths to travel down (we'll call this ‘branching’), or to send callers down a pre-determined single path (which we'll call ‘sequential path’). The first one we should look at is the ‘branching.’

In branching, Audiotex modules or records are used to give callers the option to determine their next step. Each module goes through four steps, which are: 1) Play a message to the caller; 2) get a touch-tone response from the caller; 3) perform any designated CALLBasic scripts; and 4) determine and execute the next record. This is very important to keep in mind as you travel through this section of the tour. A great way to plan Audiotex routines is to draw a flowchart. Audiotex records perform four steps in the following order:

Say something by playing a speech file identified in the ‘Message ID’ field
Get a touchtone response, based on the contents of the ‘Response Length’ field
Perform a CALLBasic script (designated in the ‘CALLBasic Script File’)
Determine the next module/record

First, let's create our start module/record (remember that term). Select Manage | Audiotex from the menu bar, then click on the 'New' button on the top tool bar or click on the 'Add New'. Select a Module ID for the start module. You can enter up to ten digits here, so long as the number is less than 2,147,853,256. Enter the record number as ‘100’.
The second field deals with the ‘Module Action’ of the record. The ‘Module Action’ defines what activity is to take place and helps to determine the next record. Take a moment to read the portion of the Audiotex chapter, specifically the section pertaining to the ‘Module Action’ field. Note that we are going to attempt a ‘branching’ sequence.
Use the drop down list to choose ‘Touch Tone Table’ as your Module Action for this record. This is a most effective tool for creating a ‘branching’ sequence.
The ‘Next Module ID’ field contains the next module number to be executed. When the Modules Action is ‘Touch Tone Table’, the Next Module ID is used if the caller does not press anything in the time allowed. As we wish to keep the caller on the same module until they enter a valid selection, we will make the Next Module ID the same as the Module ID – enter 100.
‘Response Length’ is a very important field in branching applications. In this field, you tell CALLMaster to get a certain number of touch-tone digits from the caller. Whenever you want to get responses or input from the caller while in a particular Audiotex record, you must have a response length. In this first record, the caller is selecting which call path they wish to follow by pressing a one-digit response. Enter the number 1 in this field (Touch Tone Tables are always 1-digit). Now, CALLMaster will look for a single digit from the caller before continuing.
Use the ‘Fail Module ID’ field to define which module to go to in the event the Touch Tone Table refers to an invalid module or some other error occurs in the attempt to find the next module. In the Fail Module ID record, you may want to end Audiotex and get out of the system. You also want to print an error message to the CMCalls file using the label field. We will create this record later. In the ‘Fail Module ID’ field, enter 9999. This means we will have to create a record 9999 to use as the fail module. We will get to that later.
The ‘Write Label to Log File’ field is used to tell CALLMaster that the contents of the ‘Label’ field should be written to the ASCII file called ‘CMCalls <DATE>.TXT’. Whenever you are working in Audiotex you should check this field - do so now. This allows you to debug more effectively.
The ‘Label ‘ field's contents, such as comments, variable values, and touch-tone responses among other things, can be printed to the ‘CMCalls’ file. Enter the following in the label field: Audiotex Start Module
The ‘Mailbox’, ‘Attendant ID’ and ‘Collect TT Input?’ fields are not used with Touch Tone Tables, so leave them blank.
The ‘Touch-Tone Table’ is used when the Module Action is set to Touch Tone Table. Since our first record uses this Module Action, we need to fill this in. Each number in quotes (‘‘) represents the touch-tone entered by the caller. The field to the right of each tone number indicates the module/record the caller will be sent to if that tone is pressed. If the caller presses 1, we want them to go to Audiotex module 101. Put ‘101’ in the field to the right of the ‘1.’ Next to ‘2’, enter ‘102.’ If the caller presses 2, they will go to Audiotex module 102. Numbers 3 through 0 will be used to let the caller go to Audiotex modules 103 to 110 respectively. In fields 3-0, enter the number 103 to 110 respectively. If no response is entered the Next Module ID field is used to find the next module.
For now, let's leave the ‘CALLBasic Script File’ line blank. It is reserved for CALLBasic programs, covered later in the tour.
Save your work. Make sure your record looks like the one in the above figure. If not, you should retrace your steps and correct any mistakes.

Now we are ready to add another record. Record 9999 will be our exit record and our Fail Module ID. Let's add this record. Add record number 9999 to our routine. Go to ‘Add’ and start making the following ‘Last Module’ record as shown in Fig 4-12.

Save this record. Now we have a Last Module, which is also our fail module. You might say to yourself ‘Won't Last Record end the call? We want to give callers an option to end or not.’ Relax. This is eventually going to be a part of our Attendant. When you start the phone port with Attendant and enter Audiotex through some sort of Attendant ID, you'll return to Attendant when you exit Audiotex with a Last Record. Attendant will then ask you to ‘Press 1 for further options.’ If we had started the application in the phone port as Audiotex, we'd have to create another record for the caller and ask them if they wanted to exit the system.

Record 100, which we made before, states that if the caller presses 1, they will go to record number 101. Let's create record number 101 now. The purpose of record 101 will be to give the caller information about your company's product.

There are several ways to play information to your caller. The most common (and by far the easiest) way this is done is by playing a speech file to the caller.
Add record number 101 and make the Module Action ‘Next Module’ (See the ‘Audiotex’ chapter for more information on Module Key). Set the ‘Write Label to Log File’ to ‘checked’
In the ‘Label’ field enter ‘play choice info to caller’
In the ‘Response Length’ field, what should we put? We are going to simply say some information to the caller. There is no need to get digits from the caller, so leave the response length zero (0).
The ‘Next Module ID’ field is important here. Since we have set the Module Action to 'Next Module', we must enter the next record's number in the ‘ Next Module ID’ field. Enter ‘9999’ here and go on to the next field.
The ‘Fail Module ID’ is again 9999. The ‘Mailbox’ and ‘Attendant ID’ fields should be left blank.
In the Touch Tone Table, we are going to leave each field at zero (0), since the action in this case is not ‘Touch Tone Table’. Since we are not using the CALLBasic Script File yet, we're done with our entries. Save this record.
Now add modules 102 thru 110 similar to module 101 to provide caller with information on various products if they select option 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 0 in module 100.
Save your work. We will soon learn how to make recordings for these modules.

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