To reach the dialing options for a task, right-click the task, select properties, then click the dialing tab.
Dialing method: Specifies the survey task's dialing method between either:
Manual dialing with preview: Agents will manually dial the number that is displayed on their screen.
Manual dialing: Agents will manually dial a number that is displayed on their screen, but they can choose the number from a list.
Progressive dialing: The system automatically dials the number, and the questionnaire only appears on the agent's screen if someone answers. This option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Progressive dialing with preview: The agent can choose from a list of several telephone numbers for the system to dial. The questionnaire only appears on the agent’s screen if someone answers. This option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Predictive dialing: The number is dialed at a set interval before the previous interview finishes. This reduces agent waiting time between interviews. The next questionnaire only appears on the agent's screen if someone answers. This option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Brief mode: If this option is selected, the task will run in brief mode. In brief mode, data will not be recorded. This is useful for testing a project, or for agent training.
Maximum visible calls for agent: Specifies the maximum number of addresses which will be displayed to agents prior to their selecting and handling their next call.
Allow Find Number: Authorizes agents to search the survey task's sample lists for specific addresses.
Allow Change Number: Authorizes agents to modify and update an address's phone number in the survey task's sample list.
Allow Refuse Number: Authorizes agents to refuse an address.
No answer time(s): Specifies the amount of time that CCA will wait for a dialed number to be answered, before handing up and coding it as "no answer". Note: this option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment. We recommend setting a value between 20 and 30 seconds.
Record the whole interview: Specifies that all this survey task's interviews will be recorded as *.vox files. These files are handled by CTArchitect. When an interview is completed, the audio file is sent by CTArchitect to the folder specified in the option call recording path, located in the options group CTArchitect of the CCA settings. If this option is selected, two sub-options may also be selected:
Create extra stereo recording for VOIP locations: Create a recording with one channel for the agent's voice and one channel for the respondent's voice. This feature is useful when trouble-shooting issues relating to recording functionality.
Allow agent to interrupt recording: Allows CATI agents to stop a recording of a call (a new button appears in the CATI interface, allowing them to interrupt the recording).
Note: this option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Limit max simultaneous calls: Specifies the maximum number of ISDN channels you want to reserve for predictive dialing for the task (i.e. this is the maximum number of calls that will be made at a time to establish a connection with respondents). Note that this is the upper limit; fewer channels may be used depending on conditions. This parameter does not limit the number of active calls which can be simultaneously handled by your agents. We recommend setting a value that is twice as high as the number of agents you have working on the task (for example, if you have 20 agents working on the task, set this value to 40). Note, however, that you should be careful not to exceed the maximum number of channels that your system can handle across all tasks that you are concurrently running. Note: this option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Max nuisance call level (%): Defines the maximum level of nuisance calls that the system will make. A call is categorized as "nuisance" when a respondent, having answered a call, is dropped by the system, due to the lack of available agents. If the maximum nuisance level is reached, CCA will dial less in order to avoid exceeding the maximum value. The higher this value, the more aggressive the system will be, resulting in less agent waiting time. We do not have a fixed recommendation here. Most of the time, the nuisance call level is determined by government legislation; a value of 1% is in line with most legislation. See the related option nuisance ceiling time(s) below. Note: this option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Nuisance ceiling time(s): Specifies the maximum amount of time (in seconds) that CCA can put a respondent on hold while waiting for an available agent to handle the call before dropping the call. After this time has elapsed, the call is automatically terminated, and the call is regarded as a nuisance call (see max nuisance call level (%), above). For example, if this value is set to 5, a contact will be kept on the line for up to five seconds while the system waits for an available agent. After this time has elapsed, the call is dropped. If an agent becomes available within these five seconds, the contact will be connected to the agent and will not become a nuisance call. We recommend setting a ceiling time of 5 seconds. A higher value will result in better performance if the contact does not hang up the call. Contacts are likely to drop the call if not passed to an agent within 5 to 10 seconds. Note: this option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Max abandoned call level (%): An abandoned call is one that is dropped by CCA before the time specified in the option no answer time (see above) has elapsed, without the contact having answered; in other words, the telephone stops ringing before anyone has picked it up. This setting determines the maximum number of abandoned calls that the system will allow. CCA will seek to abandon calls it is currently dialing and/or calls which are currently receiving a "ring tone", when it detects that one of its calls has just been successfully established and it has only one agent available or expected to be available soon. Therefore, CCA will disconnect the "in dialing" calls before their respondents answer. These calls are automatically coded as abandoned calls. We recommend that you set a value of 10 times the value in max nuisance call level (%) (see above). A value of 10% to 20% is common. If the value is higher, the predictive dialing algorithm will be better. Note: this option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Optimal wrap-up time(s): Specifies the minimum amount of time you wish to give to your agents between the end of an interview and the start of a new one. With predictive dialing, the agents' phones are automatically "answered" and connected to the respondent by CCA, so this value allows you to give your agents some "breathing time" between interviews. Note that this value is only theoretical: in reality, the time elapsed could be more or less than the stated amount. We recommend setting this time to between 0 and 2 seconds. Note: this option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Detect answering machines: If selected, the system will detect when an answering machine answers an outgoing call, and will hang up. The detection is based on speech intonation and patterns, and is not 100% effective: sometimes, an answering machine will still get connected to an agent. We recommend that you enable this feature. However, agents should be trained to start talking right after the ringing tone drops; this is because agents will not hear the initial “Hello” from the contact when this option is enabled. Note: this option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Detect faxes: If selected, the system will detect when a fax machine answers an outgoing call, and will hang up. We recommend enabling this feature if you have also turned on detect answering machines (see above). Note: this option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Enable predictive triggers: If selected, this options enables triggers that are set in the survey or script. By default, Askia sends a trigger on the final screen of the interview. However, you can also have triggers occur at other points in your survey (by using the routing action start predictive dialing trigger; see the AskiaDesign Assistant for details on putting these routing actions into your surveys). Through these triggers, CTArchitect can better predict the end of an interview, since the triggers can take into account the possible routes through the survey which can be followed. We recommend enabling this feature. Note: this option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
Group based predictive: CCA provides two modes for predictive dialing parameters: agent-based and group-based. If you select this option, the system will use a predictive dialing algorithm based on all agents working on the same task (as opposed to individual agents). If this option is turned off, the dialer algorithm will be based on individual agent performance. For example, if agent A takes more time than agent B to fill in a couple of questions at the end of each interview, CTArchitect will automatically enhance its predictive dialing algorithm for
agent A. We recommend that you turn this option off if you are running Askia surveys. You should, however, use this option if you have a high volume campaign where personal contact between interviewee and agent is less important (Telesales). Note: this option is applicable only if CCA is using CTArchitect in an integrated telephony environment.
AnswerMachine message: Allows you to specify a message that will be played if a number is dialed and a machine answers the call.
Nuisance Message: Allows you to specify a message that will be played if a number is dialed under predictive dialing, but no agent is available to handle the call (i.e. the nuisance ceiling - see above - is exceeded).
Interruptable: If selected, any answermachine message or nuisance message (see above) may be interrupted, and the call passed to an agent, if the call is answered by a human while the message is being played.