User's Guide to Computerized Monitor Service
Overview
This chapter introduces you to the concepts of the Computerized Monitor Service and the initial procedures for using the CMS Client Manager. The discussions and instructions are the basics you will need to know to begin your use of the program. Specifically, we explain to you:
Terms
We use the following special terms in this chapter:
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Business Manager |
Business Manager is a program that allows you to control and monitor your phone applications. You must have Business Manager installed on your computer to run any of the phone application programs such as Computerized Monitor Service. |
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Called Party |
The called party is the person who is called on the regular schedule. |
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Client |
The client is the person who is billed. This may or may not be the called party. |
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Database |
A database is simply a collection of related material or information within your computer's memory. This is where your program stores all of your called party, payor and emergency number information. |
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Icon |
An icon is a graphic representation of a program in Windows. The icon is typically composed of a small picture along with the name of the program below it. |
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On-Line Help |
On-line means that help is accessible at any time in the program, unless you're already inside the help function itself. |
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Payor |
The payor is the person who pays you for your Computerized Monitor Services. Generally, the payor and the called party are not the same person. |
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Personalized Speech |
A personalized speech is simply a speech recorded specifically for a client. It may address the client by name or contain information that pertains to that client. Personalized speeches are recorded in the Record section of the Called Party form. |
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Phone Applications |
These are the applications you use in conjunction with your phone and a voice/telephone card inside your computer. Callers call in to use some phone applications' services, while you use other phone applications to dial out to listeners. |
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Program Group |
A program group is a group of related programs in your Windows Program Manager. They are contained within a single smaller window in Program Manager. |
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Standard Speech |
A standard speech is played for a client when a personalized speech has not been recorded for that client. You may use the standard speeches we've recorded for you or you may record your own standard speeches. Standard speeches are recorded in the Record option in the Settings menu. |
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Voice /Telephone Card |
This is the card that goes in your computer. It allows your system to handle incoming and outgoing calls. It also is referred to as a VBX card. |
Computer Business Services, Inc. has created Computerized Monitor Service to provide you with a powerful tool to serve your community. Computerized Monitor Service can be used to create and operate up to four different businesses at the same time. Each of these businesses is based on your computer calling someone on a regular schedule and asking that person a question.
For example, you could use Computerized Monitor Service and your computer to call people who are normally at home and alone. Your computer asks these people to press a Touch Tone on their phones to signal that they are okay or that they need help. If they need help, your computer can then dial other phone numbers to inform some other person that his or her help may be needed. In addition, Computerized Monitor Service calls for assistance if the original call is always busy or never answers. A typical client is the relative of an elderly person. He or she wants you to check on that relative on a regular schedule. You may arrange to call that person up to six times a day for any of the seven days in a week.
You also can create a child monitoring business with Computerized Monitor Service. In this business, the clients are parents who are unable to be home when their school-age children return home from school. You call their homes to assure that the children have returned home from school safely and that all is well. Then if the child needs help, the phone is not answered or the phone is always busy, the parent or another responsible person is alerted. You may schedule up to six calls each school day to each client's household.
Another type of business you can create is a reminder service. You can schedule up to six calls per day, seven days a week to remind someone to do something. For example, you may remind older adults to take their medicine on a regular schedule. In this type of business, no emergency calls are made--only the reminder calls.
You also can attach other phone applications that you've purchased to the Computerized Monitor Service to provide your called parties with an additional service. This is done with the Chain App feature. For further information, see "Appendix C: Advanced Functions and Features" and "Appendix D: Chain App."
The businesses are operated at the same time on your computer. You only need to tell the program what type of call to make. Then you schedule each type of call at the appropriate times.
The CMS Client Manager uses the resources of your computer and a voice/telephone card. Computerized Monitor Service maintains a list of your called parties, the calling schedule for each called party and then places the correct type of calls at the appointed times. Monitoring calls and reminder calls are processed differently as described below.
Monitoring Calls
Monitoring calls require an appropriate response or the Computerized Monitor Service will call the emergency numbers. Each call you schedule every day must have a response. Each call stands alone. If you schedule three calls to a person, each one of the three calls must be answered. The actual sequence is as follows:
Called Party Calls--The called party is the person who is called on the regular schedule. For each call, the voice/telephone card can determine the results of the call. The called phone number may be answered, busy or not answered.
If the call is answered, a recorded speech that is stored on your computer is played through the telephone. You may record a personalized greeting for each of your clients. This greeting begins to play as soon as the voice/telephone card detects speech after the called phone is answered. Typically, the personalized greeting introduces the call, refers to the called party by name and then instructs the called party to "Press a 1 if you are OK or Press 0 if you need assistance."
Completed Calls--Computerized Monitor Service instructs the voice/telephone card to play the greeting, play a tone and wait for a response. The response may be OK, Help Requested or no response. If the called party presses the "1" button on his or her phone, the response is OK. Then Computerized Monitor Service records the results of the call and waits until it is time to make a scheduled call for another client.
Should the called party need assistance, he or she presses the "0" button on his or her phone to indicate "Not OK" and request immediate assistance. If the response is "Not OK," then Computerized Monitor Service records the results of the call and immediately begins to call the emergency numbers listed for the called party.
On a regular call, if the called party does not press the "1" or the "0" or presses a touch tone other than the "1" or the "0" within five seconds after the greeting speech is played, the greeting speech is replayed and the called party is given another chance to complete the call by pressing a "1" or a "0." This greeting replay may occur up to two more times seeking a "1" or a "0" to complete the call. The called party is given up to a total of four chances to complete the call before an emergency cycle is started due to an unexpected response.
An unexpected response also could occur if the called party does not press any button before hanging up or if an answering machine answers the phone. If this happens, then Computerized Monitor Service records the results of the call and immediately calls back. If the second call is not successful, then Computerized Monitor Service begins to call the emergency numbers listed for the called party due to the unexpected response.
Uncompleted Calls--If the called party phone number is busy or is not answered, then Computerized Monitor Service reschedules the call to be made at a later time. You set the retry time individually for each client. In addition, for each client, you set the number of times the retries occur. The called party responds to a retry call as if it were the initial call. If a call is still uncompleted after the set number of retries for that client, then the emergency numbers will immediately be dialed.
Calling Emergency Numbers--Each of your clients may have 1, 2 or 3 emergency numbers listed. When Computerized Monitor Service begins an emergency number calling cycle, it creates an emergency speech file. The emergency speech file contains one of the two business type standard greetings as specified for the client, the Caller ID speech for the specific client, and the appropriate standard problem speech. However, if you have recorded a specific emergency speech for a particular emergency number, then only that emergency speech will be used when that number is called.
When someone answers the emergency phone call, Computerized Monitor Service plays the combined speech or the client-specific speech to him or her. Then the listener must press "1" on his or her touch tone phone to indicate that he or she will respond to the call for assistance. If the listener presses "1," then no further emergency calls are made for the current request for help.
If he or she presses "0," or does not press any touch tones, the response is treated as "not able to help." If the phone number is busy or is not answered, the result is also "not able to help." If a second emergency number is listed, then Computerized Monitor Service calls the second number, repeats the speech and waits for a response. If "1" is pressed, then no further emergency calls are made for the current request for help.
If the second emergency call is "not able to help" and a third number is listed, then the third number is called and the process is repeated. If "1" is pressed, then no further emergency calls are made for the current request for help.
Re-Calling Emergency Numbers--If all of the emergency phone numbers have been called and no one has pressed "1," then another emergency call cycle is scheduled for that client. Computerized Monitor Service schedules the next emergency call cycle with the same time interval used for retries on the initial call to the client.
Computerized Monitor Service repeats the procedure just described until one of the following occurs:
Reminder Calls
Reminder calls only require the called party to answer the phone. If the phone is not answered or is busy, Computerized Monitor Service retries the call. However, unlike monitoring calls, emergency numbers are never called. The actual sequence is as follows:
Called Party Calls--The called party is the person who is called on the regular schedule. For each call, the voice/telephone card can determine the results of the call. The called phone number may be answered, busy or not answered.
If the call is answered, a recorded speech that is stored on your computer is played through the telephone. You may record a personalized greeting for each of your clients. This greeting begins to play as soon as the voice/telephone card detects speech after the called phone is answered. Typically, the client-specific greeting introduces the call, refers to the called party by name, and then states the purpose of the call.
Completed Calls--Computerized Monitor Service instructs the voice/telephone card to play the greeting. The response is "OK" if the called party answers the phone. The called party does not need to press a touch tone, although he or she may press a touch tone if he or she wishes to do so. Then Computerized Monitor Service records the results of the call as "completed" and waits until it is time to make a scheduled call for another client.
Uncompleted Calls--If the called party phone number is busy or is not answered, then Computerized Monitor Service reschedules the call to be made at a later time. You set the retry time individually for each client. In addition, for each client, you set the number of times the retries occur. The called party may respond to a retry call as if it were the initial call. If a call is still uncompleted after the set number of retries for that client, then no further action is taken.
Chain App Calls
Chain App calls allow you to link Computerized Monitor Service with other phone applications. The purpose of this feature is so you may utilize the special features of the other phone applications through this application. Each of these applications has special or unique features that are not available in Computerized Monitor Service.
For example: Let's suppose you're ready to start using your Computerized Monitor Service system to provide wake up calls, and you want to offer the time and temperature as an added service. You could chain the wake up call to the Community Bulletin Board system (if you purchased this application) and provide your called parties with the time and temperature as a part of the wake up calls.
Refer to "Appendix D: Chain App" for more information on this feature.
Calling Schedule
You create a calling schedule for each of your clients. Each client may receive up to six scheduled calls per day with a specified target time for each call. You also specify which days of the week the calls are to be made for each client. The call times are then the same on each day calls are made.
When you start a calling cycle, Computerized Monitor Service scans all of your clients and then creates a daily call schedule. As Computerized Monitor Service calls the numbers on the schedule, it automatically adds any necessary retries and emergency calls to the schedule. If a regular call or a retry call is scheduled at the same time as an emergency call cycle, the emergency call cycle is completed first and the regular call is postponed.
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If you find you're scheduling a number of your Computerized Monitor Service calls at the same time, you may want to consider purchasing additional voice/telephone cards and running your Computerized Monitor Service business on multiple lines. |
Normally, you schedule your regular calls at two minute intervals to allow for the normal time it takes to answer and respond to a call. However, if a particular day has a lot of regular calls scheduled near the same time and many retries and emergency calls are required, the actual calling time for scheduled regular calls may be delayed. As the day progresses and Computerized Monitor Service finds slack time, it eventually gets the regular calls back on schedule, and in any case, no calls are ever omitted. As Computerized Monitor Service makes the calls, it creates a record of each call as each of the calls are completed, with the type and results of the call shown. In addition, a record of each completed call is automatically added to the call billing file stored on your hard disk. |
To help you plan calling schedules as your client load increases, Computerized Monitor Service can create a daily call schedule for each day of the week. You can use this report to select calling times for new clients that does not conflict with the calling times of your existing clients.
You also may change the calling times or the calling days for any client to allow for future events or requested changes. Computerized Monitor Service also can create a report listing all clients and their calling schedules to help you manage schedule changes.
Billing Your Clients
Computerized Monitor Service allows you to customize the billing and charges for each individual client. For any single client, you may bill a fixed fee for a period, bill for the number of calls made in a period or bill for the number of calls with a minimum period charge. A period may be a calendar month or any reasonable number of days, for example, 14 days.
For one client, you may bill at 25 cents per call every 14 days. For another client, you may bill at $40 per calendar month. Others may be billed in any combination of terms and prices you feel are appropriate. Computerized Monitor Service keeps track of the calls made to each client, including retries and emergency calls, so that every call made for a client can be billed.
When you are ready to bill, you select the billing option and Computerized Monitor Service prints all bills due on or before the current day. Up to three copies can be printed for each client, and every copy may include a detailed list of all of the related calls made during the billing period. The next billing due date is reset each time the bill for a client is printed. Therefore, you can bill at any time during the month and always print only those bills that are actually due as of the day you print.
Management Reports
To help you more effectively manage and plan your activities, Computerized Monitor Service prints several management reports and lists. They are:
The Logs
Computerized Monitor Service also prints two logs that help you keep track of your calls. They are:
While the CMS Client Manager program schedules the times, days and types of phone calls, it doesn't manage the actual calls. This is done with the Business Manager program. The main purpose of the Business Manager program is to allow you to control and monitor your phone applications, like Computerized Monitor Service. There are a number of elements that make up the Business Manager program, and each performs a special task. For more information on Business Manager, review the Business Manager User's Guide. Also read "Chapter 8: Making Calls" in this manual for detailed instructions on how your Computerized Monitor Service calls are made.
Why Do You Have a Business Manager?
Business Manager is the program you use to control, manage, and maintain your phone applications, like Computerized Monitor Service. Each of the program parts allows you to perform the tasks necessary to keep things running smoothly.
Think of Business Manager as the key to all of the other phone applications. Whether you want to schedule an application to run at a certain time, change the structure of an application, create a new phone application, or test an application, Business Manager is the place to be. Business Manager turns confusion into convenience by giving you command of editors, monitors, test programs, schedulers, and even a phone line finder--all in one program. Mastering Business Manager means mastering a program that contains all of the tools you need to use your phone applications--like Computerized Monitor Service--effectively. Business Manager eliminates all the hopping around from program to program.
The Elements of Your Business Manager Program
These elements are the parts of Business Manager that allow you to perform the functions necessary to schedule and make Computerized Monitor Service calls.
Monitor. This is the part of Business Manager that processes the schedule created in the Application Scheduler, then runs the application or applications. Monitor associates an application with an available phone line, acting as a 'traffic cop' for applications on the phone lines.
Monitor starts once you enter Windows. This means your system is able to make calls once you turn it on. For instructions on stopping Monitor, refer to "Chapter 7: Using the Monitor Program" in your User's Guide for Business Manager.
Monitor also allows you to see which applications are currently running on which lines. You may also use Monitor to manually affect the phone lines and the running applications, irrespective of the schedule.
While Monitor doesn't make the phone calls for your Computerized Monitor Service, its function is to process your clients' calling schedules and pair each call with an available phone line. The actual calling is run by the programs that run Monitor.
Management Option Settings. These are settings for the general management of your phone applications, and also some special controls for phone characteristics. You do not normally have to use any of these controls, but they're good to know about in the event that you have non-standard phone characteristics. For more information on the management option settings in Monitor, refer to "Chapter 7: Using the Monitor Program" in your User's Guide for Business Manager.
Computerized Monitor Service consists of several parts that work together to both configure a Computerized Monitor Service plan for your client. A description of each of these elements follows:
The CMS Client Manager Program
This is, of course, the program you received from . This program is what allows you to complete your information management work (except the sales pitch and the marketing). The program manages your calling schedule for each called party, the payor information, the emergency numbers to be called, the information for future use and creates and prints all of your reports, lists and bills. This is the 'brain' behind Computerized Monitor Service.
The Computerized Monitor Service Database
This is where your program stores all of your called party, payor and emergency number information. A database is simply a collection of related material or information within your computer's memory.
The Computerized Monitor Service Manual
The manual is the resource that tells you how to get to know and use your CMS Client Manager. This is where you can find the answers to your questions about the program.
The Computerized Monitor Service Called Party Form
This is the dialog box where you enter the information about the called party. It includes a Called Info section, where the called party's name and phone number are entered. The Call Setup section is where the calling schedule (days, times, call type and redial attempt) is organized. The Payor Information dialog box, the Emergency Numbers dialog box and the Record Speech and Play Speech functions also are accessed from this dialog box.
Call Setup
This section of the Called Party form allows you to set the type of calls and the days, times and number of scheduled calls. It sets the number of redial attempts and the time between each attempt and allows you to chain Computerized Monitor Service with other phone applications.
Payor Information Dialog Box
This is the dialog box where you enter the information about the payor, the person who is paying the bill for the Computerized Monitor Service. This dialog box also features Payor Options and Billing Options sections.
Payor Options
This section of the Payor Information dialog box allows you to set the service start date, the next billing date, the subscription period, the rate per call, the rate per period and the number of copies of the bill to be printed.
Billing Options
This section of the Payor Information dialog box allows you to select whether you will bill per call or per period and if you will print a detailed bill.
Emergency Numbers Dialog Box
This dialog box is where you enter the emergency telephone numbers and the names of the contact persons.
Recording Speech
The Recording Speech section of the Called Party form allows you to record personalized messages for your clients for the various types of calls your Computerized Monitor Service makes. You may record a greeting, caller identification and up to three emergency messages, depending on how many emergency numbers and contacts are listed.
Play Speech
This option is also found in the Called Party form and allows you to play and listen to the personalized speeches--greetings, caller identifications and emergency messages--you've recorded. These options can only be accessed when personalized speeches have been recorded.
Management Reports
There are a number of reports and lists you can print to help you manage your Computerized Monitor Service activities. A description of the reports and lists can be found in "Chapter 9: Management Reports." They are:
Logs
There are two logs that help you keep track of your calls. A description of the logs can be found in "Chapter 10: Logs" They are:
Settings
The Settings menu allows you to open the Preferences dialog box where you can set the names for the services you provide, enter your company's information to be printed on your bills and choose the number of rings for your calls. This menu also includes the options to record and play standardized speeches.
Using Windows 95
If you have Windows 95, you use the Start button and menu to run most of your programs.
To begin, click on the Start button. When you click on the Start button, you see a list or menu similar to the one in the next figure.
The Start menu allows you to choose from several different options. As you move the mouse pointer over the options on the menu, you will see that each option becomes highlighted, that is, a bar of color appears over the option. The highlighted option is the one that will be selected when you click with the mouse.
As you can see, the Programs option displays a small arrow on the right edge of the menu. Whenever you see this small arrow next to a menu option, you are being told that another menu displays when the option is selected. You will also notice, that just leaving the mouse pointer on the option will display the next menu without requiring you to click at all. This is a common feature in Windows and program menus.
Now, click on the Programs option.
When you click or just highlight the Programs menu, you will see the next menu as shown in the following figure.
Again, you can see that some of the options display more menus. If a menu option does not show the arrow, then clicking on that option will immediately open a window or start a program.
Click on the Business Applications option. You will see another menu as shown in the next figure.
Notice that none of these options show the arrow. Therefore, selecting one of these options will immediately start that program. This is an example only. Your computer will show the list of programs you currently have installed. The programs will be listed alphabetically, from top to bottom.
Now, click on the Computerized Monitor Service program option.
Using Windows 3.1
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Computerized Monitor Service Icon |
If you're using Windows 3.1, you must be in Windows 3.1 before you open Computerized Monitor Service to create or edit a client's calling schedule. To begin your CMS Client Manager session, all you need to do is double click on the Computerized Monitor Service icon in your Business Applications Program Group. You also may click on the icon just once and then press e. |
Program Title Bars
In general, programs that are written for Windows 3.1 and are run under Windows 95 will behave and look the same. Most will run a little faster under Windows 95 though. However, in two areas you will see a different appearance and slightly different operations. The next two figures show, in order, a typical program title bar in Windows 3.1 and the same program in Windows 95.
Although at first glance they look the same, look closely at the upper right corner. You will see two buttons under Windows 3.1 and three buttons in Windows 95. Also note that in the upper left corner, Windows 3.1 shows a button whereas Windows 95 shows a small picture (icon). The following chart explains the similarities and differences.
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Win 95 |
Win 3.1 |
Function |
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Maximize Window--Increase the window size to fill the desktop. |
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Minimize Window--Remove the window from the desktop but leave the program running |
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Close Window--Close program |
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Restore from Maximize--Return Window to last size. |
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Control Menu--Display Control Menu or Double Click to Close. In Win 95, a small icon is used |
Program Menus
Another difference you will see is in the menus used in the programs. This is only a visual difference. The menu works the same way in either Windows 95 or Windows 3.1. The menus shown are typical program menus and may not be used in Computerized Monitor Service.
Now that you know how to get into the program, you will want to be able to get out as well.
Windows 95
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Warning: Avoid turning your computer off when the program is displayed. Turning your computer off when any program is displayed or when Windows is running can result in lost information. |
If you're using Windows 9.5, your program and Windows provide together five different ways to stop (exit) your Computerized Monitor Service program. Regardless of the method you use to exit, if you've made any changes to the currently displayed Called Party form, a message box appears with three buttons along the bottom (labeled Yes, No, and Cancel). |
Figure 8--Save Advisory Message
Clicking the Yes button saves the changes to the currently displayed Called Party form then ends your Computerized Monitor Service Program session (the window closes). Clicking the No button ends your Computerized Monitor Service session without saving your changes. Clicking the Cancel button takes you back to the program without doing anything.
If you select Yes or have previously saved any changes to other called parties, an advisory message appears asking if you want to commit your changes.
Figure 9--Commit Advisory Message
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Note: This is an all or nothing option. All changes are saved and committed or none are saved and committed. |
If you want to keep the changes you made to any called party or speeches, press the Yes button. If you do not, press the No button. This ends your CMS Client Manager session (the window closes). If you press the Cancel button, you return to the program without committing to the changes. |
If you want to keep the changes you made to any called party or speeches, press the Yes button. If you do not, press the No button. This ends your CMS Client Manager session (the window closes). If you press the Cancel button, you return to the program without committing to the changes.
The X Button
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Windows 95 adds the X button on the title bar to all Windows programs. The X button is one way to leave the program. Clicking on this button will close down the program. |
The Exit Button
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The Exit button is the most obvious way to exit the program. This saves you from having to open the File menu to leave the program. This is, by far, the easiest method of ending your Computerized Monitor Service program. |
The File Menu
This menu, pictured in Figure 10, provides you with options that allow you to manipulate the Called Party forms in your Client List. From this menu, you can add, delete, or open Called Party forms or exit the program. Click on the File menu heading at the left side of the menu bar on the program window. A menu heading is the word you find in the white bar along the top of your program window. Using the Alt+F key combination also causes the menu to open.
Exit. The Exit option closes the Computerized Monitor Service program window when you click on the option, move the highlight to the option and press e, or press Xwhen this menu is displayed.
The Keyboard
You can also press Alt + o to exit the program.
The Window Control Bar
You may click on the control bar (the small program icon) at the upper left corner of the program window to display the control menu, pictured in Figure 11. Then choose Close. You may also just double click on the control bar to close the window.
Windows 3.1
If you're using Windows 3.1, to exit out of the program, you may also use the Exit button, the Exit option in the File menu, the Alt + o key combination or the Window Control Bar. These methods are described in the previous section of this chapter.
The main difference between Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 in exiting the program is that Windows 3.1 doesn't feature an X button on the title bar. Also in Windows 95 the Control Bar is replaced with a small icon, but it works the same way.
If you encounter a problem at any time during the normal operation of your program, all you need to do is ask for help. The program includes an On-Line Help function to answer questions you may have concerning Computerized Monitor Service (on-line meaning that it is accessible from anywhere in the program, unless you're already inside the Help function itself). The Help function contains the same basic information that you can find in this manual.
Starting Help
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To start the Help function, click on the Help button. The button saves you a bit of time; that plus the fact that Help is one of the most commonly used functions, is why there is a Help button. You also can activate Help by using the Help menu heading from the menu bar. A menu heading is the word you find in the grey bar along the top of your program window. The Help function is also accessible from anywhere in the program by pressing l. |
Once you activate Help, you can select the topic you want help with from the contents table, or use one of the other Help functions like: Focused or Selectable Help, and Key Word Search.
The Help window displays the On-Line Help screens. The available Help options are:
Exiting Help
To exit Help, all you have to do is close the Help window. You can do this by: double clicking on the Window Control Box, selecting the Exit option from the Window Control menu, or selecting the Exit option of the File menu in the Help window.
