User's Guide To Voice Messaging
Overview
Now that you've experimented with the system tree and you know your way around it a little better, you can feel that the existing system tree does not suit your purposes. You can want a more complex system tree that allows callers to choose from any number of different Announcements and Announcement groups. You could conceivably design and build a system with news and social events Announcements, and you would update these Announcements regularly to keep people calling in to hear the new messages.
Whichever way you want to go, this is the place to start really designing and building your system tree, or modifying the existing system tree. At this point you should have a pretty firm grasp of the basic purpose and functionality of the tree objects, as well as how they work in the system tree.
The chapter shows you how to:
Terms
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Tree Depth |
This is simply the number of options under a Prompt. The deeper a list of options is, the better the chances are that the caller will not remember the listed options. |
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Tree Level |
This is a measure of branch complexity in the system tree. The more levels a system tree has, the better the chances are that the caller becomes lost. |
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Trial-and-error Method |
This is a method of learning in which you experiment with the thing you are learning. If you make a mistake, you correct it and learn from it. |
This section contains procedures that you can use to modify and customize the system tree that we shipped to you. These procedures allow you to configure the existing system tree so that you can get it up and running. You may wish to go through these procedures for practice purposes, and you can exit (without committing the changes) when you finish practicing. You might also decide to combine some of these customizing features to make a diverse system for callers.
A Possible Express Setup
It is easy to modify the tree structure that came with your program to be used immediately. This section provides you with only one of many options that you can use. This way, you can have your system up and running right away. It is possible to follow these steps and get a functional system until you find other people who wish to use your system. Whether you want to use your system to make you money or as a simple Community Service, this gets your system operational immediately. And remember, this is just one option, the system is only bound by your imagination.
In many local papers, there is often a section (sometimes in the Friday edition) that outlines upcoming social events. It is a simple matter to jot some or all of them down and place them into your Voice Messaging Program.
We use three events that fall into the same general category for our example. For instance, let's say there are three concerts to be held at various locations on Friday, 18 July 1994.
• Double click on the "Church News" prompt.
• Click on the Enable box, the X disappears, telling you that the prompt has been disabled.
• Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the "Restaurants" prompt.
• Now double click on the "Community Calendar" Announcement under the "Social Calendar" prompt.
• Click inside the Description field on the far left and hold down the j key while pressing the d key. This highlights all of the contents of the Description field.
• Press the c key to delete the contents of the Description field and type in the description of the first of the three concerts.
• Click anywhere in the Announcement Script Editor box. A blinking vertical line appears.
• Type in a detailed description of the upcoming concert, including when and where. Include such information as ticket price, if you have it.
• Click on the Record button next to the Script Editor box and record your new Announcement.
• Click on the OK button after recording your new Announcement Speech to your satisfaction. This saves your Speech and returns you to the Announcement dialog box.
• Click on the OK button to save your changes and new speech.
• Repeat steps 4 through 11 for the other two Announcements under the "Social Calendar" prompt using the information on the other two concerts.
• Click on the File Menu Heading then on the Commit Changes option to save your changes to your system.
You now have a fully functional Voice Messaging system that's ready to take calls.
Adding a System Instructions Announcement
This can be a very useful Announcement if you have a complex system, or if you feel that your callers need explicit instructions. This acts as sort of a 'system help' for the caller.
In this section, you will add a new Announcement with an ID of "5" to the existing tree, and configure it to give the caller instructions for the use of your system. Use the following procedure to do so:
• First, locate the tree object tools in the upper left corner of the program window. Drag the Announcement tool to the Initial Prompt in the tree, then drop it. The Insert Tree Object box appears as shown in Figure 56:
Figure 56 - The Insert Tree Object box
• In the Touch Tone Number field, type: 5
• Click OK, and the Announcement appears in the tree as shown in Figure 57:
Figure 57 - The new Announcement in the system tree
• Now double click the new Announcement in the tree, so that the Announcement control box appears. When the box appears, click the Enable check box to activate this Announcement.
• Click in the Description field, and use the c key to remove the existing description. Type the new description: System Instructions
• Record this description by clicking the Record Id button. When the Record box appears, click the Record button and pick up your local phone. Begin recording the description, and click the Stop button when you finish. Click the OK button when you finish, to save this speech.
• Click on the Enable Speech box. This allows you to record a Main speech for the Announcement, and to type your Announcement Script.
• Move the mouse pointer to the Script Editor box and click. When the cursor appears, type the system instructions.
• Record these system instructions by clicking the Record button. When the Record box appears, click the Record button and pick up your local phone. Begin recording the speech, and click the Stop button when you finish. Click the OK button when you finish, to save this speech.
• Now the Announcement is complete, and the Announcement control box should appear similar to the one shown in Figure 58:
• Click the OK button, and the control box closes. The System Instructions Announcement now appears in the tree as shown in Figure 59:
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If you are only practicing at this point, do not commit these changes. |
• To save these changes to the system tree, click the File menu heading on the menu bar. Click the Commit Changes option. The program then saves your changes. |
When a caller calls in, they will hear the System Greeting, followed by the auto-menu on the Initial Prompt (with option 5 being System Instructions). If they choose this option, they hear the system instructions, then they return to the Initial Prompt (via the Goto *).
As stated at the beginning of this chapter, it is quite possible for you to use some of these customizing procedures together. The other customizing options work together quite well, and give you a very informative system to present to your callers.
As you are no doubt beginning to see, the system tree is a very dynamic structure. It allows you to perform a vast number of tasks, in any number of combinations. As you master the system tree, you will most likely begin to design your own system trees, based on the tasks you wish to have your system perform.
When you begin to build your system tree, you should map the structure out a bit. This allows you to see how everything goes together, and you can design a better system.
Designing Your Tree
When designing your system tree, you should give some consideration to the tree's 'levels' and 'depth'. By 'level', we mean level of branch complexity. How many buttons does the caller press to get somewhere? The more levels a system tree has, the better the chances are that the caller becomes lost. Figure 60 illustrates the idea of depth and levels:
As a general guideline, your Voice Messaging system tree should not need to exceed four levels. As you can see, the example tree only has two levels (not counting the System Greeting and Initial Prompt, as you don't have to press buttons to get to them). This allows the caller to move around easily, and keeps them close to the originating level.
'Depth' is simply the number of options under one Prompt. Normally, a caller can handle a menu that is four or five items deep. Anything past that, and the caller begins to forget the options.
Sometimes you may find that adding a level may simplify a deep (lengthy) Announcement group. If you had an Announcement group of ten or more Announcements and you could find a logical way to divide them, it may simplify things for the caller.
Building Your Tree
When you finish planning you system tree, it is time to build it. There are many ways that you can go about building your system tree. We've found that following these steps makes the building and configuring process simple and efficient:
Step 1: Drag and drop all of the necessary tree objects into place. This means that you complete the looks of the system tree before configuring any of the tree objects. This allows you to concentrate on the system structure.
Step 2: Once you complete the system tree, you now edit and configure each of the tree objects. As you configure each one, make sure that you know the function and purpose of the object and that the object fulfills its purpose.
Step 3: Record the speeches and ID speeches for each of the objects. Make sure to use the scripts you created during the configuration and editing process. The script ensures that you'll know what to record and where.
Step 4: Commit the changes to the system tree. This means saving the system you made so that callers can call into your system.
These four easy steps allow you to deal with the four biggest chunks of system design separately and in a logical order. Also, you can design your system using the 'trial-and-error' method, allowing you to experiment with the tree objects so that you can better understand how they relate. When you're experimenting with system design, keep in mind that you don't have to commit these changes. This familiarity through experimentation allows you to become comfortable with the system tree and how it works.
Testing Your Tree
Once your system tree is ready to go, you should be the first person to call your system. This allows you to test the flow of the system, and ensure that everything is working properly. Testing also eliminates the chance of a caller calling in and having problems with your system. Not only should you make sure that everything is working correctly, you should also make sure it runs smoothly. If the system is too complex or there is not enough information to lead the caller where they want to go, you should consider restructuring your tree to accommodate your users.
The Monitor application is a portion of the Business Manager application that allows you to perform a 'Local Launch'. This means that you click the Local Launch button on the Monitor box, then the system uses the local phone as if a caller were calling into the system. You play the part of the caller, listening to messages and pressing buttons on your phone. This is a very valuable testing tool. For more information on local testing, refer to your Business Manager manual.
Managing Your Tree
After you design, build, test, and run your system tree, you need to start thinking about system tree maintenance. This involves updating speeches for Announcements, as well as adding and deleting tree objects.
You should also periodically ask yourself "Does my system tree structure suit its tasks?" If it doesn't, it may be time to change the structure. Being a dynamic structure, the system tree lends itself well to changes and modifications.