Amanda Work Place Instructions Manual

							Chapter 12: Programming Examples 133
4. Confirm the telephone number. If it is not confirmed, go back to step 3.
5. Give the caller the fax document selections and allow him to make more than one 
selection. In this example, the documents are named TECH1, TECH2, and TECH3 to 
represent technical reports #1 through #3. The files are stored in C:\FAX.
Mailbox 1000’s Extension field is programmed to ask the caller for his area code and 
store the DTMF tones entered by the caller as the variable %S1. Next it says the numbers 
that were entered by the caller so the caller can confirm, reenter, or exit the faxback 
routine.
Extension Field:
@R(G1,%S1,20)P(G2)P(%S1)M(G3,2,30)
DND: OFF
Store Messages: NO
Greeting 1: Please enter the area code of your fax machine now.
Greeting 2: You entered area code:
Greeting 3: If this area code is correct, press 1 now.
If this area code is not correct and you want to re-enter it, 
press 2 now. 
If you do NOT want to have documents faxed to you, 
press 3 to exit.
Menu 1: 1001
Menu 2: 1000
Menu 3: 991
Mailbox 1001’s Extension field contains the tokens that determine whether or not the 
entered area code is local (assuming that the local area code is 714). If the area code is not 
local, it stores the long distance dialing digit 1 in the variable %S0.
Extension Field:
@I(%S1,=,714,1002)=(%S0,1)G(1003)
DND: OFF
Store Messages: NO
If the area code is local, mailbox 1002’s Extension field sets both the long distance dialing 
string and the area code string to  (the empty string).
Extension Field:
@=(%S0,)=(%S1,)G(1003)
DND: OFF
Store Messages: NO
Mailbox 1003’s Extension field contains the tokens that request the fax telephone number 
and stores it in the variable %S2.
Extension Field:
@R(G1,%S2,40)P(G2)P(%S2)M(G3,2,30)
DND: OFF
Store Messages: NO
Greeting 1: Please enter the telephone number for your fax machine now.
Greeting 2: You entered the fax telephone number:
Greeting 3: If this fax telephone number is correct, press 1 now.
If this number is not correct and you want to re-enter it, 
press 2 now. 
If you do NOT want to have documents faxed to you, 
press 3 to exit.
Menu 1: 1004
Menu 2: 1003 
						

							134 Installing [email protected]
Menu 3: 991
Mailbox 1004 contains a menu that lists the available documents. It should have the 
following settings and greetings:
Extension Field:
@(C:/FAX/TECH1)G(1005)
DND: OFF
Store Messages: NO
Greeting 1: The technical report on SMDI will be faxed to you. 
Mailbox 10042’s Extension field contains the tokens that send technical report #2.
Extension Field:
@P(G1)>(C:/FAX/TECH2)G(1005)
DND: OFF
Store Messages: NO
Greeting 1: The technical report on service plans will be faxed to you. 
Mailbox 10043’s Extension field contains the tokens that send technical report #3.
Extension Field:
@P(G1)>(C:/FAX/TECH3)G(1005)
DND: OFF
Store Messages: NO
Greeting  1: The technical report on upgrading voice boards will be faxed to you. 
Mailbox 1005 allows the caller to select another document to be faxed or to end the call 
(Menu 2 goes to 999). You might prefer to have Menu 2 return to the caller instructions 
mailbox 991.
Extension Field: blank
DND: ON
Store Messages: NO
Greeting 1: To request an additional document, press 1; to exit, press 2.
Menu 1: 1004
Menu 2:  999
N
OTE:All the quotation marks in these token examples are single quotation 
marks (although double quotation marks can be used). Forward slashes 
are used (although double backward slashes \\ can also be used with this 
token). 
						

							Chapter 12: Programming Examples 135
IVR and Voice Form Applications
This section provides guidelines for writing effective IVR (Interactive Voice Response) 
and voice form applications. It also provides examples of how to use Amanda’s menus, 
greetings, and messages as well as the Q(), M(), R(), and P() commands from Amanda’s 
Token Programming Language.
Before you start, determine whether your application will be used by infrequent users, 
expert users, or both.
You might need to design a training mode (which explains the choices—perhaps using a 
different voice for the explanations) and an expert mode (which offers minimal 
explanation).
Consider using short-cut options that allow expert users to access information more 
quickly. 
Also think about the average user’s vocabulary and familiarity with similar systems as 
well as the type of telephone he will use and the location from which he will probably call. 
For example, don’t use technical terms with non-technical users. If you expect users to call 
from pay telephones, the noise around them might make voice response a poor choice.
Making the User Comfortable
To make users feel that they are in control of the application rather than at the mercy of it, 
the greetings should perform the following tasks in order:
1. Identify the company or service so that the user can determine whether he has placed 
his call correctly.
2. Identify the application as non-human so that the user does not expect human interac-
tion.
For example, avoid personal pronouns in phrases. Use “Please enter the number” 
rather than “tell me the number.”
3. If necessary, separate callers using touch-tone telephones from those using dial-pulse 
telephones.
Use something similar to “If you are calling from a touch-tone phone, please press 1 
now. Otherwise, please remain on the line. An attendant will help you.”
4. Early on the first menu, offer the user access to a human attendant.
5. Offer access to a human attendant and call termination on each menu level.
6. Customize the greetings for the user.
For example, if the user has only three of the five services you offer, never offer him 
the option of adding the services that he already has or the option of canceling the ser-
vices that he does not have. 
						

							136 Installing [email protected]
Using Greetings
The greetings used in your application will fall into the following categories:
 Menus that list options from which the users make selections
 Requests for responses
 Informational—providing answers to users’ requests or other user feedback
Using Menus
As you create your menus, do the following:
 Find logical topics for menus
 Offer topics in order:  most likely to be selected to least likely. Make an exception 
to this rule when the topic itself contains a number. 
For example, use “To order the Series 3, press 3” rather than “To order the Series 3, 
press 1”—even when your most popular sales item is Series 3.
 Limit the number of options on each menu. If a menu contains more than eight op-
tions (including reaching an attendant, returning to previous menu, and exiting), 
break this menu into submenus.
Word your menus carefully using the following suggestions:
 State the result before the action.
For example, use “For Accounts Payable, press 1” rather than “Press 1 for Accounts 
Payable.”
 Be consistent from option to option and menu to menu.
For example, use “Please make your selection now” on each menu level to indicate 
that all the menu options have been offered.
 Use “Press” for a single-digit response or “Enter” for multi-digit response.
 Say the number on a key rather than a letter on that key—even if the letter is more 
significant.
For example, say “Press 3” rather than “Press F.”
Making Requests
Requests to users fall into the following categories:
 Request for single-digit response (such as 1 for Yes or 2 for No)
 Request for multi-digit response such as a telephone or credit card number
 Group of questions that comprise a voice form
For example, you might ask the user a series of questions, the answers to which are 
essentially the fields on a paper form. These voice responses are saved as messages.
For single-digit responses, you can use a greeting as a menu. 
For multi-digit responses, you can use the R() command to convert the DTMF tones to an 
ASCII number.
For voice forms, you can use the Q() command to save the responses for up to 20 
questions as a message. 
						

							Chapter 12: Programming Examples 137
NOTE:Amanda can store a total of 65,536 voice message files. However, each 
of the up-to-20 questions in the Q() command count is stored in a sepa-
rate voice message file, even though Amanda treats all the questions as 
one “message”. That means that a message total does not have to reach 
65,536 to exceed the allowable number of files for voice messages. For 
example, a message total of 3276 could use every file available for stor-
ing messages—if each of those “messages” contains 20 responses to the 
questions in a Q() command.
Word your requests carefully using the following suggestions:
 Use consistent wording.
For example, use “Please” to indicate that a request is coming. 
 Make it clear what type of input is expected from the user (keypad input or voice 
response).
For example, use “At the tone, please say your last name” or “On your touch-tone 
phone, please enter the letters of your last name.”
 Use “Press” for single choice, “Enter” for data, and “Say” for voice response.
For voice response, end the request with “now” or start it with “At the tone, please 
say…”—whichever is appropriate.
Providing Information and Feedback
Be sure to provide some type of feedback for every user action and allow users to reverse 
unintended operations. For example, you can:
 Repeat the data provided by the user.
For example, you can use the P() command to play the telephone number stored by 
the R() command or use the Q() command to give the caller the opportunity to edit 
(review, rerecord, append, or cancel) answers to questions on a voice form.
 Request confirmation.
 Play a greeting that indicates that the application has moved on to the next step.
 Repeat the current greeting when there is no response. If there is still no response, 
provide a message explaining what is happening and either connect the call to an 
attendant or disconnect it.
 Play an error message, status message, or tone.
Status messages, such has “We are still processing your order” should play after the 
first two seconds and then every seven to ten seconds. 
For an error message, provide a retry greeting (and perhaps suggest a remedy) before 
repeating the current greeting. Be sure to notify the user when returning to the main 
menu or transferring the user to an attendant after an error.
Word your informational greetings carefully using the following suggestions:
 Don’t say Standard Time unless you do not shift to Daylight Savings Time.
For example, on the west coast, say “Pacific Time.”
 Be brief. When that is impossible, allow the user to listen to the greeting again.
 When providing a telephone number, always repeat it.
 Eliminate unnecessary words.
For example, use “Please press 1 ‘Yes’ or 2 for ‘No’” rather than “Please press the 
key with the 1 on it for ‘Yes’ or the key with the 2 on it for ‘No’.”
 When pairing opposite phrases, use words that sound differently.
For example, avoid pairing Turn On and Turn Off because they sound so much alike. 
						

							138 Installing [email protected]
 Don’t use open-ended or ambiguous questions.
For example, use “Do you have your account number?” rather than 
“Have your account number ready.” 
 Be polite, non-judgmental, and avoid humor.
For example, use “That password is invalid” rather than “You entered 
the password incorrectly.”
Using the Telephone Keypad
If the users enter their choices via the telephone keypad, follow these 
guidelines:
 Assign keys consistently. This is especially true for Delete and other 
destructive options.
For example, don’t use 3 for Delete on one menu and Save on another.
 Offer alternates to * and # keys because those keys might be dis-
abled.
 Use keys 1 and 2 for the most frequently selected options. Users ex-
pect to use the 1 and 2 keys most often.
 Avoid using keys 1, 2, 5, and 8 as destructive options.
You might want to avoid 5 and 8 entirely as they are the most error-
prone key choices. (These two keys are the only ones with a key in each 
direction.)
 Use the rows and columns of the keypad effectively. 
 Use the left column for actions that precede or are lower than others.
 Use the right column for actions that follow or are higher than others.
For example use a number in the left column to lower a volume and the 
corresponding number in the right column to increase a volume.
 Consider using a key in the top row as a response to a greeting that 
says “Go to the top” and a key in the bottom row in response to “Go 
to the bottom.”
Choosing Tokens
A number of commands from the Token Programming Language make IVR 
easier and voice forms possible. 
						

							Chapter 12: Programming Examples 139
To present a menu for your caller, you can use:
 The menu fields associated with the mailbox. The mailbox allows the caller to en-
ter either a one-digit response to the menu or another mailbox. Amanda waits long 
enough to be sure that the caller has finished. (For this method, turn Do Not Dis-
turb ON.)
 The M() command. In this case, Amanda waits for only one digit. It is faster that 
using menu fields, but it does not allow the caller to enter a mailbox with more 
than one digit. (For this method, turn Do Not Disturb OFF.)
To convert the DTMF (or touch) tones entered by the caller into a number, use:
 The R() command, which stores a number in a variable.
To play a greeting or play back the number stored by the R() command, use:
 The P() command. This command has many variations. See the “Token Refer-
ence” on page 89 for details.
To play up to 20 questions (from greetings) and store the answers as a single message, use:
 The Q() command, which also allows the caller to edit the responses. 
Using Tokens
This example describes parts of an application that records consumer reactions to sample 
products. For example, hair stylists may be mailed information about a line of new hair 
care products.
If interested, a stylist can call an 800 number to request a sample of one of them. The 
sample is mailed along with product literature and a test ID that uniquely identifies the 
stylist with the product. 
After using the product, the stylist calls again to answer a series of questions. For services 
rendered, the stylist is mailed a small fee or a free case of the product.
Later, the survey company analyzes the data and reports back to the manufacturer. The 
application has two parts: 
 Gathering information about a potential tester, such as name, address, telephone 
number, and the product to be sent 
 Quizzing the testers about the product
The tester information part (explained in “Gathering Testing Information” on page 140) 
uses:
 Menus using the M() command and 0 to reach a live attendant at any time.
 The P() command to play a general greeting.
 The R() command to request a telephone number, convert the DTMF tones en-
tered by the stylist, and store the telephone number in a variable.
 The |() command (that’s the pipe command or vertical bar command) to add data 
about the stylist to a database file.
 A series of greetings that ask for the parts of an address. The Q() command plays 
the greetings and allows the stylist to edit the responses before they are saved as a 
message.
The quiz part (not explained) uses:
 Menus using the M() command, using 0 to reach a live attendant at any time.
 The R() command to request the test ID, convert the DTMF tones entered by the 
stylist, and store the ID in a variable. 
						

							140 Installing [email protected]
 The N() command to look up the test ID in a database file. The database deter-
mines what set of questions to ask the stylist. It also contains a field indicating how 
many calls have come in using this test ID. Only one call should come in for each 
ID. If a stylist never calls in, an employee can call that person. If a stylist calls 
more than once (hoping for extra free cases of the product or whatever), an em-
ployee talks to the stylist personally, assuming some error has occurred.
 The Q() command to play a series of questions (greetings), allows the stylist to 
edit the responses, and stores the set of responses as a message. 
Gathering Testing Information
Mailbox 880 handles all calls coming in on the 800 number and immediately passes the 
call to the caller instructions mailbox 881 (via the Done Chain). 
Mailbox 881 has:
Extension Field:
@M(G1,2,30)G(0)
Amanda plays the menu in Greeting 1. If there is no response from 
the caller, Amanda plays Greeting 1 again after a three-second 
pause. If there is still no response, Amanda executes the next token 
in the Extension field (which goes to the operator).
DND: OFF
Store Messages: NO
Greeting 1: To become one of our testers, press 1. If you are already one of our 
testers and you want to answer a product questionnaire, press 2….
Menu 1: 1000
Menu 2:  2000
Menu 0:  0
Mailbox 1000 has:
Extension Field:
@P(G1)Q(G2,G3,G4,G5,G6,G7,
G1#1001,E)R(G2#1001,%S1,30)G(1001)
Amanda plays Greeting 1 from mailbox 1000 to welcome the tester 
and to give an overview of the process. 
Then Amanda asks for the stylist’s mailing address using a series of 
greetings and recording the answers as one message.
Next Amanda asks for a telephone number and stores it as a variable 
(%S1). 
(It would be a good idea to play this number back to the stylist and 
allow reentry, but this example does not do that. See how this is done 
in “Two-call Faxback” on page 132.)
Finally, the call is transferred to mailbox 1001.
DND: OFF
Store Messages: YES
Greeting 1: Welcome to…. 
Greeting 2: Please say your last name now.
Greeting 3: Please say your first name and middle initial now.
Greeting 4: Please say the name of your business now.
Greeting 5: Please say your street address now.
Greeting 6: Please say your zip code now.
Greeting 7: Please say the name of your city now.
Greeting 1 of mailbox 1001: Please say the name of your state now.
Greeting 2 of mailbox 1001: Please use your telephone keypad to enter a daytime  
						

							Chapter 12: Programming Examples 141
telephone number where we can reach you if neces-
sary. Please start now.
Mailbox 1001 has:
Extension Field:
@=(%S2,%M(1000))M(G3,2,30)G(0)
%M[1000] is the number of messages stored in mailbox 1000. 
Amanda stores this number in a variable (%S2). This message num-
ber becomes associated with the stylist for the duration of the sur-
vey.
Then Amanda plays the menu in Greeting 3. If there is no response 
from the caller, Amanda plays Greeting 3 again after a three-second 
pause. If there is still no response, Amanda executes the next token 
in the Extension field (which goes to the operator).
N
OTE:Using the message number to uniquely identify the tester works 
only because no messages will be deleted from mailbox 1000 
until after the survey. If you will have more messages than disk 
space, keep a number in another file. Read the number using the 
[() command, increment it by one with the +() command, and 
write the new number (for the next tester) back to the file using 
the ]() command.
DND: OFF
Store Messages: NO
Greeting 3: Please select one of the following products….
Menu 1: 1002
Menu 2:  1003
… other menu options …
Menu 0:  0 
mailboxes 1002, 1003, … have:
Extension Field:
@=(%S3,%S2)+(10000,%S3) 
|(C:\\TESTERS\\TESTX.TXT)P(G1)G(999)
Next Amanda makes a copy (%S3) of the message number (which 
identifies the stylist) and adds 10000 (or some other product differ-
entiating number) to it. This becomes the test ID.
Then Amanda appends the stylist’s telephone number (%S1), mes-
sage number (%S2), and product number (%S3) to a database file 
(C:\TESTERS\TESTX.TXT).
Finally, Amanda plays Greeting 1 from the current mailbox and 
hangs up. (It would be a good idea to have the user verify that the 
stylist did indeed want this product or return to mailbox 1001, but 
this example does not do that. You would play a greeting naming the 
product and ask the stylist to confirm, similar to reconfirming the 
telephone number in Example 4.)
DND: OFF
Store Messages: NO
Greeting 3: Thank you for agreeing to test product such-and-such. You will be 
receiving…within 10 days. Please try the product and call this sys-
tem again to answer a few questions about it…. 
						

							142 Installing [email protected]