iCall Voice Processing Control Settings

(iCall Voice Processing System Control Settings)

Access

Tabs:  General, Settings, Rules, Extensions

Use this routine to maintain your preferences for the iCall Voice Processing system.

 At this time, iCall STORIS' automated customer contact feature. Use this feature to translate order statuses and delivery scheduling updates into automated telephone messages to your customers.. does not support Line Item Delivery.

iCall Server NameIf using multiple iCall servers, enter the name of the iCall STORIS' automated customer contact feature. Use this feature to translate order statuses and delivery scheduling updates into automated telephone messages to your customers.. server for which you want to schedule automatic calls.  If not using multiple iCall servers, this field is inactive.

If using multiple iCall servers, when you click on the Arrow, a list of existing iCall servers appears from which you can choose.

General Tab

Total In/Outbound Call Ports(LOCKED Field – STORIS access only!) STORIS sets the maximum number of calls (inbound or outbound) the iCall system can process simultaneously. This value cannot exceed the total number of iCall ports purchased.

Maximum Concurrent Ports OutEnter the number of ports you want to use for outbound calls only. The system dedicates any remaining ports to inbound delivery notification calls.  

PBX Outside Line Access DigitsIf you are using iCall with a PBX telephone system, enter the number you want iCall to use when accessing an outside line (usually 9). If pausing is necessary, you can enter a single digit followed by one or two commas.

Local Area Code Format

Local Area Code for iCallEnter the area code local to iCALL’s physical location.

Dial ‘1’ First For Long Distance?If your long distance telephone provider requires you to dial ‘1’ for long distance calls, check the box. If your long distance telephone provider does not require you dial ‘1’ for long distance, leave the box blank.

Administrator Telephone NumberEnter the phone number or extension of the person iCall should contact regarding network problems or connectivity to STORIS. If you do not want iCall to report problems by phone, leave this field blank.

Administrator Email AddressEnter the email address of the person to whom iCall should report problems via email. If you do not want iCall to report problems by email, leave this email address blank.

SMTP Server for Sending EmailsEnter the IP address or domain name of the email (SMTP) service you want iCall to access when trouble-reporting via automatically generated emails.

iCall Email User NameIf using trouble-reporting via email and your SMTP server requires authentication for sending email, use this field to specify the user ID of the account. STORIS recommends you create a separate account for iCall.

iCall Email PasswordIf using trouble-reporting via email and your SMTP server requires authentication for sending email, enter the password for the user here.

Allow Multiple Company Names?To activate the Multiple Company Names feature, check the box. This feature allows for multiple company names to be used by iCall. During the calling process, iCall identifies the company name associated with the location where the order was placed. If you do not check the box, the system uses a fixed company name throughout the calling process. For more information on this feature, please consult your iCall manual.

Dial SuffixEnter the dial suffix you use to tell PBX and/or telephone service carriers that long distance calls are OK.  

Settings Tab

The iCall process generates three types of outbound calls:

• delivery notifications

• back-order fulfillment notifications

• customer satisfaction surveys

Use the call Priority Default fields (see below) to define the default priority for each call type. The system uses the priority you specify in conjunction with the iCall Job Monitor program to schedule outbound iCall jobs.  That is, if two calls are scheduled for the same date and time, the system checks the priority when determining which to call first.  

You can modify the priority of each iCall job after the job is created via the iCall Job Record Maintenance Screen. Valid priorities range from 1 to 9.

Delivery Call Priority DefaultEnter the default priority level for delivery notification calls. If the value of this field is lower than the value of the back-order and survey priority defaults, the system gives priority to delivery notification calls over other call types in the event they are all scheduled for the same time.

Backorder Call Priority DefaultEnter the default priority level for back-order fulfillment notification calls. If the value of this field is lower than the value of the delivery and survey priority defaults, the system gives priority to back-order fulfillment notification calls over other call types in the event they are all scheduled for the same time.

Survey Call Priority DefaultEnter the default priority level for satisfaction survey calls. If the value of this field is lower than the value of the back-order and delivery priority defaults, the system gives priority to satisfaction survey calls over other call types in the event they are all scheduled for the same time.

Earliest Allowed Call TimeEnter the earliest time of the day (in 24-hour clock format) you want iCall to begin processing outbound calls.

Latest Allowed Call TimeEnter the latest time of the day (in 24-hour clock format) you want iCall to attempt an outbound call.

Interval Between Call Attempts

Delivery Information Call-In Cutoff TimeUse this field to enter a delivery information call-in cutoff time, in 24-hour military time format (that is, HH:MM). For example, for 3:00 P.M., enter 15:00 into this field.

If you enter a time of day into this field, then when a customer calls in for delivery information on the day before the scheduled delivery date, and the time of the call is earlier in the day than the time specified at this field, iCall issues a special message.  The special message is user-definable. However, the default message supplied by STORIS informs the caller that the delivery information is not yet available and to call back after the time specified at this field.

If the customer calls back after the specified time, iCall issues the regular delivery information message.  Note that the cutoff time you enter here affects only calls made on the day before a scheduled delivery.  If the customer calls two or more days before the scheduled delivery date, iCall issues the special message regardless of the time of day.

If you leave this field blank, iCall issues the regular delivery information message regardless of when the customer calls for delivery information.

Delivery Call Type Allowed

Allow Subsequent Day Scheduled Calls?If you want iCall to retry customer calls on subsequent days if that day’s calls were unsuccessful, check the box. After iCall contacts the customer, the system sets a flag in the order and no further calls are made.

Time to Call on Subsequent DaysIf you activate Subsequent Day calling (see the Allow Subsequent Day Scheduled Calls? field), you can use this field to specify the time (in 24-hour clock format) you want iCall to call on the subsequent day.

Days to Retain Calls in HistoryEnter the number of days you want the system to retain iCall history. The history file contains the results of all notification and survey calls made by the iCall process. STORIS recommends keeping a 180-day history.

When to Create Backorder Calls

Prompt to Initiate Back-Order Calls Via Order Entry?

Rules Tab

Customer Call Attempts Before QuittingEnter the total number of times you want iCall to re-try a customer call following a failed attempt due to a busy signal or no answer.

Seconds Between Customer AttemptsIf you activate Customer Call Retry (see the Customer Call Attempts before Quitting field), you can use this field to specify the number of seconds you want iCall to pause before re-trying the customer call. You can enter a maximum of 99999 seconds.

Answering Machine Retries

Allow Bilingual?If you want to give customers the option of hearing messages in English or Spanish, click the box. If you leave the box blank, iCall uses English only.

Give COD Amounts?  

Additional Phrasing after COD Amount?If you want to include additional verbiage in the iCall message following notification of a COD amount, check the box. Otherwise, leave the box blank.

Give Delivery Stop Times?If you want iCall to notify customers of delivery stop times (in addition to delivery dates) when making delivery notification calls, check the box. To omit stop times from delivery notification calls, leave the box blank. STORIS recommends you click the box to activate this feature.

First Delivery Stop Time DefaultEnter the time of day (in 24-hour clock format) you want iCall to use as the default first delivery stop time. iCall references this field if stop times are unavailable or no stop times were set for a particular order.

Last Delivery Stop Time DefaultEnter the time of day (in 24-hour clock format) you want iCall to use as the default last delivery stop time. iCall references this field if stop times are unavailable or no stop times were set for a particular order.

Notify Customer of Partial Shipments?  If you want iCall to notify customers of partial shipments when making delivery calls, click the box. Otherwise, leave the box blank.

Allow Detection of Privacy Director?To activate iCall Privacy Detection, click the box. iCall Privacy Detection recognizes when the customer has installed a privacy detection device on their telephone (usually designed to screen telemarketers). Many privacy detection devices require the caller to provide a human voice response before they allow the call to go through. In this event, iCall returns a result code to your system indicating the reason for the unsuccessful call.

Announce Delivery Truck Cell Phone?To include the driver's cell phone number in outgoing calls for delivery times, check the box.  The message includes the phone number specified in the Delivery Truck Cell Phone Settings for the truck associated with the delivery.  

Extensions Tab

Use the fields on this tab to specify your preferences for the Call Transferring and End of Call Telephone Numbers features.  These features provide access to additional information for customers contacted by iCall. Click here for more information about how these fields work with iCall.

Note that to use the Call Transferring feature, you must enter an extension into the End of Call Extension 1 field. Otherwise, the system assumes you do not want to use the feature.

Telephone Number for Outbound Message

End of Call Extension 1Use this field to specify the extension number of a person customers can contact for further assistance. If you check the box at the Allow Transferring? field and enter a number here, customers hear an audio prompt asking them to press 2 if they want to transfer to this extension (which could connect them to, for example, customer service). If you do not check the Allow Transferring? box, iCall gives customers the extension number specified here as well as the telephone number specified in the End of Call Telephone Number 1 field. That is, iCall prompts customers to dial the number and extension if they need further assistance. The default verbiage associated with extension 1 is Customer Service. You can change the default verbiage. For instructions on recording your own outbound messages, refer to the iCall manual.

End of Call Extension 2Use this field to specify the extension number of a person customers can contact for further assistance. If you check the box at the Allow Transferring? field, customers hear an audio prompt asking them to press 3 if they want to be transferred to the extension you specified here (which could be, for example, deliveries). If you do not check the Allow Transferring? box, iCall gives customers the extension number specified here as well as the telephone number specified in the End of Call Telephone Number 2 field. That is, iCall prompts customers to dial a number and extension if they need further assistance. The default verbiage associated with extension 2 is deliveries. You can change the default verbiage. For instructions on recording your outbound messages, refer to the iCall manual.

Allow Transferring?If you check this box to activate Call Transferring, you can give customers additional voice prompts asking if they want to transfer to another extension, for example to Customer Service. Use the End of Call Extension fields to specify where to transfer the call. Also, if you want to give customers the ability to transfer to an operator (see the Allow Operator Access During Call? field), you MUST check the box at this prompt. If you leave the box blank and thus inactivate Call Transferring, you can still use the End of Call Telephone Number fields to specify a telephone number users can call for help.

If your PBX system does not support call transferring or if iCall is not connected to a PBX system, leave the Allow Transferring? field blank.

Transferring

Allow Operator Access During Call?To activate Operator Access, check this box. To use Operator Access, you must also check the box at the Allow Transferring? field. When you activate both features, callers can press zero (0) at most times during the call to reach the operator extension. If you do not check the box, callers cannot access the operator extension.

Operator ExtensionEnter the extension number of the person to whom you want iCall to transfer calls after customers press zero (0) during a call. This feature is active only if the Allow Operator Access During Call? field is checked.

Non-Transferring

The End of Call Telephone Number fields work in conjunction with the Allow Transferring? field. If you do not click the box at the Allow Transferring? field (and thus choose NOT to activate call transferring), you can use the End of Call Telephone Number fields to specify a number you want iCall to issue at the end of a call (the number could be, for example, for customer service). Customers hear the number after “repeat the delivery information" prompt but before the "or end the call” prompt.  

Note that to use the End of Call Telephone Numbers feature, you must enter a number into the End of Telephone Number 1 field. Otherwise, the system assumes you do not want to use the feature.

End of Call Telephone Number 1Enter the first telephone number you want to provide to customers in need of assistance. This number is associated with the number in the End of Call Extension 1 field. That is, when speaking the number you enter in the End of Call Telephone Number 1 field, iCall includes the extension (if any) in the End of Call Extension 1 field. If you do not want iCall to issue a phone number at the end of a call, leave this field blank.

End of Call Telephone Number 2Enter the second telephone number you want to provide to customers in need of assistance. This number is associated with the number in the End of Call Extension 2 field. That is, when speaking the number you enter in the End of Call Telephone Number 2 field, iCall includes the extension (if any) in the End of Call Extension 2 field. If you do not want iCall to issue a phone number at the end of a call, leave this field blank.