SpitFire Help Desk :: Creating An Answering Machine Message for SpitFire Predictive

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Creating An Answering Machine Message for SpitFire Predictive

This article describes how to go about creating an answering machine message for your SpitFire Predictive Campaign. SpitFire can then play the message when either it detects an answering machine or when an answering machine is transferred to your agents and they use the AM disposition button.
Important: One of the settings that should be adjusted for this feature to work properly is the Answering Machine Sensitivity setting. See THIS article for instruction on how to check or change that setting.

Recording the Message

The first step in setting up this feature is to record the WAV file that you want to use for your answering machine message. This can be recorded in any application that can create WAV files. You can even use Windows Sound Recorder, which is a standard program in Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. You will of course need to make sure you have speakers and a computer microphone installed in the sound card of the Computer you will be creating the recording at.

1. First open Windows Sound Recorder. It is usually located in
Start-->Program Files-->Accessories-->Entertainment

2. You will use the record button to begin recording and the stop button when finished. Click on File-->New if you want to start the recording over again.

3. Next the WAV file needs to be saved. Click on File-->Save As to save the file.

4. Now you can select where you want to save the file and what you want to name it. Make sure you pay attention to the folder you are saving it in so that you can copy it to a disk or USB drive later and bring that to the Dialer.

5. At this window you will also need to set the format of the WAV file. The Change button at the bottom of the window will allow you to do that.

6. The format that needs to be selected will depend on the type of lines being used with the Dialer. Click HERE for an article that describes what formats to use depending on the type of system.

7. To change the format, just click the drop-down menu next to Attributes.

8. Finally, you can select the save location and the name you want to give the new WAV file.

Loading the WAV file into the Predictive Dialing Script

Once we have the WAV file recorded, it must be loaded into correct location in the Predictive Dialing script that is used to control the main dialing features of the Campaign.
Please make sure you have stopped any active Campaigns and closed them completely before continuing.

1. First we need to open SPD ScriptMaker from the icon from the Desktop.

2. Next we need to open the PD1 script or whatever Predictive Dialing script you are using. PD1 is the default script and will be used unless you have changed it. Click on Scripts-->Open Script or click on the Open Script icon.

3. Open the PD1 folder and then the PD1.vbs file.

4. With the PD1 script open, you will be able to see the layout of the Predictive Dialing script. The Dial/Answer section is what needs to be selected next. Click on Dial/Answer.

5. Now the Dial/Answer card is opened, we need to load the WAV file into the Answering Machine section. Click on the yellow folder that is circled in the following image.

6. Now you will browse to the location of the wav file that you had recorded earlier. Please make sure to copy the file to a safe location on the Dialer's hard drive first. If the file is deleted, the message will not play for answering machines.

In this example, the file is on the Dialer's Desktop. However, it does not have to be in that specific location.

7. Once it has been selected, you will see the path to the WAV file listed. Now we can click the Save button in the bottom, right-hand corner of the window.

8. Now we need to save the PD1.vbs file in order to be able to save the changes we just made. Click the Save icon that we see circled in the image below.

9. Finally, just click the Save button to save the changes made.

IMPORTANT: If this is not saved before we close ScriptMaker, all of the changes you have made will be lost.

Selecting the Predictive Dialing script in the Campaign window

By default, the PD1 script is selected in the Campaign windows for SpitFire Predictive. However, you could point them to something that you created with ScriptMaker for a specific campaign message or agent script. Please make sure you have stopped the Campaign from dialing before you change this setting.
To check to see what Predictive Dialing script is being used in the Campaign or to change it, do the following:

1. Click on Options-->Preferences, at the top of the Campaign window.

2. Then click on the General tab and look for the Script Filename: field, at the bottom of the window.

3. Click the square box to the right of the Script Filename: field to select the location and name of the Predictive Dialing script you want to use.
Again, this will not be necessary to change unless you created a completely new Predictive Dialing script, rather than just changing the settings in the default, PD1 script.
Important: After you click OK on the Settings window, please close and reopen the Campaign window to make sure the settings take affect.

Playing the WAV file from the Agent Software

In addition to the Dialer playing this mesage when it detects an answering machine, the Agent can have the message play in situations where an answering machine gets transferred to the agent.
The Agent just needs to wait for the beep and then click the AM disposition button. This button may have been renamed at the stations but it is the 2nd button down, if you want to use it for this feature.

IMPORTANT: In order to enable this feature, a setting needs to be changed in the Campaign configuration files (INI) for each Campaign for which you want to use this feature. There is a parameter named AllowAgentToLeaveVoiceMail=False that needs to be changed to True. See THIS article for instructions on opening and editing the Campaign INI files.