Auto Dialer Preferences

The Auto Dialer Preferences form lets you configure the Auto Dialer to suit your preferences. You can access this form from the System Administration menu or the System menu Preferences command.

Auto Dialer Preferences

Dialer options control exactly how the dialer process works.

Windows version of Collect! uses TAPI32. For communications control, use your TAPI (Telecommunications) configuration in the Windows Control Panel.

Collect! can also communicate with the Softphone of your choice, provided your O/S is configured already to handle the softphone communication protocol you specify. Non-TAPI systems can also use Auto Dialer. Please refer to Help topic, How to Setup the Auto Dialer for further details.

Operating System phone dialers and telephony support drivers are always changing. If you encounter any anomalies while configuring any of the settings mentioned below, please get in touch with Collect! Technical Services at Comtech Systems.

Email Collect! Member Services

Prompt Before Dialing

Turn this switch on to display the Dialer dialog box before the computer starts dialing a phone number. In this way, you can confirm or change the number being dialed.

Turn this switch OFF to automatically dial local calls without displaying the Dialer dialog. This saves time when dialing but doesn't let you confirm or change the number being dialed.

Long distance calls always display the Dialer dialog box before dialing.

Last Result Creates Contact

Switch this ON to have Collect! create a Completed Phone Contact when the Last Result field on the Phone record is updated.

The Phone Contact's Call Result field will have the matching value from the Phone record.

If there is an In Progress Phone Contact, the Call Result field will be updated and the Contact will be marked as Completed.

Log Calls To Notes

This switch allows you to log any dialed calls to notes.

FORMAT: Dialed :

EXAMPLE: Dialed Home: 818-555-1111

Update Last Called

Turn this Switch ON to write the current date and time to the 'Last called' date and time fields on the applicable Debtor Phone record.

The Auto Dialer Preferences are linked to the WIP Options. If your operators have ever altered their WIP Options and selected the 'Save as Default' button, then changing the setting at the company level will not update the operators. If the operator has access to the Auto Dialer Preferences form, then they can simply check the box, go to the WIP Options, and select the Save as Default button. If they do not have access to the Auto Dialer Preferences form, then you will need to screenshot the settings and delete the operator configuration file from the applicable Collect!\config folders.

Call Creates Contact

Switch this ON to have Collect! automatically create a Completed Phone Contact.

The Phone Contact is a basic contact with Date, Time, and Number Called.

Local Area Code

This is used to detect long distance calls within your own area code.

Leave the Local Area Code blank if you want to dial phone numbers exactly as you enter them. Numbers with more than 7 digits are considered long distance and the dialer dials 1+ the number. For example, if your area code is 214 and you are dialing 214-555-1212, the program will dial 1-214-555-1212.

Enter your area code in this field if your telephone system requires you to remove the area code when dialing long distance within your own area code. When the dialer dials the number, it will remove the area code before dialing. For example, if your area code is 214 and you are dialing 214-555-1212 the program will dial 1-555-1212.

10 Digit Area Codes

Area codes entered in this field will be considered as local calls and Collect! will not add 1 in front of the number when dialing. Enter up to 19 area codes in this field, separated by any non-numeric character. (ex. 716-315-206 or 716,315,206 or 716/315/206)

Prefix And Postfix

These codes are used if you need to dial out on a phone exchange or require support for third party carriers such as Sprint and MCI. You can set options for various phone call types. If a phone number you are dialing exceeds 7 digits, or you set the Prompt Before Dialing option, the Dial Phone dialog box pops up to offer you a choice of dialing types, including local and long distance. Any entered prefixed and postfixes will be used around the number being dialed.

Local Prefix

If your phone system needs some special codes to be entered before actually dialing a local call, enter those codes here. A comma can be used to pause one second.

For example, on some systems you dial 9 to get an outside line, and then you would want a short pause before dialing the main number. In that case, you would enter 9,,, to dial 9 and then wait 3 seconds before the dialer starts dialing the phone number.

Local Postfix

If your phone system needs some special codes to be entered after dialing a local call, enter those codes here. A comma can be used to pause one second.

For example, on some systems you would dial a special access code for discount rates after dialing a number. Enter that code here.

Long Distance Prefix

If your phone system needs some special codes to be entered before actually dialing a long distance call, enter those codes here. A comma can be used to pause one second.

For example, on some systems you would dial 9 to get an outside line and then you would want a short pause before dialing the main number. In that case, you would enter 9,,, to dial 9 and then wait 3 seconds before the dialer starts dialing the phone number.

Long Distance Postfix

If your phone system needs some special codes to be entered after dialing a long distance call, enter those codes here. A comma can be used to pause one second.

For example, on some systems you would dial a special access code for discount rates after dialing a number. Enter that code here.

International Prefix

If your phone system needs some special codes to be entered before actually dialing an International call, enter those codes here. A comma can be used to pause one second.

For example, on some systems you would dial 9 to get an outside line and then you would want a short pause before dialing the main number. In that case, you would enter 9,,, to dial 9 and then wait 3 seconds before the dialer starts dialing the phone number.

International Postfix

If your phone system needs some special codes to be entered after dialing an International call, enter those codes here. A comma can be used to pause one second.

For example, on some systems you would dial a special access code for discount rates after dialing a number. Enter that code here.

Alternate Prefix

If your phone system needs some special codes to be entered before actually dialing a local call, enter those codes here. A comma can be used to pause one second. Several commas pause several seconds.

For example, on some systems you would dial 9 to get an outside line, and then you would want a short pause before dialing the main number. In that case, you would enter 9,,, to dial 9 and then wait 3 seconds before the dialer starts dialing the phone number.

Alternate Postfix

If your phone system needs some special codes to be entered after dialing a local call, enter those codes here. A comma can be used to pause one second.

For example, on some systems you would dial a special access code for discount rates after dialing a number. Enter that code here.

Save System

Select this button to save changes you have made and return to the previous form. Collect! saves any changes you have made into the Collect configuration file in the Collect! program folder. Collect! will use the new settings when using the Autodialer, unless a particular operator has specific settings saved as default into their own custom configuration file.

Don't Save

Select this button to ignore any changes you have made and return to the previous form.

Save Operator

The SAVE OPERATOR (or SAVE AS DEFAULT) button is used when you are setting Dialer options for a specific user. Select this to save these settings for the current operator ONLY. These settings will be used whenever the operator dials a number and does not update the global configuration for all users.

When prompted, select YES. This creates a configuration file for the operator in Collect!'s program folder. For example, own.cfg would be created if you were using operator OWN. Collect! looks for a .cfg file for the particular operator when it loads the dialer. If it doesn't find one, it loads the Collect! configuration instead with the global settings.

Saving these settings as your default saves the current Auto Dialer Preferences, Printer settings, the WIP Options and Filters, and WIP Reload settings.

Once you have saved the Operator Configuration for an operator, you can use the Copy Operator Configuration feature, to set the same settings for all operators in your system with the same User Level.

Help

Select this button for help on the WIP Options form and links to related topics.

The AUTO DIALER is simply a tool to automate the dialing of a phone number so that the operator does not have to dial the number manually. This item may require your technician. It is important that you print out this help about the AUTO DIALER and what is needed to set it up. Giving the printout to the technician will supply him with all the necessary information needed.

The AUTO DIALER feature should not be confused with the PREDICTIVE DIALER feature.