Redial Functionality

The CATI Interviewer Console provides Redial functionality if the interviewer needs to redial a number, for example to restore a broken phone connection or to switch to another telephone line at the respondent's request.

Note: This functionality is not available for surveys which are set up in the Manual dial mode or for interviewers working in the Manual Interviewing mode.

The Redial function allows the interviewer:

• to redial the default phone number.
• to enter and dial any other phone number.

Note: The default number is the original number loaded to the ‘TelephoneNumber’ system field as background sample data.

The Redial functionality does not interfere with the interviewing process in the CATI Interviewer Console. When the Redial function is used, the interview which is currently in progress continues as usual. The current interview page is displayed in the Console window and this interview is continually timed. The time spent on redialling is counted as time spent on the current interview.

Click the Redial button to start the process.

Show or hide the Redial button for the interviewers using the Show Redial button in Interviewer Console Resources tab > Settings section (go to Administrator Settings for more information).

If the current survey is set up in Preview or Hybrid dial mode, the Redial button becomes available only after the call is connected. For surveys set up in Automatic and Predictive dial modes the button is always available.

Note that redialling drops the current telephone connection (if one exists).

Using the Redial function

1. Click the Redial button on the CATI Interviewer Console toolbar.


The Redial dialog opens.



Figure 1 - Using the Redial feature

• Select "Redial default number" to redial the current number.
• Select "Redial new number" to dial an alternative number, and enter the desired phone number in the field (only digits are allowed in this field). When you click Dial the phone number you enter is checked for validity and if an unsupported symbol is found the procedure is halted and a warning is given.
2. Select the required Redial option and enter an alternative phone number if necessary, then click Dial.

The current telephone connection (if one exists) is dropped. The dialog will remain on screen until the call has been connected. While dialing is in progress a ‘dialing in progress’ message is shown and the buttons are disabled. If the call is not connected an outcome code will be displayed and the buttons are enabled. The Interviewer can then retry the redial procedure if required. If the call is connected successfully the dialog closes.

The interviewer can repeat the redial procedure as many times as required.

When an alternative phone number is dialed for a respondent, if the survey includes an optional 'Open text' variable called ‘AlternativeNumber’ then the number will be saved for that respondent regardless of the call outcome. If the ‘AlternativeNumber’ variable does not exist, alternative numbers are not recorded and no message is shown. Nothing is written to the ‘AlternativeNumber’ variable when default numbers are dialed.

Note that only the last attempt to dial an alternative number for each respondent is saved to the ‘AlternativeNumber’ variable. If another alternative number is dialed for the same respondent, the previously stored number is overwritten with the new number.

It might be desirable to script the survey so that the original phone number is replaced with the alternative number so that it is used in future call attempts. This could be done by copying the value of AlternativeNumber into the PhoneNumber field (replacing the original number) using a script at the end of the interview. This script would be something to set up in the survey End Block (as an addition to the 'SaveCallHistory' script).

The ‘AlternativeNumber’ variable can be used as a CATI filter.