Using an autodialer to make calls
If the project you are working on uses an autodialer, it will dial participants’ phone numbers for you and connect you to a participant only when he or she picks up the phone. You will not know which participant is being called before he or she answers the call. In some situations, your supervisor might want you to dial numbers manually (
Using manual dialing or a modem to make calls), even though other interviewers working on the same project are using an autodialer.
When you are connected to a participant, the participant’s details are displayed on the main screen (
The Phone Participants main screen) together with some introductory text that you should read to him or her. Once you have spoken to the participant, you will either start an interview or select a call outcome from a list of outcomes. Some call outcomes will require you to enter additional information, for example, to specify the date and time of an appointment. When the interview is finished or you have selected a call outcome, you can ask to be connected to another participant.
The “Auto contact selection” check box will be checked if the project has been set up to automatically select your next contact as soon as you finish your current call, and is primarily designed for interviewers who will be dialing manually or using a modem. Cancel this check box otherwise you will not be able to stop the dialer making calls when you reach the end of your shift or need to take a break.
You might be able to change the data in the Phone Number and Name fields if the participant tells you that the current information is wrong. Click edit next to the text box, type the new details in the field, and then click save.
For details of the keyboard shortcuts you can use to click buttons and select call outcomes, see
The Phone Participants main screen.
To connect to a participant
1 Make sure that your telephone is off-hook.
2 Click the Start Dialing button:
The autodialer tries to connect you to a participant. There might be a delay before you are connected. If there is a long delay, a message might tell you that the connection attempt has been canceled and that you need to click the Start Dialing button again.
Note Occasionally, the system might display a participant’s details without connecting you to the participant. This happens when another interviewer has added comments to the participant’s record, so that you have the opportunity to read the comments before you speak to the participant. When you have read the comments, click the Start Dialing button to dial the participant’s phone number.
3 When you hear someone answer the phone, do the following:
▪If the participant details at the top of the page show the participant’s name, ask to speak to that person.
▪Read the introductory text.
▪Depending on the options that your supervisor has set, you might be required to ask the participant for consent to having the phone call monitored and recorded by your supervisor. If so, make sure that you record the participant’s response by selecting either the Yes or the No option above the introductory text.
To interview the participant
1 If the participant agrees to be interviewed now, click the Start Interview button:
The first question will be displayed. For more information, see
Conducting interviews.
When you reach the end of the interview, the telephone call is automatically terminated.
2 You might now be required to review the answers that you have just entered. For more information, see
Reviewing interviews.
3 Click the Start Dialing button to connect to another participant.
To schedule an appointment
1 If the participant agrees to be interviewed later on, choose the call outcome that lets you make an appointment. For more information, see
Making appointments.
2 Enter the appointment time that the participant asks for, and click Submit.
The appointment is made and the telephone call is automatically terminated.
3 Click the Start Dialing button to connect to another participant.
To reconnect to a participant
Occasionally, you might be disconnected from a participant before you have finished an interview. For example:
▪There is a fault with the telephone network or the autodialer.
▪You or the participant accidently hang up the phone.
▪You clicked the End Call button because you heard a loud noise on the telephone line.
In this situation, you can normally click the Start Dialing button to recall the participant. If a dialog box opens and asks you to select a call outcome, click Cancel to close the dialog box before you click Start Dialing.
However, if a problem with your computer caused your browser to close, restart Phone Participants and, if available, use the ‘Retrieving a specific participant’ option (see
Retrieving a specific participant) to reconnect to the participant.
Other outcomes
For all other outcomes, choose an appropriate call outcome from the list on the left of the screen. Most call outcome texts are self explanatory, but your supervisor will probably go through the list with you at the start of the project, especially if the list contains specialized options.
When you select any call outcome other than the one to make an appointment, the telephone call is automatically terminated; click the Start Dialing button to connect to another participant. However, if the autodialer detects that the call is being answered by a fax machine, it will terminate the call immediately. If this happens, you must still select the “Fax” call outcome.
You might sometimes be prompted to select a call outcome without being connected to a participant. This can happen in the following situations:
▪You clicked the Start Dialing button in a situation where the participant’s details are already displayed on the screen, for example, if a participant’s record contains comments for you to read, or you are attempting to reconnect to a participant after being disconnected. In this situation, you must select the appropriate outcome if the call is not answered – the autodialer will not do this for you, and the call will not be terminated until you do so.
▪There are technical problems. In this situation, the relevant call outcome might be pre selected, but if not, your supervisor should tell you which call outcome to use.
If you are working on a project where participants speak different languages, you will normally receive only records for participants whose language you speak. If it does happen that you are unable to communicate effectively with the participant, select either the “Language barrier” or the “Language recall” call outcome (your supervisor should tell you which one to use).
Some call outcomes, such as “Abandoned”, should be used only after the interview has started. It is important that you choose the most appropriate option from the list as this information will be used to plan future projects. If you accidentally select the wrong call outcome, let your supervisor know immediately so that it can be corrected.
See also
