Answers and Answer Sets

The first step in building a script is to create answer sets. Answer sets are groups of valid answers that you can associate with questions. You use the Answer Set program (P90CF030) to create answer sets. To create a valid answer set, you first create the answer set header, and then you can attach answers to the answer set. When you create an answer set, the system creates records in these tables:

• F90CF030

• F90CF040

For example, you might create an answer set called Favorite Color, and add these answers to the set:

• Red

• Blue

• Green

• Yellow

You can then use this answer set when building a script. For example, if you insert a question into the script, such as What is your favorite color?, you can attach any or all of the answers from the Favorite Color answer set to the question. When a user runs the script, the user asks the respondent what the respondent's favorite color is and chooses an answer from the answer set.

You can create default answers for an answer set. You might choose to do this if most respondents answer a question with the same answer. By setting an answer as the default, the system automatically selects this answer when the script is processed. Therefore, the user does not have to select this answer before continuing to the next question. However, the user can choose any of the other valid answers for the question before continuing to the next question. Using default answers can help minimize the number of mouse clicks a user must make when running a script. You can have only one default answer in an answer set.

You can also disable answers in an answer set. For example, if the answer set is a list of current products that the service department supports, and one of the existing products is no longer supported, you can disable the answer that corresponds to the product that is no longer supported.

You can also translate each answer in an answer set into multiple languages. If the organization deals with multilingual clients, prospects, or respondents, translating answers enables you to create one set of answers, and translate it into all necessary languages. When a user runs a script, they select the language in which they want the script to appear. If the answer is available in the selected language, the user sees the translated answer. If the answer is not available in the selected language, the system displays the answer in the language in which it was originally created.

When you translate answers, the system creates records in the F90CF03A table.

Lastly, you can assign a score to each answer. If you use a scoring system when you run scripts, you assign each answer a score. The system then calculates the total score of the script, based on the respondent's answers to all of the questions, and compares the total score to the value in the corresponding rate set.

For example, you might create a script that customer service representatives use when they receive a call. The questions and answers in the script are scored and used to determine the priority of the call. One of the questions might be to ask respondents how long they have been having the problem or issue. The answer set might include these answers and corresponding scores:

Time to Resolve (Answer)	Score
One day or less.	100
One week or less.	75
One month or less.	50
More than a month.	25

When the respondent chooses an answer, the system uses the score that is associated with the answer to calculate an overall score for the question. In this example, the answers with the shortest amount of time are given higher scores. The assumption is that if a problem has existed for a long period of time before the respondent places a call, it is not as critical as a problem that is reported at the time it occurs.

To calculate the script score, the system then adds the scores for each question in the script together. The script score is then compared to the rate set that is associated with the script to determine the meaning of the score.