The function of Field Names

The Call Script Builder gives you on-demand access to making real-time changes to your answering service script. While you are in there playing around, you'll notice that most of these steps have an input area called Name, which is where the Field Name comes into play.

What are Field Names

Field names are how we store the data that is collected in the script step. These field name variables are used all over the Specialty Answering Service portal, from sending specific information collected after a phone call via SMS to displaying collected information later on in a script. A great example of this is asking a person for their name, then in a subsequent step, inserting the name variable when you ask them the next question - "Thank you {{FirstName}}! I'm happy to help you."

Field Name Best Practices

The field names are the variables that capture data inside of your answering service script. They're petty important, so you'll need to follow some rules when naming them:

1. No spaces: We love spaces too, just not here. If you need to space, use an _ character.
2. No special characters: Any character where you need to hold down a shift key to use is a no-no, except the _ character.
3. Keep them short but descriptive: You'll see these variables everywhere from inside your profile data, to our outbound dialing app, to running reports in your portal. Keeping them short and descriptive will help you identify where you used them and what type of data they are capturing.

Anatomy of Field Names

When a new step is creating, our system will automatically assign a numerical value to it. To review the field names and their associated numerical value in the Script Builder, just click the arrow next to each path to expand the path. In our example below, you can see that both the Calling to Schedule and All Other Calls path ask for Name, Number and Regarding. However, the numerical values in front of the field names are different, indicating the steps themselves are different.

If you are adding a new step, be sure and make a note of the numerical value associated with the next step, so you remember which step is supposed to come next. For example, if I wanted to add a new step in the All Other Calls path in between the PhoneNumber and Regarding step, I would need to remember that 9: Regarding should follow whichever new step I'm adding.

Common Field Names

When you are adding script steps, you'll notice that with some types, you don't have the option to adjust the field names. These are designated as common script step types and they include First Name, Last Name, Phone Number, etc. Below is a list of static variables.

• {{FirstName}}
• {{LastName}}
• {{CompanyName}}
• {{PhoneNumber}}
• {{CellPhoneNumber}}
• {{Email}}
• {{Address1}}, {{Address2}}, {{City}},{{State}}, {{ZipCode}}
• {{Regarding}}

NOTE: Although you can customize the Company Name and Regarding step labels, the field names must be written as "CompanyName" and "Regarding" with no suffixes in order to be used as default fields.

Ways to Use Field Names

Field names are used everywhere. They are how our software stores data and are available for use throughout our web portal. Following are some places where you might see Field Names in use:

• Query strings: When transferring data from the SAS system to your online web form, you may use variables inside the URL string. For more information on query strings, please read Populating Your Web Form with SAS Script Variables.
• Building SMS messages: If you are receiving text messages after a phone call, you are able to drag and drop variables to build a custom text message.
• Inside your script: Any field names in your script can be used later in your script as part of the conversation the call center operators have with your callers. For example, if we ask a caller for their first name, we can then insert the {{FirstName}} variable later in the script to personalize the conversation.