Populating your Web Form with SAS Script Variables

You can push your script variables outside of our call center system using query string parameters. Building a query string is a way to send data to your web application. It keeps your calls running smoothly by having our operators work in a scripted environment, while using your external form.

This tutorial will instruct you on how to collect script variables to build the URL our operators will need to pass form data. Please note that not all web forms support query string parameters. Hosted forms like Visualforce pages (Salesforce), Google forms, and WuFoo online forms can easily be configured to accept this type of data. If you are not sure whether your form is set up for this, please contact your web administrator.

In this tutorial, we will be doing the following:

• Identifying the script variables: We will need to know what script variables to pull from the call script.
• Creating the URL string: To push the data, we will create the URL using the script variables we've identified.
• Creating a Web Pop step: To populate an external form, we will insert a script step above the closing step to allow our operators view an external website

Please note that completing this tutorial requires you to have knowledge of basic HTML concepts since you will need to decode your own form to identify its associated variables. If you have any questions on integration, please contact your web administrator.

Identifying the Script Variables

Before you start, you'll need to identify the fields in your form that we need to populate, then find the matching field in our system. For example, you may need us to complete the First Name field in your form, so you'll need to find out where SAS agents are asking the callers for their first name in the script. To do this, you need to know where the variables are in your call script.

Each step in your script has an associated variable called a Field Name. Field Names are how we store script data. In the example below, we are asking the caller what the call is regarding and storing the information in the Field Name Regarding:

You will notice that you cannot customize the Field Names for certain types of steps you add. That is because some steps use common variables. When including any of these step types to build your query string, you'll be using the common variable name. See the list below for all common variables:

• First Name: [FirstName]
• Last Name: [LastName]
• Cell Phone: [CellPhoneNumber]
• Phone: [PhoneNumber]
• Email: [Email]
• Address: [Address1], [Address2], [ZipCode], [City], [State]

Once you've identified the fields in your web form and the matching Field Names in your call center script, please note their names as you will need them for the next step.

Create the URL String

Now that you have the Field Names from the script and the matching variable names from your own form, you can build the link for our call center agents to click on.

Once a call center agent has taken a caller's information, that same information can be brought back later in the script by inserting the Field Name in brackets. For example, if we wanted to insert the result from our  Regarding field name later in the script, we would use [Regarding] in brackets. Something like "Thank you for your information [FirstName]. Just to make sure I have the information correct, you were calling about [Regarding]. Is that correct?"

With a list of form variables from the SAS script (e.g. [FirstName], [LastName], [PhoneNumber]) along with your form variables, you will need to build the URL by matching up our form fields with your own. The structure should look similar to this:

http://yourform.com/?name=[FirstName]&lastname=[LastName]&phone=[PhoneNumber]&email=[Email]

In the above link, name, lastname, phone, and email are the variables you've identified in your own web form, and [FirstName], [LastName], [PhoneNumber], and [Email] within the brackets are the Field Names taken from your call script.

Creating a Web Pop Step

Now that the link is built, you need to insert it into the script. To export data into your external web form, we'll need to insert a step that will allow the CSR to access an external website. At any point in the script, you can insert a script step, called a Web Pop, giving our operators the ability to access your website. If we are accessing a web form, the URL of the web form from our system will be built to include any data we've collected in the script. For detailed instructions, please read our tutorial on How to Add a Web Pop Step to Your Script.

After the operator collects the necessary information, a Web Pop step shows them your form’s URL, and they will follow the web link to transfer the details. In the live script, the Field Names, or form variables, will be filled in with your caller's data within the URL string.

Clicking your web form's URL will automatically populate the form with the information taken from the call script. Then, the operators will click Send or Submit on your form.

Following form submission, the operator will continue with the script to end the call. By this point, we've populated your form fields, sent you a copy of the form from your own system (i.e. your form input) and saved a copy of the form results in our system (your call log).

Callers’ details will be listed in your web portal, so if there is any issue with your URL or form, you can always use the portal as a backup.