Understanding Prompt Levels

Working with Prompts > About Prompts in Dialog Designer > Prompt Controls > Understanding Prompt Levels

	Understanding Prompt Levels

When a caller does not respond to a prompt at all or the ASR server does not recognize the response, the system usually repeats the prompt. In some speech applications, there might be reason to repeat the prompt content, but with a variation to the first prompt. The system can be configured to prompt the caller the second time using a slightly different version of the prompt.

For example, suppose a speech application has a prompt that says:

"Please state your seven-digit account number. The account number is located in the upper-right corner of your bill."

If the caller says the number too quickly for the ASR server to recognize the number, the prompt could be set up to return a "No Match" event. A prompt as follows may be played, for example:

"I'm sorry, I did not understand you."

At this point, the prompt is repeated, but instead of the full length version as played the first time, a second, shorter, version of the prompt is played. For example:

"What is your seven-digit account number?"

If the system still cannot understand the caller, a second version of the "No Match" prompt might be played. For example:

"I'm sorry. I still didn't understand you."

A third version of the main prompt might be, as follows:

"Please speak slowly and clearly, and say all seven digits of your account number."

And so on.

To use different versions of a prompt, each version to be used is designated as a different level of the prompt. Dialog Designer automatically creates the first level of a prompt when the prompt is created, but additional levels of a prompt must be created. So, for example, to use three different versions of a prompt, two new prompt levels must be added. Prompt levels are added within the Prompt Main tab of the Prompt File Editor. See Prompt File Editor-Prompt Main Tab.

Dialog Designer displays each prompt level in its own page in the Prompt File Editor. When a level is added, Dialog Designer adds a new tab to the Prompt File Editor. Dialog Designer displays and labels the tab according to what number the prompt level is, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on (up to 25).

The definition and settings for each prompt level are independent of all other prompt levels. That is, each level of the prompt can use its own segments, conditions, and SSML controls, without regard to what any other level of the prompt does. For more information about defining prompts in levels, see Prompt File Editor-Level Tabs.