Listening on Phone calls at work.

Listening on Phone calls at work.

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Q: What is CATI?

A: CATI is the use of computers to automate the key activities of a telephone interviewing facility. It stands for "computer-assisted telephone interviewing."

The most important aspect of a CATI system is that it uses computers to conduct the interviews. Because a computer controls the questionnaire, skip patterns are executed exactly as intended, responses are within range, and there are no missing data. And, because answers are entered directly into the computer, data entry is eliminated - data analysis can start immediately.

But interviewing is just a part of the way a facility can automate. It can also use computers to handle the administrative and telephony functions associated with interviewing, such as sample management, quota control, call disposition monitoring, productivity reporting, Rapid Dial or predictive dialing, interviewer monitoring and rating, and voice capture. Because the computer does record keeping automatically, your interviewing facility can operate more efficiently and you can get accurate, instantaneous information on the status of studies at any time.

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Alright I work at mountain west research center in Kansas. Something strange has occurred several times. While calling houses, I would connect and begin my introduction and I could hear them talking one lady was talking to her husband about Obama and the inauguration and about some talking head on the news. I said hello, but she couldn't hear me. Well since my supervisor wasn't listening in, I did, for half an hour. Hearing them put their kids to bed etc. This was shocking, and since than it has happened three or four times. I listened in on peoples lives! I couldn't believe it. I read this site frequently and decided to just now make an account because well this is messed up. How on earth am I even doing this? Needless to say I felt so strongly about this that I quit today. They didn't ask for a reason. But it happened on different computers and different surveys we were taking. I've had it happen and I called a the call center in Idaho once, and talked to the guy we laughed about it (lines crossing over). So maybe its the software, I know it has the initials W.I.R.E or something of that nature. But I figured I would let you guys know, I'm not quite sure where to even put this.

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People should also be aware that when you are put on "hold" and you can no longer hear what is going on at the other end does not mean that you are not being listened in on.

Be careful of what you say or what is being said around you when on hold.

Originally posted by deepred
People should also be aware that when you are put on "hold" and you can no longer hear what is going on at the other end does not mean that you are not being listened in on.

Be careful of what you say or what is being said around you when on hold.

You mean all those times I've been put on hold and had to waste my valuable time trying to track down either some tech support person who spoke English fluently enough to be understood or someone who had the power to cancel some account I was trying to close out, they were able to hear all the cussing I did, slurs I uttered, and insults I mumbled at the elevator music playing back at me? They could hear all of that? Good! That actually makes me feel better.

Actually the OP's anecdote reminds me of a time a couple of years ago when my wife & I got a call from a friend's cell phone at 11 at night. They had obviously called us by accident because you could tell the phone was still in their pocket. We listened for maybe 3 or 4 minutes after shouting at them to make sure that they weren't in trouble and were just unable to say anything. When we heard her ordering a couple of tacos and a Mexican pizza at Taco Bell, we figured it was safe to just hang up and she was fine.