Suspend Phone Statements

The suspend phone statements get the name of the suspend file written to the data file to be used, show the suspend text if the call had been suspended on the previous call, and allows suspending of interviews.

Valid Subtypes

  • Get_Suspend_File_Name
  • Show_Suspend_Text
  • Start_Resumeable_Interview

GET_SUSPEND_FILE_NAME

Shortform: !PHONE,GETSUSPNAME

GET_SUSPEND_FILE_NAME statements record a suspended file name to be used.

By adding a PHONE,GET_SUSPEND_FILE_NAME statement to your SUSPEND block, it will get the name of the suspend file written to the data file.

This is useful for marking the record as suspended and matching the data record to the corresponding suspend file name in the sample file.

The syntax for the GET_SUSPEND_FILE_NAME question type is:

!PHONE,GET_SUSPEND_FILE_NAME,<label or location>

Example:

{ QSUSPENDFILENAME:
!PHONE,GET_SUSPEND_FILE_NAME }

The above example will store the eight-character name in the next available data location as QSUSPENDFILENAME.

Example:

{ QSUSPENDFILENAME: .8 HIDE
!VARIABLE,,8 }

{ QSUSPENDFILENAME2:
!PHONE,GET_SUSPEND_FILE_NAME,QSUSPENDFILENAME }

In this example, the suspend file name will be written to an existing variable called QSUSPENDFILENAME.

SHOW_SUSPEND_TEXT

Shortform: !PHONE,SHOWSUSPTEXT

SHOW_SUSPEND_TEXT shows the suspend text if the call had been suspended on the previous call.

NOTE: You can also display the suspend text in the text of a question by using the syntax “\[20001.80]”.

START_RESUMEABLE_INTERVIEW

Shortform: !PHONE,STARTRESUME

START_RESUMEABLE_INTERVIEW is used to allow suspending of interviews.

This must be used with either a PHONE,GET_NUMBER or a PHONE,GET_SPECIFIC_NUMBER question type.

The syntax for the START_RESUMEABLE_INTERVIEW question type is:

!PHONE,START_RESUMEABLE_INTERVIEW

When a callback is made to a number that was suspended, by default the following occurs when the record is resumed:

  1. Questions prior to the Phone,Start_Resumeable_Interview are executed.
  2. If contact is made and the interview continues, the answers given so far in this interview are dropped.
  3. The Phone,Start_Resumeable_Interview statement is executed.
  4. The Resume Block is entered and executed
    1. Keep in mind that the when the resume block is entered, the data is identical to when the interviewer suspended the survey.
    2. Any type of system information questions (Dates, times, etc.) should be executed within the Resume Block
  5. The suspended questionnaire’s answers are re-executed, including those questions prior to the Phone,Start_Resumeable_Interview statement.
  6. The interview continues on. 

Best Practices

  • An interviewer cannot suspend prior to the Phone,Start_Resumeable_Interview statement.
  • Execute the Phone,Start_Resumeable_Interview after you are certain the correct person is on the phone
    • After the Intro
  • Keep the resume block simple
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