What software packages do phone sex operators use?

October 8, 2005 10:16 AM

What software packages do phone sex operators use?

I've heard that phone sex operators use software that allows them to "clock in" at will and recieve calls at any phone they like. Presumably, this software also does some sort of accounting to keep track of time spent for each operator.

Maybe people who took part in this discussion can help.

(note : this is for a non-phone sex-related project)

posted by afroblanca to computers & internet (8 comments total)

For many operators, there is no software used on their end. They either access their company's website and log in to note their availability (and log out when they're done), or they call on the telephone to do the same. They can do this at home or wherever. Callers dial a main company number -- or, in some cases, "individual" operator numbers that are furnished by the company -- and when the operator answers the telephone, there is a short recording indicating the call is a phone sex call (and not a personal call). She/he has the opportunity to accept or decline the call, sort of like when you receive a collect call. If the operator is logged into the company's website at the time, he/she may also get a pop-up window indicating that a call is incoming.

Since the calls are all filtered through a main number, the company tracks all "accounting" that way, and can then pay their operators based on various factors such as the number of calls received, duration of calls, "extras," etc. Of course, the various companies' requirements and processes in these areas is another topic. :)
posted by justonegirl at 11:28 AM on October 8, 2005

At least one company I know about uses Asterisk, slightly customized in-house.
posted by box at 11:46 AM on October 8, 2005

justonegirl - I should have been more clear. The software that I am interested in is what the main company would use, i.e. the software that operators log in to, which then routes calls to the operators.
posted by afroblanca at 11:58 AM on October 8, 2005

box - what do you know about Asterisk? How easy is it to learn how to administer?
posted by afroblanca at 12:00 PM on October 8, 2005

Is that non-phone, sex-related, or non-phonesex-related?
posted by Krrrlson at 2:50 PM on October 8, 2005

At least one company I know about uses Asterisk, slightly customized in-house.

Sort of like how BMW ships cars with 6 cylinder engines, slightly modified from a 1930's design.
posted by b1tr0t at 2:47 AM on October 9, 2005

One company I work for uses Voxeo, which seems to be pretty reliable and the tech support people are great when issues do arise. The software is pretty customizable. Phone numbers can be changed easily, you can get also get reports of time on calls, hold time, dispatch time (if you use that), time logged in, time on calls and plenty of other useful things. I could probably get you an e-mail address or messenger name for somebody there if you have questions and don't find the answers you're looking for on their site.

I've worked with CMO Software in the past, but it has a somewhat unreliable reputation in the industry. It's expensive, fairly buggy & tech support response is low. For disclosure's sake, I have to add that I had some really unpleasant interactions with them, so my opinion on them is somewhat biased. I think you'd find a majority of PSOs who have used them would concur, however.

I've also heard of Bill Per Call but I have no idea how their system works or what features it offers.

Depending on your needs, you might just look into a web-based phone system like Kall8. It doesn't keep track of total log in time, but it does keep track of talk time and it's very convenient. This would probably be a good option if you're only looking to track stats for one or two people, as it's very cheap and easy to set up.
posted by diamondsky at 7:41 AM on October 9, 2005

Thank you, diamondsky.
posted by afroblanca at 2:12 PM on October 9, 2005