This page explains how to configure voice calls.
Turn calling on or off
You can turn calling on or off globally for your Contact Center AI Platform (CCAI Platform) instance.
To turn calling on or off, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Call. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
In the Use Calls pane, click the toggle to the on or off position.
Phone numbers
Each call center can have many phone numbers for inbound and outbound calls. We will guide you through adding and configuring the phone numbers which are provisioned for your contact center.
Inbound default and specific routing options
Default behavior
If CCAI Platform has configured a number for your contact center environment the number will default routing to the top of the queues. If you have multiple languages, numbers will default to the language selection message.
Specific IVR inbound routing
If you have a line that is specific to a particular customer type or marketing promotion, Direct Access Points can be used to direct phone calls to that specific point in the queue. Direct Access Points can also be used for languages so that one number can be published for Spanish and that phone number will direct specifically to the top of the Spanish queue.
Outbound default and specific assignment options
Default outbound caller ID
By default, your contact center has one outbound number, which can be configured using the following instructions.
Outbound caller ID configuration options
When operating different brands or locations from your CCAI Platform environment, use multiple outbound numbers so that agent outbound calls show the appropriate outbound number when calls are placed. There are two places for an Admin to make these configurations:
Setting up phone numbers to the phone number settings.
Configuring outbound numbers for each queue in the queue settings.
Agents have options for specific outbound numbers based on their queue assignments, or can be configured to not have options at all and will always dial outbound from the phone number which is set by the administrator. For more information, see Phone number management.
Requesting new phone numbers
Contact Support and include the following information about your preferences:
Number type: Toll-free, National, Mobile, Local
Location of number
Number preference details about number structure or patterns
Set up emergency and special services calling (US and Canada only)
With CCAI Platform, agents in the US and Canada can make calls to emergency and special services using phone numbers that you dedicate to these types of calls. In the US, agents can call emergency services. In Canada, agents can call emergency services and special services. Agents can add an emergency or special services call to an ongoing call with an end-user. If a call to emergency or special services is dropped, the emergency or special services operator can call the agent back and the call is routed to a dedicated queue. For more information about the agent experience, see Emergency and special services calling.
CCAI Platform supports the following emergency and special services phone numbers:
| US emergency numbers | Canada emergency numbers | Canada special service numbers |
|---|---|---|
| 911 - Emergency | 911 - Emergency | 211 - Public information and referral services |
| 933 - Emergency test | 311 - Non-emergency municipal government services | |
| 411 - Local directory assistance | ||
| 511 - Weather and traveler information services | ||
| 611 - Repair service | ||
| 711 - Message relay service (MRS) | ||
| 811 - Non-urgent health care telephone triage service | ||
| 988 - Suicide and crisis lifeline |
Provision a phone number for emergency or special services calling
For emergency or special services calling, you need at least one phone number dedicated to this type of call. You can have multiple phone numbers dedicated to emergency and special services calling per language and instance.
To provision a phone number for emergency or special services calling, contact your Google account team.
Add a phone number for emergency or special services calling
To set up emergency or special services calling, you add a phone number and specify whether it's an emergency or special services number. You can also set usage restrictions by agent and location.
To add a phone number for emergency or special services calling, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Call. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
In the Phone Numbers pane, click Phone Number Management.
Click Add Number. The Add Number dialog appears.
Under Phone Number, enter the phone number that you provisioned for emergency or special services.
Do one of the following;
Make this an emergency service number. To do this, follow these steps:
Select the This is an emergency service number checkbox.
In the Assigned Service field, select the three-digit phone number for the emergency service that you want.
Optional: To restrict agents from using emergency calls, do one of the following:
Allow agents to use emergency calls only in specified locations. To do this, follow these steps:
Select the This number is access restricted to certain locations only checkbox.
Select Allow.
Under Locations affected by this rule, select Selected.
In the Locations field, type a location that you have added to your CCAI Platform instance. When a field appears that contains your location, click the field. Repeat to add more locations. For more information about adding locations, see Admin configuration.
Restrict agents from using emergency calls in specified locations. To do this, follow these steps:
Select the This number is access restricted to certain agents only checkbox.
Select Deny.
Under Agents affected by this rule, select Selected.
In the Agents field, type an agent that you have added to your CCAI Platform instance. When a field appears that contains your agent, click the field. Repeat to add more agents. For more information about adding agents, see Add and view users.
Make this a special service number. To do this, follow these steps:
Select the This is a special service number checkbox.
In the Assigned Service field, select the special service that you want.
In the Label field, enter a label name to help you identify this phone number, and then click Save. Your new phone number appears in the Phone Number Management page.
Click Verify Numbers to verify your added phone number and any other unverified phone numbers on the page. The Status column should indicate that your new phone number is verified.
After you add a phone number for emergency or special services, you cannot edit or delete it.
Turn emergency calling on or off
Turn on emergency calling to let authorized agents make and manage emergency and special services calls in the call adapter. Turn off emergency calling to disable emergency and special services capabilities in the call adapter.
To turn emergency calling on or off, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Call. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
Go to the Emergency Calling pane, and click the toggle to the on or the off position.
Configure an emergency service callback queue
An emergency services callback queue is a queue dedicated to receiving inbound calls from emergency services. If a call to emergency services is dropped, for example, the emergency service provider can call back and the call goes to the emergency queue. Emergency queues should be staffed by human agents at all times so that calls from emergency services are answered promptly. Virtual agents cannot be assigned to an emergency queue.
An emergency queue requires a leaf queue to accept calls from emergency services; parent queues can't accept emergency calls. Emergency queues are hidden from agents, and calls can't be transferred to an emergency queue.
Here are some of the characteristics of an emergency services callback queue:
You can't assign an emergency phone number to more than one emergency queue, but you can assign multiple emergency phone numbers to the same emergency queue.
Emergency queues don't support the following:
Virtual agents
Overcapacity deflections
Automatic redirections
Target metrics
Blended SMS
Presession SMS deflections
Call redaction
Surveys
CSAT ratings
IVR payments
Custom URLs
Before you begin
To configure an emergency service callback queue, you'll need a phone number that is dedicated to emergency or special services calls.
To create an emergency service callback queue, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Queue. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
In the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) pane, click Edit / View.
Click the queue that you want to edit.
In the Settings pane, next to Emergency Number, click Configure.
Click the Emergency Number toggle to the on position.
Under Assigned numbers, select a phone number that you have dedicated to emergency or special services calls, and then click Add Number.
Repeat the previous step to add more phone numbers to the queue.
Click Save.
CRM records
CCAI Platform includes dialing data for emergency and special services calls in reports. The number of dialed, failed, and completed calls are reported for the following types of calls:
Calls to emergency services
Conference calls with emergency services
Calls to special services
Conference calls with special services
Configure global call settings
You can configure global call settings on the Settings > Call page of CCAI Platform. Some of these settings can also be configured at the queue level, but they must first be configured globally.
To configure global call settings, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Call. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
Go to the Call Details pane, and select the settings that you want. For information about the available settings, see Call details.
Click Save Call Details.
Call details
Option |
Description |
|---|---|
Call Recording |
Recording Message Sequence: Select one of two options:
|
Leave Ongoing Calls with 3rd Parties |
Select this option to enable agents to leave a call with a 3rd party without disconnecting the call. Notes:
|
Scheduled Calls |
Specify the minutes that an agent will be pulled out of the queue and assigned to a scheduled call before it takes place. See Scheduled calls. |
Scheduled Call Expiration |
Expires a scheduled call if the assigned agent does not take the call. See Scheduled calls. |
Unanswered Call Expiration |
Call is ended (fail reason "Failed (Expired)") when an inbound call remains unanswered in queue for a set duration from 30 to 1440 minutes. Note: This setting is used for incoming calls and overcapacity callback calls. |
Unanswered Transferred Call Expiration |
Expires all unanswered transferred calls and unanswered deflected callbacks in queues when the wait duration in the queue reaches the time configured. The timer starts when the call is transferred to the destination queue. |
Call History |
Select this option to enable this feature for all agents. This option is disabled by default. If selected, agents will see a list of the calls completed in the last 30 days and associated metadata such as time stamps, call duration, and disposition notes in the Call Adapter. Agents will also be able to choose to call the end-user back. For more information, see the Agent Call Adapter user guide. |
Hold Time Counter |
Select the option to show the hold time counter on adapter while the call is on hold to the agent. Hold time is not carried over for transferred calls. |
Fallback IVR navigation (No IVR selection from end-user) |
If a customer reaches your queue and does not select any options, you can choose the path they are directed to. Set the number of times the IVR menu will repeat, then the action after the menu is repeated.
|
IVR - End User Dial '0' Behavior |
Choose routing when 0 is dialed:
Enable queue level Dial '0' override behavior: When enabled, dial '0' behavior can be set per-queue, from Settings > Queue. |
Custom Callback Number Option |
When the callback option is enabled in Call settings: Overcapacity deflection and caller announcements, the caller may want to be called back on another number than the one they have dialed in from, or may not have a caller ID. Enabled this feature to allow the caller to enter their preferred phone number to receive the callback call. |
Pre-session SMS Deflection
Pre-session SMS Deflection allows for more effective channel use and a speedier support experience for callers. Pre-session SMS Deflection lets you to offer SMS chat support as an alternative option for IVR callers before the call is connected to an agent. This feature is configured at the IVR queue level and can be offered to callers conditionally based on the estimated wait times.
Callers who opt-in for the SMS deflection will respond to an incoming SMS to continue their support session over an established SMS. Once the SMS is successfully delivered, the call will be terminated automatically.
In order to enable the Pre-session Deflection, you must have the following:
A valid CCAI Platform account with Admin role assigned
A valid Legacy, Pro, Enterprise, or Digital License Package
A valid subscription for CCAI Platform IVR Support with IVR enabled
A valid subscription for CCAI Platform SMS Support enabled with a valid queue structure
The SMS must be functional (agent assigned)
Basic configuration
Do the following procedures, in order:
- Enable pre-session SMS deflection
- Enable and save the pre-session SMS deflection offer and opted-in messages
- Enable and save the pre-session SMS deflection greeting message
- Configure pre-session SMS deflection for a specific queue
Enable pre-session SMS deflection
Go Settings > Call.
Go to the Pre-session SMS Deflection section and click the toggle to the on position.
Enable and save the pre-session SMS deflection offer and opted-in messages
Go to Settings > Languages & Messages.
Go to Audible Messages > Pre-session SMS Deflection.
In the Pre-session SMS Deflection Offer Announcement message box, enter or upload the global audio message that will announce the availability of the SMS Deflection as an option for IVR callers.
Message Example: Thank you for calling us. Your estimated wait time is @{ESTIMATED_WAIT_TIME_IN_MINUTES}. An agent will be happy to help you over SMS. To continue this help session over SMS message, press 1. To speak to an agent, press 2.
- In the Pre-session SMS Deflection Opted-in Announcement message box, enter or upload the global audio message that will acknowledge the consumer's choice to opt for the SMS Deflection as an alternative to the current IVR call.
Message Example: You've chosen to continue this session over SMS. An SMS message with the next steps is sent to the phone number you are calling from. Stay on the line and when the session is successfully converted to SMS, this call will be automatically terminated.
2. Click Apply to save the messages.
Enable and save the pre-session SMS deflection greeting message
Go to Settings > Languages & Messages.
Go to SMS Messages > Pre-session SMS Deflection.
In the Pre-session SMS Deflection Greeting message box, enter the global SMS message that will be sent to the consumer after they have opted for the SMS deflection.
Message example: Hi @{END_USER},
Thank you for opting to continue your help session over SMS. A representative will be joining this conversation shortly. Meanwhile, let us know how can we help you today
4. Click Apply at the bottom of the SMS Messages section to save the message.
Configure pre-session SMS deflection for a specific queue
Go to Queue Settings > IVR.
Click the leaf-queue that you want to configure. For this step, you must use a leaf-queue (the lowest level queue) so that Pre-session SMS Deflection is available as a settings option on the right-side panel.
On the Queue Settings side panel, go to the Pre-session SMS Deflection section.
Click the Expand button to view the Pre-session SMS deflection section. The Pre-session SMS Deflection section is displayed.
Click the Configure SMS Queue Settings link.
In the SMS Queue selection field, search and select the destination SMS queue where the consumers will be deflected when they opt-in for SMS deflection.
Click Save to save the SMS queue selection.
Click the Back to Settings link. The Pre-session SMS deflection section is displayed with the updated SMS queue selection.
Switch the Enable session deflections to SMS channel toggle to ON.
Click the Set Pre-session SMS Deflection button. The Pre-session SMS Deflection feature is now enabled for the specific IVR queue.
Optional configurations
Scenario 1: Trigger the pre-session SMS deflection only when the estimated wait time is over a certain time limit for a specific IVR queue.
Navigate to the Pre-session SMS Deflection configuration page of the IVR queue where you want to set up the Estimated Wait Time limit.
Under the Conditional Settings section, select the Estimated Wait Time limit over which the Pre-session SMS Deflection must be triggered.
Select the Enable Pre-session SMS Deflection checkbox.
Click Save.
The Pre-session SMS deflection will now be triggered in the specific IVR queue only when the queue estimated wait time exceeds the set threshold when enabled.
Scenario 2: Announce custom, queue-specific \ audible messages.
Navigate to the Pre-session SMS Deflection configuration page for the IVR queue where you want to set up custom audible messages.
Go to Messages and Announcements > Audible Messages.
Select the checkbox of the audible message that you want to customize for the specific IVR queue. The message configurations are displayed.
In the message configurations, enter or upload the audio message that will be announced to the IVR callers for that specific queue.
Click Save. The Pre-session SMS Deflection feature will now announce queue-specific custom audible messages for the specific IVR queue when enabled.
Scenario 3: Announce custom, queue-specific pre-session SMS deflection SMS message when a caller opts in for SMS deflection.
Navigate to the Pre-session SMS deflection configuration page of the IVR queue where you want to set up the custom SMS message.
Go to Messages and Announcements > SMS Messages.
Select the checkbox for Customize Pre-session SMS Deflection greeting message
In the message configurations, enter the SMS message that will be triggered for consumers of that specific IVR queue when they opt-in to using SMS messages instead of IVR support.
Click Save.
Flexible inbound call handling
The flexible inbound call handling feature gives Agents the flexibility to manage inbound call sessions using the Agent Adapter. Agents can select the CRM account and CRM record the session should be associated with during the call or during wrap-up.
Account or Record selection
CCAI Platform temporarily stores all events/info/data that happen during the call until an Account or Record is assigned either by an Agent or by the system. The system automatically makes a selection following the standard rules for Account or Record choice if the Agent doesn't assign a selection. Then, once the Account or Record is assigned (either automatically or by an Agent), the data is pushed to the selected CRM record.
More details:
Users can map specific fields of matching results to display in the Agent Adapter UI.
The agent's selection of account or record is preserved in the drop-downs when moving from call screen to wrap-up screen. If the agent has not assigned an account or record but has made the selection in the drop-downs, that selection will be assigned once the call or wrap-up ends (based on the configuration).
The system will always create a new account and record for Anonymous calls (hidden Caller ID).
When a call is escalated from Voice Virtual Agent to a Human Agent, the UI is presented to the Human Agent.
This feature is NOT available when an agent listens to a voicemail.
Transfers
When a call is transferred from Agent 1 to Agent 2, Agent 2 can select the account or record unless Agent 1 has already made the selection. In this case, Agent 2 will see but not edit the assignments made.
Recovery Calls
If an agent assigns an account or record and then uses the Hang up and Callback option, the adapter will show the previous account or record selection.
Mobile and Web SDK calls
If the caller's phone number is not available, but User email or User ID is passed using the SDK, then the record drop-down is available.
Available session types
This flexible inbound call handling UI will show when the call session is one of the following types: Voice Inbound (IVR), Voice Callback (Web), Voice Scheduled (Web), Voice Inbound (Mobile), Voice Inbound (IVR using Mobile), Voice Scheduled (Mobile), & Voice Inbound (API).
CRM integration behavior
Since this feature allows agents to select the record or account for the sessions to be associated with during the call and during wrap-up, the CRM integration behavior is impacted.
When data is sent:
The CRM record creation will be delayed until the Account or Record assignment is made by the Agent or by the system.
Once the assignment is made, CCAI Platform will push any data to the record in the CRM.
Agent UI
CCAI Platform uses the caller's phone number or UID to lookup the matching Account and Record, presenting the Agent with any matching options.
Default selection and options
If there are one or more matching accounts, the account drop-down will be preloaded with the most recently created account.
The agent can also select another account OR Create a new account option if enabled.
If there are no matching accounts, Create a new account is the only option. This cannot be disabled.
Salesforce-specific configuration options that impact available options
If Attach CCAI Platform Sessions directly to the account lookup object option is enabled in Settings > Developer, then the record drop-down is hidden.
If the Leads lookup object is selected, then the record drop-down is hidden.
Default selection and available options
If Append call or chat session to the latest open case in the same leaf queue option in Case Creation Details is enabled, the latest open record in the same leaf queue is preloaded.
When Also append to closed records in the same leaf queue, when closed with the last _ days is enabled, the latest record in the same leaf queue is preloaded.
The agent can also select Create a new record OR the agent can select another record.
If there are no open records for the selected account, the record drop-down is prepopulated with the Create a new record option. This cannot be disabled.
If Append call or chat session to the latest open case in the same leaf queue option in Case Creation Details is disenabled, the default selection is New Record.
Assign button
The Agent must apply the account or record selection by clicking the Assign button.
Until Assigned is clicked, the Agent can freely select different accounts and records.
Once clicked, CCAI Platform associates the account or record with the session and starts pushing data to the record. This assignment cannot be changed in the Agent Adapter, but can likely be changed manually in the CRM depending on your CRM settings.
Configure flexible inbound call handling
Go to Settings > OperationManagement.
Go to the Inbound call section and mark the checkbox next to Prompt agents to select account and record (when applicable) to enable this feature.
Click Allow agent to select "Create a new account" option even when matching accounts are detected if this option suits your organization's needs. The "Create a new account" option is always available if there are no matching accounts.
Mark the checkbox to allow Agent to have access to Not Create a Record.
Recommendation: Restricted access to this option as CCAI Platform is unable to retroactively retrieve information lost if a record is not created in your CRM (due to an agent selecting this option resulting in the agent not creating a record).
For the Automatically select account and record option, select if you want the system to automatically assign the account or record when the call ends, or after the call wrap-up ends.
If auto wrap-up for calls is disabled, "when call ends" is the only available option.
Agent experience
The Agent's available options rely heavily on the CCAI Platform portal configuration as well as which records and accounts match the incoming call session. Review the Feature Details and Agent UI sections for variables.
When a call comes in, the agent will be presented with options to:
look up and select from matching account(s) to create a new account
select an existing matching record(s), or create a new record.
Once selections are made, click Assign.
If disposition codes or notes are also enabled, the agent will see the flexible inbound screen first, then the Disposition & Note selection UI.
Custom UID Support for IVR
By default, CCCAI Platform uses the ANI (incoming phone number) to look up the contact object in your CRM. Once there's a match, CCAI Platform then displays an existing CRM ticket or opens a new ticket based on your environment settings. In the case that you don't have phone numbers stored in your CRM, or prefer to use a Unique ID (UID) for this contact lookup instead, CCAI Platform can deliver the same seamless experience.
Example use cases:
Phone numbers are not stored in your CRM.
Your system's UID is more accurate than the incoming phone number within your specific system configuration.
Steps to configure
Contact Support to start the setup process and provide API details.
Support will work with you to configure this experience and test the configuration is returning the correct UID.
Call Settings: Overcapacity deflection and caller announcements
When there are no agents available and wait times are high, Admins can configure various experiences for consumers.
The Call Settings page enables the following settings, and the Languages and Messages page offers the configuration for voice recordings or Text-to-Speech prompts that are required after certain settings are enabled. Be sure to add the appropriate messages once announcements or deflections are enabled.
After hour deflection
When After Hour deflection is enabled, calls will be deflected based on the specific operation hours for the queue or language the caller has selected or has been routed to. There are multiple options you can offer callers once this setting is enabled.
Overcapacity deflection
Overcapacity deflection threshold will be reached when a call is placed in queue and is not answered within the set amount of time ("Deflect calls in a particular queue if wait time in the queue is > [set duration]") AND when the estimated wait time is greater than the set amount of time, the caller will be offered from the selected deflection options.
Caller messages: the Overcapacity message will play, then the Overcapacity Options message plays one time. If nothing is selected, "keep waiting" will be auto-selected, If the Keep Waiting option is selected, the options will repeat at the set interval.
Estimated Wait Time (EWT)
For more information about how CCAI Platform calculates the estimated wait time prediction and how to enable an estimated wait announcement, see Estimated wait time prediction calculation.
Agent call messages and notifications
You have flexibility based on your individual contact center environment to change how often the agent hears call alerts, what the alert sounds like, and also options for more detailed audible call announcements.
Order of caller announcements
CCAI Platform has many options that might or might not be enabled for your environment. If you are using all of the following features, all announcements will be played. If you aren't using overcapacity, or CSAT, or call recording, those specific messages will be skipped.
Overcapacity deflection message (if enabled)
Estimated wait time announcement (if enabled)
Connecting Message
Record a Call Message (if enabled)
Pre-Call Notification of CSAT survey (if enabled)
Any other messages (if applicable)
Wait Time SMS consent voice readout (if enabled and "keep waiting" is selected)
Configure call settings
This section explains configuration options in CCAI Platform.
Universal caller announcement intervals
Announcements such as Overcapacity, CSAT, and Estimated Wait time are set with one global setting.
Go to Settings > Call.
Go to Caller Announcements.
Set the duration in minutes and click Set Caller Announcements to save.
Enable overcapacity deflection
Toggle IVR - Enable Overcapacity Deflection to On to deflect customers calling in using IVR when the wait time in queue is greater than the specified duration set in the next step.
Set the duration a caller should wait in queue before hearing overcapacity options. The duration is set by the Universal Caller Announcement Intervals timer.
Click the Mobile and Web SDK - Enable Overcapacity Deflection toggle to the on position to deflect customers reaching out using Mobile and Web channels when the wait time in queue is greater than the specified duration.
Select mobile and web SDK call deflection options
When selected, visual options will be displayed when either outside of operating hours or when the estimated wait time is higher than the set Overcapacity threshold. The regular Call or Chat options won't appear in the UI and the options you select in this section will be the only options available.
After Hours Deflection: Deflects customers by presenting alternative options. See After Hour Deflection for Calls and Chats for details.
Overcapacity Deflection: When the estimated wait time is greater than the overcapacity threshold, the selected options will be presented.
Scheduled Call: Option for the consumers to schedule a time to request a callback. See Scheduled calls.
Email
Web SDK: gives the customer the email address to contact.
Mobile SDK: default email app is launched with:
Email address in the "To" field.
Data like app version and device type call be added to the email body.
Subject "Support for [queue path]".
Email address is set in Settings > Support Center Details.
Phone Number: Only for mobile. Deflects consumers to another phone number. Shows as "Call now" and displays the number the phone will be dialing.
Voicemail: Only for mobile. Allows customers to leave a voicemail. Shows as "Leave a callback message." Voicemails will be delivered to agents assigned to the selected queue menu for calls.
IVR call deflection options
After-Hours Deflection: During the set hours in Support Center Details, calls will deflect to the selected option. See After Hour Deflection for Calls and Chats.
Overcapacity DeflectionWhen enabled, the "Overcapacity Deflection" and "Overcapacity Deflection Options" messages will play, as well as specific recordings for options like "Overcapacity Deflection Callback Option." When you add or remove options, be sure to update the message that lists the options callers have, otherwise, callers won't know the new options exist. These messages can be configured in Settings > Languages & Messages.
Queue: Deflects callers to another queue when the Overcapacity threshold is reached.
Phone Number: Deflects caller to another phone number.
Voicemail: Allows caller to leave a voicemail. Agents assigned to the queue that was called will be alerted of new voicemails.
Optional setting to limit the number of voicemails left by a consumer. CCAI Platform looks to see if a voicemail is already left from the incoming number and can block new voicemails from being recorded. When enabled, configure the TSS or upload a custom greeting in Settings > Languages & Messages | Deflection to Voicemail option - Request Already Placed Message.
Limit consumer to 1 voicemail per queue: a consumer could leave a separate voicemail request on a separate queue.
Limit consumer to 1 voicemail request across all queues: voicemail option not available if an unattended voicemail is already left form the phone number.
Callback: The customer can choose to receive a callback retaining their place and priority in queue. The system will call the phone number they used to dial in when they are next in queue and the call will be routed to an agent the same as a standard incoming call. For more information, see the Custom callback number section of this document.
Timeout behavior: If the caller selects the callback option and the queue goes into after hours before the call is answered, the caller waits until the call times out based on the Unanswered Call Expiration set on the same Call Settings page. For more information, see the Call details section of this document.
Optional setting to limit the number of callback requests placed by a consumer. If a callback request was already placed from the incoming number, new callback requests will be blocked. When enabled, configure the TSS or upload a custom greeting in Settings > Languages & Messages | Overcapacity deflection callback option - Request Already Placed message.
Limit consumer to 1 callback request per queue: a consumer could leave a separate callback request on a different queue than the first request.
Limit consumer to 1 callback request across all queues.
Keep Waiting: Allows caller to continue waiting in the queue.
Click Set Deflection to save the settings.
Custom callback number
When a caller leaves a voicemail or selects the overcapacity callback option, CCAI Platform will use the phone number from which they dialed. However, sometimes a caller wants to be called back on another number. For example:
The consumer called at work and would like to be called on their personal phone number.
The consumer is calling from a blocked number.
The consumer is calling from an office, where the outgoing number does not reflect their extension.
CCAI Platform will prompt the caller to enter their phone number, communicate the number with your CRM, and facilitate the callback as usual.
Feature specifics and expected behavior
This section describes the expected behavior for each available feature.
Blocked or unknown caller behavior
CCAI Platform checks for blocked numbers and automatically triggers the custom callback flow.
Overcapacity callback
The consumer is prompted to leave a phone number to receive the callback call.
If the caller leaves a valid number, they will receive a callback call when they are next in the queue.
If the caller does not leave a valid number, they won't receive a callback call since there isn't a number to dial to reach them.
Voicemail
The caller is prompted to leave a phone number to be called back on before leaving a voicemail.
If the caller enters a valid number, they will be prompted to leave a voicemail.
If the caller does not enter a valid number, the call will end as there is no number to dial to reach them after the voicemail is received.
CRM behavior for non-blocked callers
When a call comes in, the new number is recorded in the CRM record. After CCAI Platform looks for the contact based on the incoming phone number, 3 possible actions will take place.
No contact with a matching phone number is found.
CRM will create a new contact.
Incoming phone number is added as the primary number on the contact.
Post comment in the CRM record.
Incoming Phone Number: <Phone Number>.
Callback Number: <Phone Number>.
Existing contact with a matching phone number is found.
Existing contact is updated.
Incoming phone number is added as the primary number on the contact.
A comment is posted in the CRM record.
Incoming Phone Number: <Phone Number>.
Callback Number: <Phone Number>.
Multiple existing contacts matching the phone number.
The CRM and CCAI Platform will find the most recently created contact.
The incoming phone number is added as the primary.
Post comment in the CRM record.
Incoming Phone Number: <Phone Number>.
Callback Number: <Phone Number>.
Custom callback call
Overcapacity Callback: Checks for the number entered and uses the custom callback number if entered.
Voicemail: Once the agent has listened to the voicemail, they will be given the option to call the consumer back, and the entered custom callback number will be used
What happens when a consumer hangs up before completing the flow?
Consumer hangs up without leaving or confirming a phone number and the incoming phone number is not blocked.
- The system will call the consumer back with the incoming phone number.
Consumer hangs up without leaving or confirming a phone number and the incoming phone number is blocked.
- Consumer won't receive a callback call.
International callers
When entering the callback number, the consumer does not enter the country code. CCAI Platform will gather the country code:
Based on the phone number the consumer is calling from.
- The call-back number is interpreted as [the country code (extracted) + the consumer entered number].
If the phone number is blocked and therefore the country code not available, the country code is taken from the IVR number the consumer called into.
Examples:
If a consumer dials a UK number from a UK phone and does not enter UK country code [44], the number will be stored with +44 and the callback call will take place as usual since the correct number is stored.
If the number is blocked, and the caller is calling into a UK number from a phone number with a US country code, the callback won't take place since there will be an incorrect number stored for the caller [UK +44 (extracted from inbound IVR number + consumer entered number].
Valid and invalid numbers
Once the caller enters the phone number, CCAI Platform checks for the validity of the number. If it's not valid the consumer will be asked to enter the number again.
For US numbers: number must be 10 digits.
International numbers: after the country code is determined, phone number validation is run based on the number format of that country.
Configuration for valid or invalid numbers
This section explains configuration options in CCAI Platform.
Default messages
There are 2 messages that are not customizable and will be played during the custom callback flow. The messages will be translated into all languages and use the Text-to-Speech voice specific to each language.
Phone Number Confirmation Message
If the phone number <Phone Number> is correct, press 1 to confirm. If that number is not correct, press 2 to try again.
Phone number invalid
Sorry, that number won't work, please try again.
Upload custom messages
Go to Settings > Languages & Messages.
Go to the Custom Callback Messages section.
If you are using Voicemail, record the 3 voicemail greetings.
Record the following 3 greetings for callback calls.
Repeat for any other languages you have enabled.
Click Apply after updating each language.
Configure Custom Callback
All blocked or unknown numbers will automatically be prompted to enter a custom callback number.
Enable for all callers and set retry threshold
Follow these steps to enable the feature when any caller selects overcapacity callback or leaves a voicemail.
Go to Settings > Call.
In the Custom Callback section, check to enable "Allow consumer to leave a custom call back phone number" if you would like every caller to get the option to leave a different number than the number from which they are calling when:
-Leaving a voicemail.
-Selecting the callback option for overcapacity.
Set the number of times a consumer can try to leave a phone number before the system times out and ends the call. If the number entered is invalid, the consumer will be asked to try again.
Click Set Call Details to save.
Phone number management
Phone number management settings offer you the ability to configure outbound calling preferences. The following list outlines available options:
- Store and label numbers for easier recognition.
- Give agents the ability to set a favorite outbound number or choose from a list of other assigned numbers when making calls.
- Allow end-users to reach specific agents or sales representatives through their individual assigned numbers.
- Automatically include the outbound phone number used for a call in the default comment that is sent to the CRM system.
- Specify which countries or area codes are allowed or blocked for each phone number.
- Locate an entry in the list by Phone Number, Label, or Assigned Queue.
- Browse entries page by page with a maximum of 100 per page.
Add a phone number
To add a phone number, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Call. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
In the Phone Numbers pane, click Phone Number Management.
Click Add Number. The Add Number dialog appears.
In the Phone Number field, enter the phone number to add.
Select the phone number options that you want. If you want to create a direct phone number, select Set as a direct number.
In the Label field, enter a label to help you identify this phone number, and then click Save.
Click Verify Numbers to verify any unverified phone numbers. This checks whether phone numbers are configured for your CCAI Platform environment.
Allow or deny international calls
By default, all countries are allowed for international calling. The following settings allow you to specify which countries are allowed or denied for each phone number. You can also restrict specific area codes and phone numbers.
After this international calling configuration is set at the phone number level, you can manage user-level access. See Add and view users for more information.
Go to Settings > Call > Phone Numbers > Phone Number Management > + Add Number. You can also modify an existing number by clicking the pencil icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Select This number is restricted to call certain country codes only.
You can specify whether your agents are allowed to call all countries, area codes, and phone numbers by default. This is a global setting and will affects all agents. Clicke either Allowed or Denied. If allowed, all agents will be able to make all international calls unless they are affected by a rule (set in the following step). If denied, no agents will be able to make international calls unless they are affected by a rule.
Click Add a rule. You can choose from the following:
* **Country code**: Select the country from the menu. * **(Optional) Area code and phone**: Enter area codes and phone numbers. * **Rule**: To apply to this rule, select *Allow* or *Deny*. * **Agents affected by this rule**: Select which agents will be affected. *All* selects all agents, otherwise you can search for individual agents by name. * **Save**: Saves the rule to the rules table. * **Cancel**: Discards the rule.After rules are added, you can click the three dots menu to the right of the rule to edit or delete it.
Assign numbers to queue menus
Go to Settings > Queue and select IVR or Web.
Select a queue, then go to the bottom of the settings on the right until you see the Outbound Phone Numbers Settings.
Select and set the number you would like to show when outbound calls are placed from this queue or from agents assigned to this queue.
Select a phone number from the list of numbers you have set up in the previous steps.
Click Add Number.
Click Set Outbound Numbers.
The phone number is now saved and will be used as the outbound number for calls from this queue and will show in the queue set up page next to each assigned queue. In this case, since the setting was for a parent queue, the sub-queues also have the same outbound number setting.
- If multiple numbers are added to the queue, a default number must be set.
Repeat steps 1-4 for any other queues which will have specific outbound numbers.
Phone number selection in the Agent Adapter
When an agent clicks on the dial option of the adapter, they will now see a drop-down of the default Global Outbound number as well as any other outbound numbers which are associated with the queues to which they are assigned.
Agents can also favorite one number so that it shows by default when dialing outbound.
From the agent adapter, click Dial.
From the number drop-down, select a number from the available options.
Click star icon to favorite an outbound number option.
Search by phone number or label
You can locate an entry on the Phone Number Management page using the Search Phone Number box at the top of the page. You can search by phone number, label, or assigned queue.
Type your entry into the Search Phone Number box.
Click the drop-down menu next to the search bar to designate which field you want to search.
Click back into the search box and hit Enter.
Multi-language support
When using multiple languages, the languages must be marked as Live on the Languages and Messages page to appear in the language drop-down for agents. If the language is not Live, the number will still appear but will show in reporting as the default language, English.
Direct phone numbers
A direct phone number is a unique phone number that you can assign to an agent or an IVR leaf queue. End-users can use a direct phone number to directly dial an agent or an IVR leaf queue, bypassing the IVR queue tree structure. Direct phone numbers honor queue-level deflection settings, and they can be used both for inbound and outbound dialing. A direct phone number cannot be used for a global outbound number. For more information, see Phone numbers.
Direct phone numbers differ from direct access points (DAPs) in the following ways:
Uniqueness. A DAP is unique only within a queue, while a direct phone number is unique across your entire CCAI Platform instance. This means that each direct phone number can be assigned only once, to a single agent or queue, resulting in unambiguous phone number assignments.
Session type. A call to a direct phone number generates a
Voice Inbound (Direct)session type, while a call to a DAP generates aVoice Inbound (IVR)session type. This makes is possible to distinguish between the two types of calls in reporting.
Create a direct phone number
You can create a direct phone number when you add a phone number, or you can edit an existing phone number to make it a direct phone number.
Create a new direct phone number
To create a new direct phone number, follow the instructions in Add a phone number. Make sure that you select Set as a direct number in the phone number options.
Make an existing phone number a direct phone number
To make an existing phone number a direct phone number, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Call. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
In the Phone Numbers pane, click Phone Number Management.
Click Edit for the phone number that you want to edit. The Edit a Number dialog appears.
Select Set as a direct number, and then click Save. A Direct label appears next to the phone number. If this phone number is used as an outbound phone number for an agent or queue, that assignment is removed.
Assign a direct phone number
You can assign a direct phone number to an IVR leaf queue or to an agent.
Limitations
When you assign a direct phone number, you must stay within these limitations:
Each direct phone number can be assigned to only one IVR leaf queue or agent.
An agent can have no more than five direct phone numbers assigned to them.
An IVR leaf queue can have an unlimited number of direct phone numbers assigned to it.
Assign a direct phone number to a queue
To assign a direct phone number to an IVR leaf queue, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Queue. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
In the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) pane, click Edit / View.
Click the queue that you want to edit.
In the Settings pane, go to Inbound Phone Numbers, and then click Configure. The Inbound Phone Numbers pane appears.
Click Assign Number.
In the Assign Number field, select the direct phone number that you want to assign to the queue, and then click Assign. The phone number should appear under Assigned inbound phone number.
Inbound calls to the assigned direct phone number should go directly to the queue.
Assign a direct phone number to an agent
To assign a direct phone number to an agent, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Users and Teams. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
For the agent that you want to edit, click More, and then click Edit user. The Edit a User dialog appears.
Next to Direct Inbound, click Expand more.
Click Assign Number.
In the Assign Number field, select the direct phone number that you want to assign to the agent, and then click Assign. The phone number should appear under Assigned inbound phone number.
Inbound calls to the assigned direct phone number should go directly to the agent.
Assign direct phone numbers using the bulk user management template
You can assign multiple direct phone numbers to an agent in bulk using the bulk user management template. You can make this assignment while adding a new user or updating an existing user.
To assign multiple direct phone numbers to an agent, follow the instructions in Bulk user management: Upload new or updated users while following these guidelines:
Stay within the limitations for assigning direct phone numbers.
Ensure that the phone numbers that you include in the template have been added to CCAI Platform and verified. For more information, see Add a phone number.
If your attempts to assign direct phone numbers fall outside of these guidelines, the assignment fails and an error message is added to the error log. For more information, see Bulk user management: Upload new or updated users.
Remove a direct phone number
You can remove the direct phone number designation from a phone number. After doing this, any assignments to an agent or queue for that direct phone number are removed.
To remove the direct phone number designation from a phone number, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Call. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
In the Phone Numbers pane, click Phone Number Management.
Click Edit for the phone number that you want to edit. The Edit a Number dialog appears.
Clear Set as a direct number, and then click Save. The Direct label no longer appears next to the phone number.
Configure a direct phone number
You can configure some CCAI Platform behaviors related to direct inbound calls. Keep the following in mind when configuring inbound phone numbers:
The only type of queue where an agent can decline a direct inbound call is a queue configured for deltacast.
If you enable agents to decline direct inbound calls, and an agent in a deltacast queue declines a direct inbound call, the call goes to the next agent. If all agents decline the call, the call switches to a multicast projection, where agents cannot decline calls.
To configure a direct phone number, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Call. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
Go to the Direct Inbound pane.
Under Direct Inbound Calls, select the options that you want, and then click Save Direct Inbound.
Record direct inbound calls
You can configure CCAI Platform to record inbound calls on direct phone numbers.
To record direct inbound calls, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Call. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
Go to the Call Details pane.
Under Call Recording, click Record Direct Inbound Calls, and then click Save Call Details.
Agent experience
The agent adapter indicates when an inbound call is to a direct phone number.
Session types for reporting
For reporting, calls to or from direct phone numbers generate the following session types:
Voice Inbound (Direct): an inbound call to a direct phone number
Voice Outbound (Direct): an outbound call from a direct phone number
Voice Internal: an internal call to or from a direct phone number
Estimated wait time announcement for calls
Estimated Wait Time (EWT) Announcements use a calculation to predict the wait time until a caller is connected with an agent. The announcement plays for IVR calls.
Feature details
When enabled, Estimated Wait Time is announced when the caller enters the queue using a custom audio file and Text to Speech voice.
Option to have the announcement repeat or only play one time at the start of the call.
The Estimated Wait duration is capped at 300 minutes. If the actual wait time is longer than 300 minutes, the announcement won't go higher than 300 minutes.
TIP: If you'd like callers to hear deflection options immediately after the wait time notice, enable both Estimated Wait Time and Overcapacity Deflection. Callers will hear the estimated wait time, then hear overcapacity options, as long as Overcapacity Deflection is enabled with at least one option.
Configure estimated wait time
This section explains how to configure this feature in CCAI Platform.
Enable EWT announcement
Go to Settings > Call.
Enable Estimated Wait Time by toggling to On.
Select if the announcement should repeat or only play once. The interval at which it will repeat is set by the Universal Timer at the top of the section.
Customize announcement
By default the estimated wait announcement will be announced using a TTS voice: "Thank you for calling, your estimated wait time is @{ESTIMATED_WAIT_TIME_IN_MINUTES}." To customize the message follow these steps:
Record a custom audio file that leaves room at the end for the system to fill in the variable for what the estimated wait time will be announced as.
Go to Settings > Languages & Messages.
Click Upload in the Estimated Wait Time section.
Click Apply to save.
Call experience flows
Call Flow experience for different call types
Overcapacity Deflection
IVR
Mobile
Afterhours Deflection
IVR
Mobile
Recording Per Queue Option
Temporary Redirect per IVR Queue
Credit Card Over IVR
Scheduled calls
Rather than waiting in queue for an agent, give consumers the option to select a time that works for them to receive a call from an agent. Scheduled calls can also be enabled for after hour or overcapacity deflection and are available when using the Mobile or Web SDK.
Details
With the CCAI Platform Web, or Mobile SDKs, a consumer selects the scheduled call option and is presented with a list of open time slots in 15-minute increments.
Before the scheduled time (duration is configurable), an agent will be assigned to the call to ensure the call takes place at the scheduled time.
If no agents are available to be assigned, the call will wait in queue and be assigned as soon as an agent is available.
When scheduled calls are enabled for queues with Cascade groups:
If available, an agent from the highest level group will be assigned the calls first, then the next group in the standard routing order.
If no agents are available to be assigned, the call will wait in queue and the first available agent from any cascade group will be assigned.
Mobile SDK
Once the time selected is reached, the consumer receives a call using VoIP in the app and SmartActions will be available. If the consumer doesn't pick up the Mobile call, CCAI Platform will then place another call out to the consumer using a standard outbound (PSTN) call. During the PSTN fallback call, SmartActions won't be available. If the consumer doesn't pick up, the call is marked as finished.
Web SDK
Once the time selected is reached, the consumer receives a PSTN call to the phone number provided when the scheduled call was initiated. SmartActions are not available for Web SDK Scheduled calls. If the consumer doesn't pick up, the call is marked as finished.
For UI and details about the agent and consumer experience, see Scheduled calls.
Schedule call timeslot logic
The scheduling model is static and calculates how many calls can be scheduled for a specified period of time, using the following logic:
Agent availability calculation.
- Total Slots Available per 15 min interval = .5 x Total Number of Agents assigned to the Queue.
Operation hours.
Time slots must be in the operation hours of the queue.
If out of operation hours, time slots for the following day will be offered.
Estimated wait time (EWT).
Based on the current Estimated Wait Time calculation, consumers will only see time slots that start after the duration of the EWT.
Since time slots are in 15-minute increments, the next slot will be 15 minutes after the EWT duration.
For example, if it's 1 pm and EWT is 35 minutes, the first time slot will be 1:45 pm.
Configure scheduled calls
This section explains how to configure this feature in CCAI Platform.
Global settings
Go to Settings > Call.
Set the Scheduled calls which controls the duration of a countdown timer an agent will see before getting assigned to a scheduled call. If the value is set to 0 minutes, the agent gets assigned the call at the time of the call and won't see a countdown timer.
Set the Scheduled Call Expiration: sets the threshold for a scheduled call if no agents are available at or after the selected scheduled call time or if the assigned Agent does not pick up the call.
Example: Consumer's scheduled call time is 12:00 and all agents are on calls. If the expiration is set to 15 mins, the scheduled call will be in queue to be assigned to an agent until 12:15. If no agents are available during the 15 minutes, the call will expire and the consumer who scheduled the call won't receive a call.
Click Set Call Details to save.
Enable scheduled calls for after hour deflection
When your hours of operation dictate that live calls cannot be delivered, you can enable the option for the consumer to be able to select a time slot to receive a call when your operation is open the next day. See Support Center Details - Hours of Operation Settings for details.
Go to Settings > Calls.
Go to the Caller Announcements section.
Toggle to On to enable after hours deflection.
Mark the checkbox next to Scheduled Call.
Click Set caller announcements to save.
Enable scheduled calls for overcapacity deflection
Overcapacity is active when the wait time threshold is met. You can enable the option for scheduled calls to show as an overcapacity option so that consumer can request a call back at a time in which the agents should be available. See Call Settings: Overcapacity deflection and caller announcements for more details.
Go to Settings > Calls.
Go to the Caller Announcements section.
Toggle to On to enable Overcapacity deflection.
Mark the checkbox next to Scheduled Call.
Click Set caller announcements to save.
Call recovery features
Once a call is connected to an agent, if that call fails or is unexpectedly ended from the agent's side, then the call will go into a call recovery flow. Depending on the type and duration of a failed call, the call recovery can either be automatic or manually initiated by an agent.
Why calls are unexpectedly ended or dropped
Agent closes active tab or browser in the middle of the call.
Network issues on the Agent's side, for example, Wi-Fi drops, or bandwidth maxes out.
Network issues on the caller's side.
Mobile SDK: Automatic call recovery
If the agent's connection is interrupted or unexpectedly ended from their voice provider, CCAI Platform will wait for the agent to be reconnected for up to one minute. If the agent reconnects, the call will be automatically recovered and both the agent and caller can resume the same call.
If the agent does not reconnect within one minute, or if the caller hangs up, the call will be ended and the status will be set to 'Finished'.
Hangup and callback
When an agent is on a call, they have an option to Hang up and call back. This is useful if there is a bad connection or difficulty hearing the caller.
Clicking Hang up and call back will end the current call and place a new Outbound call to the caller with a new Call ID. If this call originated as a VoIP call from the Mobile SDK, VoIP will be used to call the consumer back. If this was an IVR call or a Mobile SDK PSTN call, the call will be placed back to the consumer using PSTN.
Short call recovery
If Automatic Wrap up is enabled and the call connects but is ended within 10 seconds of connecting, the call adapter appears with a message "The call was too short" and provides an option to either Call back, or go Back to Available, placing them back in Available status.
Clicking the Call back button will place a new Outbound call to the caller with a new Call ID.
Clicking the Back to Available button will set the Agent's status to Available.
A Timer also counts down to Automatically set the Agent's status back to Available. The timer is set for 180 seconds by default.
For more information, see Wrap-up settings.
Voicemail callback
When an Agent listens to a Voicemail they have an option to press the Call back button. This will place a new Outbound Call and set the status of the original Voicemail call to 'Voicemail Read.'
Scheduled call recovery
If a consumer scheduled a call using the Web or Mobile SDK, then doesn't pick up the call at the scheduled time, a Callback option presented to Agent which will create a new Outbound call. The original call ID will have the fail reason "End User No Answer."
Because of the unique call type that scheduled calls present, if the Agent clicks 'Hang up and Callback', this will create a new Inbound call.
Call recording: Third party call recording without agent
You can enable the call recording to continue if an agent leaves the call after adding a third party. This can also be enabled for emergency numbers.
Prerequisites
In order to enable continued call recording for third party and emergency numbers, you must enable the following settings in Call Details:
- Use Call Recording
- Ask User Permission to Record
- Leave Ongoing Calls with 3rd Parties
Enable continued recording for third party and emergency numbers
Follow these steps to enable your preferred third party call recording options.
Go to Settings > Calls > Call Recording.
Select Continue Call recording to Third Party Numbers after the agent leaves the call. This box is unchecked by default.
Select Continue Call recording to Emergency Numbers after the agent leaves the call. This box is unchecked by default.
Click Save Call Details.
Voicemail
Navigate to Settings > Call in the CCAI Platform Console to enable voicemail. Voicemail settings are global settings and will activate these features for all agents if enabled.
The voicemail tab in the Agent Call Adapter splits voicemails into mailboxes based on queues. Each mailbox displays the queue name, queue priority, and the number of voicemails in each mailbox. Each agent will also have a personal mailbox for voicemails that have been forwarded directly to them (if the Voicemail Forwarding feature is enabled). See the Agent Call Adapter user guide for more information about the agent experience.
There are three voicemail features that you can enable. Details about each are outlined in the following table. All are disabled by default.
| Feature name | Description |
|---|---|
| Voicemail Timeout | A specified time value time out the voicemail for the agent after they've listened to it. The default value is 5 minutes. When the threshold time is met, the voicemail is automatically dismissed and the agent is returned to the voicemail queue page. |
| Voicemail Forwarding | Allows agents to forward voicemails to other agents or queues. You can also optionally allow agents to forward voicemails back to the same queue by checking the box that appears when voicemail forwarding is enabled. |
| Voicemail History | Allows agents to see a list of voicemails that they have already listened to. |
Agent to agent calling
With Contact Center AI Platform, agents can call each other using agent extensions.
Set up agent to agent calling
To set up agent to agent calling, you must turn on agent extensions and assign extensions to agents. Google recommends configuring deflections for handling calls when agents are not available. The deflection settings in this procedure are global, affecting all agents. For information about setting deflections at the agent level, see Configure deflections for an individual agent and Let an agent configure their own deflection options.
To set up agent to agent calling, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Operation Management. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
Go to the Agent Extensions pane and click the toggle to the on position.
In the Extensions length list, select a length for the phone extensions that you want for your agents.
Make sure the Enable Auto-generated extension checkbox is selected. This automatically generates phone extensions of the length that you specified and assigns them to your agents.
Click the Agent to Agent Calling toggle to the on position.
Optional: To set extension queue priority, do the following:
Click the Extension Queue Priority toggle to the on position.
Drag the slider to lower or raise the priority of this extension in relation to your queues. For more information, see Set queue priority level.
To configure after hours deflections, do the following:
Click the Extension After Hours Deflection toggle to the on position. This turns on call deflection for calls that come in outside of the hours of operation.
In the Hours of operations field, select your hours of operation. Deflections occur outside of these hours.
Under After hours deflection, select one of the following:
- Message. Deflect to a message. The Message greeting message under Extension After Hours Deflection Messages is played to callers.
- Queue. Deflect to a queue. In the field that appears, enter the queue that you want calls deflected to. The Queue greeting message under Extension After Hours Deflection Messages is played to callers.
- Phone number or Outbound SIP transfer. Deflect to a phone number or SIP URI. Select one
of the following options:
- Enter phone number. In the field that appears, enter the phone number that you want calls deflected to.
- Enter extension number. In the field that appears, enter the agent extension that you want calls deflected to.
- Enter SIP URI. In the field that appears, enter the SIP URI that you want calls deflected to.
- Select from a contact list. To select from a contact list, do the following:
- In the Select from contact list field, select a contact list.
- In the Select destination field, select the contact that you want calls deflected to.
- Voicemail. Calls are deflected to voicemail. The Voicemail greeting message under Extension After Hours Deflection Messages is played to callers.
Under Extension After Hours Deflection Messages, set your deflection messages. For each message, you can enter text to be read to callers or you can upload an audio recording to play to callers.
To configure overcapacity deflections, do the following:
Click the Overcapacity Deflection toggle to the on position. This turns on call deflection for calls that come in when agents are at overcapacity.
Under Overcapacity deflection, select one of the following:
- Message. Deflect to a message. The Message greeting message under Extension After Hours Deflection Messages is played to callers.
- Queue. Deflect to a queue. In the field that appears, enter the queue that you want calls deflected to. The Queue greeting message under Extension After Hours Deflection Messages is played to callers.
- Phone number or Outbound SIP transfer. Deflect to a phone number or SIP URI. Select one
of the following options:
- Enter phone number. In the field that appears, enter the phone number that you want calls deflected to.
- Enter extension number. In the field that appears, enter the agent extension that you want calls deflected to.
- Enter SIP URI. In the field that appears, enter the SIP URI that you want calls deflected to.
- Select from a contact list. To select from a contact list, do the following:
- In the Select from contact list field, select a contact list.
- In the Select destination field, select the contact that you want calls deflected to.
- Voicemail. Calls are deflected to voicemail. The Voicemail greeting message under Extension After Hours Deflection Messages is played to callers.
- Keep Waiting. Calls continue to ring until the caller hangs up.
Under Overcapacity Deflection Criteria, select the amount of time until deflections take place.
Under Extension Overcapacity Deflection Messages, set your deflection messages. For each message, you can enter text to be read to callers or you can upload an audio recording to play to callers.
Click Save.
Assign an extension number to a user
You can assign an extension number to an individual user. The allowed length of the extension number is set in the Agent Extensions pane of the Operations Management page of CCAI Platform. For information about setting the length of the extension number, see Set up agent to agent calling.
To assign an extension number to a user, do the following:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Users and Teams. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
In the All Users pane, next to the user that you want to edit, click More, and then click Edit user. The Edit a User dialog appears.
To assign an extension number to the user, do one the following:
In the Extension number (Optional) field, enter an extension number.
Click Auto Generate. The generated extension number appears in the Extension number (Optional) field.
Click Update.
Configure deflections for an individual agent
When you set up agent to agent calling, you can configure deflections globally so they affect all agents. However, you can also configure call deflections for individual agents.
To configure deflections for an individual agent, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Users and Teams. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
In the All Users pane, next to the agent that you want to edit, click More, and then click Edit user. The Edit a User dialog appears.
Go to the Agent Deflections section of the dialog.
To configure after-hours deflections, do the following:
Click the Extension After Hours Deflection toggle to the on position.
In the Hours of operations field, select your hours of operation. Deflections occur outside of these hours.
Under After hours deflection, select one of the following:
- Message. Deflect to a message. Under Message greeting message, enter a message to play or upload an audio file to play.
- Queue. Deflect to a queue. Do the following:
- In the Search field, find the queue that you want to deflect calls to.
- Under Queue greeting message enter a message to play or upload an audio file to play.
- Phone number or Outbound SIP transfer. Deflect to a phone number or a SIP URI. Select
one of the following options:
- Enter phone number. In the Enter phone number field, enter the phone number that you want calls deflected to.
- Enter extension number. In the Enter extension number field, enter the extension that you want calls deflected to.
- Enter SIP URI. In the Enter SIP URI field, enter the SIP URI that you want calls deflected to.
- Select from contact list. Do the following:
- In the Select from contact list field, select a contact list.
- In the Select destination field, select the contact that you want calls deflected to.
- Voicemail. Deflect to voicemail. Under Voicemail greeting message, enter a message to play or upload an audio file to play.
To configure overcapacity deflections, do the following:
Click the Extension Overcapacity Deflection toggle to the on position.
Under Overcapacity deflection, select one of the following:
- Message. Deflect to a message. Under Message greeting message, enter a message to play or upload an audio file to play.
- Queue. Deflect to a queue. Do the following:
- In the Search field, find the queue that you want to deflect calls to.
- Under Queue greeting message enter a message to play or upload an audio file to play.
- Phone number or Outbound SIP transfer. Deflect to a phone number or a SIP URI. Select
one of the following options:
- Enter phone number. In the Enter phone number field, enter the phone number that you want calls deflected to.
- Enter extension number. In the Enter extension number field, enter the extension that you want calls deflected to.
- Enter SIP URI. In the Enter SIP URI field, enter the SIP URI that you want calls deflected to.
- Select from contact list. Do the following:
- In the Select from contact list field, select a contact list.
- In the Select destination field, select the contact that you want calls deflected to.
- Voicemail. Deflect to voicemail. Under Voicemail greeting message, enter a message to play or upload an audio file to play.
- Keep Waiting. Calls continue to ring until the caller hangs up.
To configure automatic redirection, do the following:
Click the Extension Automatic redirection toggle to the on position.
Select one of the following:
- Message. Deflect to a message. Under Message greeting message, enter a message to play or upload an audio file to play.
- Queue. Deflect to a queue. Do the following:
- In the Search field, find the queue that you want to deflect calls to.
- Under Queue greeting message enter a message to play or upload an audio file to play.
- Phone number or Outbound SIP transfer. Deflect to a phone number or a SIP URI. Select
one of the following options:
- Enter phone number. In the Enter phone number field, enter the phone number that you want calls deflected to.
- Enter extension number. In the Enter extension number field, enter the extension that you want calls deflected to.
- Enter SIP URI. In the Enter SIP URI field, enter the SIP URI that you want calls deflected to.
- Select from contact list. Do the following:
- In the Select from contact list field, select a contact list.
- In the Select destination field, select the contact that you want calls deflected to.
- Voicemail. Deflect to voicemail. Under Voicemail greeting message, enter a message to play or upload an audio file to play.
Click Update.
Let an agent configure their own deflection options
You can configure CCAI Platform to let an agent configure their own deflections options for agent to agent calls.
Before you begin
Before you can let an agent configure their own deflections options, you need to Set up agent to agent calling.
Procedure
To let an agent configure their own deflections options, follow these steps:
In the CCAI Platform portal, click Settings > Users and Teams. If you don't see the Settings menu, click Menu.
In the All Users pane, next to the agent that you want to edit, click More, and then click Edit user. The Edit a user dialog appears.
Go to Agent Deflections.
Under Agent permission, click the Allow an agent to configure their extension deflection options toggle to the on position, and then click Update.
The agent can now configure their own deflection options for agent to agent calls. For more information, see Set deflections for internal calls.
Reporting and monitoring
An agent to agent call is considered an internal call and wrap-up is skipped. The call type is Voice Inbound (Internal Call).
This session type is available in the Session Data report as well as the Call Dashboard. An agent to agent call won't appear on a queue dashboard if it has never entered a queue.
Call recordings
If you require call recordings for agent to agent calls, you must configure external storage. CCAI Platform does not generate CRM tickets for agent to agent calling.
To set up up external storage to capture agent to agent calls, see the external storage documentation.
Configure estimated wait time announcements
Estimated Wait Time (EWT) caller announcements are used in voice systems to inform callers about their expected wait times and manage their expectations. You can enable these announcements both globally and at the queue level. When activated, the EWT is announced to callers as they enter the queue using a custom audio file and Text-to-Speech voice. You can choose whether the announcement repeats at set intervals or plays only once at the beginning of the call.
If you'd like callers to hear deflection options immediately after the wait time notice, enable both Estimated Wait Time and Overcapacity Deflection. Callers will hear the estimated wait time, then hear overcapacity options.
Configure a global EWT announcement
Go to Settings > Call > Caller Announcements > General.
Toggle Estimated Wait Time to On.
Choose the number of times you want the EWT to be announced. You can choose a set number of times, or choose Announce at every cycle to have the EWT repeated at set intervals as long as the caller is on hold.
If you chose to have the EWT announced more than once, choose the time interval between announcements in the Universal Caller Announcement Intervals section.
Click Save Caller Announcements.
Customize your global EWT announcement message
By default, the estimated wait announcement is:
"Thank you for calling, your estimated wait time is
@{ESTIMATED_WAIT_TIME_IN_MINUTES}." You have the option of changing either the
content of the message or the voice used (or both). To change the voice used,
you need to record a custom audio file that leaves room for the system to fill
in the EWT variable.
Go to Settings > IVR-specific Messages.
Under Estimated Wait Time, enter the text of the message you would like to be read to callers. This message will be read by the default Text-to-Speech voice. To change the voice in addition to the text, select Upload Audio Recording for Estimated Wait Time and upload your file.
Click Apply to save.
Configure queue-level EWT caller announcements
Queue-level announcements allow for more personalized interactions with end-users while they wait in different queues.
Permissions
In order to enable queue-level announcements, you must have a role with All other permissions enabled under Settings - queue.
Go to Settings > Users & Teams > Roles & Permissions.
Select + Add Role, scroll to Settings - Queue, and click the carrot expander to view the drop-down menu.
Select All other permissions, enter a name for the role, and click Save.
Enable and customize the queue EWT announcement
The queue settings page indicates whether each setting is inherited globally or at the queue level. The settings are inherited by all queues globally by default, unless they are overridden (redefined) at the queue level or at the parent queue level. Global settings are defined in Call Settings > Caller Announcement.
Go to Settings > Queue and select the IVR channel.
Choose a queue, scroll to Caller Announcements, and click Configure.
Toggle the Estimated Wait Time button to ON.
Choose whether you want the EWT to be announced only once, a set number of times, or continually at regular intervals until the caller is taken off hold. If the message repeats, you can set the time interval between announcements in the Caller Announcement Intervals section.
Under Estimated Wait Time Message, enter the text of the message you would like to be read to callers. This message will be read by the default Text-to-Speech voice. To change the voice in addition to the text, select Upload Audio Recording for Estimated Wait Time and upload your file. The maximum file size allowed is 15MB.
Click Save.