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Dextr a Customized Agent Dashboard for #Amazon Connect Call Center!

Posted on by DrVoIP

AWS Connect CCP

Building out call centers on AWS, you learn a lot about opportunities for productivity enhancements!   One of the first issues that we noted was that the standard Contact Control Panel or CCP, which is basically a WebRTC soft phone client, though very useful has many opportunities for improving the Agent experience.   The list of request features is growing and as a result, we have taken on the development of  a customizable AWS Connect Agent Dashboard!

 

Call DrVoIP for AWS Call Center migration assistance.

If your only introduction to AWS is Connect, their cloud based call center product, you have successfully created your first call center instance and you are now taking inbound phone calls!   It was remarkably easy and with no real ‘geek” training, most call center professionals were able to log in, setup an instance, organize a call flows, create agents and voice prompts, obtain a phone number an in a few hours, you were taking phone calls!  Wow!

AWS Demo API’s

Did you know that the Agent CCP is completely customizable?  AWS provides a number of API’s and Connect Streams that a software engineer can access toward the goal of building an Agent Dashboard with a set of features and tools that are unique to your call center environment.  There is even a site you can log into and test some of the available API’s.   If you go to http://connectdemo.com and click on the “demo sites” you can see some examples of customized CCP, Click to Call, Screen Pops and other tasty code bits.

Agent Streams

We note that there are many “connect streams” that a developer can tap to create their own version of CCP.   The supervisor side, however is not as fully formed and there are not as many streams and API’s available to support Supervisor requirements like real time queue and agent metrics.   In fact we had to develop our own socket layer communication strategy to implement the features we envisioned in our dashboard.

Recently we have discovered new and not readily available API for other AWS streams.  Some are only available depending on your support contract status.

Agent Dashboard Feature Set

The list of functions and features that we have added to our CCP is still growing but we set a goal of making the dashboard painless!   For example there is nothing to install.  Our application needs to be added by your instance administrator as an application end point in the Connect dashboard.  Once that is complete, the user just points at our portal and enters their instance name (you can even upload your own logo).   The traditional AWS Connect CCP shows up and you login as normal.   Once your credentials are established, you are then presented with the revised Agent Dashboard as shown below.

AWS Connect Dextr Agent Dashboard feature set

Most folks have asked for a “team status” display.  As an Agent I want to see the status of the other agents on my team.  So the first attribute we added was just that, a team status display.    Each agent has their own Activity List showing all of their calls both inbound and outbound.   Next to each call is a link to hear the recording of that call. Supervisors can select all calls, but agents only see their own call recordings.

Each Agent has a personal contact list with contacts that they have entered for their own use.  This augments the “quick connects” that they system administrator had created.  Here is the feature list:

  • Nothing to install! Instant Access via https://go.dextr.com which has video instructions for on-boarding;
  • Customizable Logo and YourCompany custom log-in URL;
  • Role based Login (supervisor, agent, administrator)
  • SAML support;
  • Agent Team Status Display;
  • Agent to Agent Chat
  • Agent Call Activity with (click to return call);
  • Directory System with Click to call;
  • Help Button – Alert Supervisor;
  • Queue Monitor – including calls in queue, max waiting time; optional red, yellow tags)
  • Personal Recording; (permission option);
  • Supervisor Permissions add: Login/Logout (change agent state) Monitor, coach and Barge in;
  • All Recording search and play (see note 1 below);
  • Real Time Metric review Report Generation
  • Ability to set Holiday Schedules and “ad hoc” closings with new close prompt (think team meeting).
  • Push Announcement String out to Agent Dashboard for alerts and other notices.
  • Omni-Channel SMS/MMS enables test and pics to the next available agent
  • Omni-Channel email routing to the next available agent
  • “no headset” audible alert options for softphone

We are also planning to integrate or Click2WebChat functionality as an advanced feature option.  This would bring website co-browsing, video chat, SMS and keyboard chat into the call center!  The Dextr screen shows the Agent interface including the Video and Chat links.

How do you set a Holiday Schedule in Amazon Connect?

Dextr enables a user with Admin privileges to open a window and create both HOLIDAYS AND AD HOC closings.   The instance is initially stocked with all US Federal holidays already listed.  The Admin can modify, add or delete these dates.  They can also specify, via the drop down window, which queues they are closing.  There is also a Text to Speech window in which the supervisor can enter the text of a prompt that will be played to a caller should they call during that time slot.

We named the dashboard Dextr!  There is nothing to install.  Follow the video instruction below and have your Amazon Connect Administrator add us as a trusted application, then head over to our portal, log in and put Dextr to work for your team!

If you have a requirement for the CCP we would also like to know more about your requirements, so let us know.   If  you do not have an AWS Connect instance, DrVoIP will build you a “proof of concept” portal for no charge!  Remember, the American Business Communications landscape will be littered with the bleaching bones of those companies that do not adopt Amazon Connect as the enterprise call center that manages customer engagements!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add DNIS routing to your ShoreTel ECC Contact Center!

Posted on by DrVoIP

Why Route by DNIS?

Routing by the number the caller dialed, or DNIS is the preferred routing strategy for any Call Center call flow.  Clearly you can assign a DID phone number to a specific call flow and anyone who knocks on that door is answered by the same group of agents.   It is much more efficient to grab the DNIS information, however, and use it to index a database to retrieve the call routing information.  In this way, we only need one door to the call center!  The DNIS might be used to route a call to the proper product or service group and it may also be used to retrieve client information that the call center Agent needs to see displayed  in order to provide a custom care answer prompt.

Consider the requirements of a Hospital that is providing “centralized scheduling services” for 1000’s of primary care physicians.  When the inbound call is presented to the Agent, the requirement is that the caller be greeted with a customized answer prompt.  For Example:  “Doctor Leary’s office, are you calling to make an appointment?” or “Thank you for calling Doctor Williams”.  This type of dynamic call handling can best be managed by using DNIS information to retrieve the Doctor’s name from a database   We do this regularly in CISCO UCCX and ShoreTel ECC Call Center solutions and the process is essentially the same for both solutions.

ShoreTel ECC Route by DNIS example

First, we need to create a DNIS Map in the ShoreTel PBX; a ‘route point/IRN ‘ combination to pass the call to the ECC;  and an ODBC connector from the ECC server to your favorite SQL database server.   The SQL server would host the database your scripting application needs to access in order to obtain the correct answer prompt.  Lets assume that the database contains a very simple table structure:

DABASE = DNIS_listofDoctorsOffices = (Field1 = DNIS Number, Filed2 = OfficeName, Field3 = QUEUE_IRN)

You would then write a simple script to take the incoming DNIS information and use it to index the database and get the OfficeName and maybe the Customer Service Queue that handles that office (City or State or what have you).  There is no limit to the information you could retrieve and present to the Agent,  For example: Name, Service Class (Platnium, Gold or Silver), Renewal date, last order, shipment date, the list goes on.   In this simple example the script would take the DNIS and use a SQL expression to retrieve the answer prompt data:

Select * from DNISlistof DoctosOffices where DNIS = %DNIS_NAME%Sample ECC Script Screen

Creating a DNIS MAP in ShoreTel iPBX

In the ShoreTel iPBX Trunk Group it is necessary to create a DNIS map for two reasons:  First, the ShoreTel ECC can not read the DNIS directly, it requires the administrator to fill in the “dialed number” column in the DNIS map.  The ECC has a mandatory call profile filed named DNIS-NAME which will be auto filled with the information you provide in the DNIS map “dialed number” column.     Secondly, unlike a DID number that might be directly mapped to an extension, we need a way to get the incoming call connected to the IRN on the ECC that is running the DNIS SQL lookup  Script.   In this example, the Destination field of the DNIS Digit Map in the ShoreTel iPBX Truk Group points to the Route Point/IRN in the ECC that supports the script.

 

DNISMAP

POPing the Agent Display with useful Data

The ShoreTel ECC has two variables data types: Mandatory or System Variables; and User create Variables.  The Mandatory variables are system call parameters like ANI or DNIS and a long list of other system based data.   ANI contains the digits that make up the caller identification and that is also often used to retrieve database information.   If you are using ANI you will need to do some string manipulation to strip off the +1 from the 10 digit number, or format to match your database.   User created variables are the name you create for the fields you will get from your database.  Useful examples would be CustomerName, DateOfService, AccountBalance and RenewalDate.    Any Variable, User created or System,  can be pushed out to the Agent Display within the ShoreTel Communicator.

ScreenPop

What is your Call Center Application Requirement

We have seen it all, so we are always interested in your requirements for custom CRM integration and Call Flow management.  Give us call or drop us an email and play “stump the vendor”.   We would love the challenge of finding yet another new ShoreTel ECC or CISCO UCCX Contact Center application requirement!

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UCCX Instant Contact Center “Killer Script” $295?!

Posted on by DrVoIP

The Vision!

It has long been our vision to create a UCCX script that can be used to rapidly deploy a new Customer Service Queue.   We appreciate that each Contact Center is different, but there is a set of expectations most folks have for the basic call flow and feature sets.  Between the vision and the reality is a leap of faith, but we have emerged a Generic Customer Service Queue consisting of a small library of scripts, professionally recorded audio prompts, XML document files and supporting sub flows that, taken together,  provide a very rich call center solution.  If you are building out your Contact Center with CISCO UCCX as your call processing engine, this script will get you operational in a fraction of the time it would normally take to design and develop a script form scratch!   If you are running at least Version 8 or higher on an Enhanced license, the resulting contact center script provides a rich set of features.

 

Included Feature Options:

  • Auto configuration based on the Number Called;
  • Holiday List checking for programmed closures;
  • Supervisors are enabled to open and close a CSQ on demand;
  • Supervisors can record a custom closed message (meetings, emergencies etc.);
  • Call flow can provide for Language selection (Press 1 for English);
  • Each CSQ can be optioned to play estimated wait time and position in queue;
  • Each CSQ can be optioned to enable a “call back without losing your place in queue”;
  • Each CSQ can be optioned to allow caller to leave a message, bailout to operator, or arrange call back;
  • Each CSQ is checked to assure there are agents logged in;
  • Music or Message while in Queue can be optioned on a per CSQ basis;
  • Extend Call Holding Options can be offered based on max time in queue;
  • Each CSQ can be optioned to enable the processing of a list of off site agents that can accept a remote call;
  • Custom layouts can be created to push information to the Agent Desktop Display based on CSQ;

QueueOptions.XML

The heart of the script is the “Queue Options” file that is read with each new phone call received by the system.  The script then configures itself to identified CSQ options based on the called number.  The called number is used to retrieve the options for the target CSQ from an XML file.  For example, callers to the Customer Service CSQ may be prompted with estimated wait time and position in queue, while the callers to the Technical Support Queue are not offered this information.   Perhaps arranging a “call back from queue without losing your position” is a feature that is offered to Platinum callers but not to the Silver clients.  Each CSQ can have different prompts and customer care messages for those waiting for the next available customer service representative.  The options offered callers can be different for each CSQ.

Call Center Administration

Emergency closure?   Authorized users, typically the call center supervisor, is issued a PIN and Queue number.   This enables them to call the included CCAdmin IVR Module, enter their PIN number and then select the CSQ number.  They are the offered the option to open the CSQ, or close the CSQ and record a new closed greeting.    No more calling down to the System administrator every time you want to close the CSQ for a team meeting!

The script is optimized to provide the richest set of functionality based on a wide cross section of call center applications and at the lowest possible cost both for acquisition and ongoing maintenance.   As the script is both extensible and reusable, it can be used for future CSQs and as such, it will save you money on into the future!   Give us a call and we can download the script to your UCCX Contact Center, configure the options and have you up and running with a professional call flow and sound with in few hours!  Clients who purchase this option will continue to get follow on updates as we continue to add new functionality!

We have updated the Script for 2019, so watch the new video which details the new feature set!