Contact Center Software for Asterisk Telephony
Information for Asterisk based contact centers
Let’s look at the following scenario that may come into play in a call center:
I can see two glaring issues here: Continue reading “Automatically dialing DIDs on disposition”
Keeping track of agent states in the Asterisk call center ACD can be vital to ensure that the center operates in an optimal fashion. States can be monitored for calling purposes, as well as being used to leverage non-calling states in regards to such things like payroll and agent improvement. Continue reading “Agent States in the Call Center ACD”
Data Collection within an IVR is a feature we use within our Q-Suite, an Asterisk ACD System, to look up the customer via their caller id and associate it with a record already in the system.
I only briefly talked on this feature set and what it accomplishes for us, lets look at it in a bit more detail and a few other variations possible. In our scenario the main goal is to have the agent bring up the proper record quickly with the database lookup done by the IVR. The DB lookup is done in the IVR then the script page on the agent’s screen uses the information and seed a search to an external application.
Using the IVR and collecting data is great as it tends to free the agent to be handling other calls while a caller navigates the IVR but can be abused and cause negative side effects. For example it can be annoying to the caller if too much data is collected which is not easier entered with a phone in the IVR. The goal should be to collect a small amount of relevant data and get caller to where they need to be. If passing to queue and ultimately an agent, make sure data collected that is required for the agent to know is passed along or accessible. I am sure we have all called systems and entered data only to be asked for it again from the agent. As I noted a confirmation of it might be required, but if the caller just entered their 16 digit card number perhaps just confirm the last 4 digits, name, etc. and assume the rest of the data is accurate when possible.
This post was delayed as I found another blog posted a similar topic just before my original planned posted date. So also take a look at the two-part article over at indosoftnotes.blogspot.com on IVR Data Collection.
It’s startling to realize how quickly IP telephony did get accepted. Even in 2008, when Rajan posted The March of IP telephony – Part 1, the bulk of our clients were using TDM boards. Digium and Sangoma hardware were our go-to choices. Innovators like those two companies were blowing up the market. This allowed Asterisk to continue to build on its foothold. Clients looking for stability were increasingly able to choose Asterisk, but still connecting via PRI. Selecting a quality VoIP carrier was a difficult process for those not sharing a colocation facility with a reputable provider.
Continue reading “The March of IP Telephony – Part 2”
When managing PBX extensions and their users the requirement to limit what can be called is often needed. This can be done heavy handed at the trunk level but then no calls can dial out to the blocked numbers.
Using the Q-Suite feature Restricted Numbers is a more refined solution to the issue. It can be setup to restrict certain PBX extensions from dialing a set of numbers while allowing others. For example this is useful if only a group of users are allowed and expected to make international calls while another group are to be restricted. Continue reading “Feature Highlight: PBX Restricted Numbers”
Audio plays an integral part in our lives. It can be a vessel for communication and a source of entertainment, among other things. In a call center ACD, audio is a vital portion of a center’s configuration. Continue reading “Audio Files in the Call Center ACD”
In previous posts I have covered configuration options for ACD Systems and their Queues. Without the proper data it is difficult to verify the staffing are proper and configuration is efficient. While looking at reports to determine what has happened in the past is a requirement of any system, knowing what is going on right now is just as important.
Maybe you have a light indicator showing calls coming into queues or the queue levels like the Phillips Hue this is a good indicator of what is going on but does not show a full picture. This is where an ACD Wallboard screen comes in, perhaps it’s a large screen on the wall or viewed via the admin interface by any and all managers.
An ACD Wallboard can show the following information:
Usually there is a row or box for each queue and coloring can be adjusted to highlight queues that are in good standing or a concern depending on the rules at hand. This this information easily at hand it is easy to quickly respond to changes in call volumes which require live changes.
I would just like to call attention to a few things I liked in the past week:
Justin Traer wrote “Security Hardening for Asterisk: Privilege Escalations with Dialplan Functions” describing how privilege escalation could be used in an Asterisk environment and steps that can prevent such a thing. Asterisk is close to my heart, so I think it’s an important post. Continue reading “Things I noticed this week”
In any multi-tenant call center software, tenants must be able to create, assign and configure their DIDs (Direct Inward Dial) in order to be able to receive calls and direct them appropriately. The DID itself is a convenient way to determine which way a call should be directed; to an IVR, for example, or a specific PBX extension. Software like the Indosoft Q-Suite can be configured to use a DID and a schedule to determine how and when a call should be directed, with the ability to specify a dialplan and queue during operational hours and an after hours dialplan for when the call center ACD is closed. Continue reading “Number management in Multi-tenant call center software”
Configuring an inbound IVR that takes advantage of queues and skills-based routing is a great building block in your call center ACD for Asterisk. Even though the flexibility of the Q-Suite’s dialplan builder is high, you may encounter situations where a single IVR just may not handle all of your desired scenarios. Campaign scheduling can help you solve these issues. Continue reading “Inbound Campaign Scheduling in the Call Center ACD”