PhonePresence Call Centre Feature Details

The Call Centre Edition of PhonePresence offers a comprehensive array of features with the additional flexibility of online administration, supervision and reporting facilities. Where appropriate, links to more detailed PhonePresence Call Centre feature descriptions are provided.

Feature Categories

Capacity Users 1 - 9999 Groups (Departments) 1 - 9999 VoIP Softphones 1 - 9999 Inbound Main Numbers As Required 0871 10ppm Flat Rate National Number - Revenue Generating 0844 5ppm Flat Rate Lo-Call National - Revenue Neutral 0800 0808 0ppm Freephone Number +44870 Internationally Accessible UK National Rate Number 0207 London Number Use of PhonePresence with Existing Inbound Connections Inbound Direct Dial Numbers for Users 1 - 9999 Target Phone Numbers per User 8 + VoIP Number Simultaneous Calls 60 (1200) Call Recording Retention Time 3 Month Standard

Call Handling Greeting Message Departmental Selection Menu Personnel Selection Menu Automated Attendant (Dial Extension Number) Customizable IVR Trees Inbound and Outbound Call Recording Call Transfer Advice Call Reject Option (Answering Machine Detection) Call Queuing to Departments Flexible Call Queuing Reassurance Call Queue Monitor / Wallboard Queue Position Announcements Jump from Queue Options Overflow Queues and Groups ACD Distribution Patterns Skills Based Routing Agent Status Monitor / Wallboard SMS and Email Missed Call Alerts Caller Number Routing and Messaging Voice Noticeboard Transfer to Landlines Transfer to Mobiles Transfer to VoIP Phones Group Simultaneous Ringing Call Blending Screen Popping Hold Caller (Mute) Music on Hold Transfer Caller to Other User or Dept. Auto Timer for Night, Lunch, Weekend Modes Holiday Timers PIN Controlled Access Dynamic Route Selection for Failover Speech Recognition Call Scripting / Data Capture Optional Database Integration Optional

Voicemail Departmental Mailboxes Personal Mailboxes Customized Greetings Automated Voicemail Transfer (Users) Automated Voicemail after Too Long in Queue (Depts) Time of Day / Calendar Voicemail SMS Paging of New Messages Web Access to Messages Email Forwarding of Messages as Attachments Dial in to Retrieve Messages New and Saved Messages Time and Date of Message Arrival Multi-Part Messages / Data Capture

User Control By Phone By Web Log in/out of Numbers Log in/out of Groups   Access Voicemail Messages Record Voicemail Greeting and Name Change Numbers (e.g. Mobile Number)   Create Temporary Login Number View Recent Missed and Received Calls   Send SMS to Users and Groups   Change Password

System Administrator Control By Phone By Web Agent Activity Reports   Agent Activity Monitor PC Based Call Monitoring (Optional)   Conversation Recording Override Auto Timer Change Timer Settings   Record System Messages Administer Groups and Members   View Inbound Call Traffic Reports   View Outbound Call Traffic Reports (from VoIP Phones)   Change Control Panel Visual Settings   Change User Details and Passwords

Users		1 - 9999
	Each user of the PhonePresence system can be allocated a set of existing phone numbers which the system will try and contact them on - this could be their mobile number, home number etc. A user also gets a voicemail box, a unique logon to the web interface and they can also have their own VoIP phone. When someone calls your main number, the user can be selected from a menu, by name, for example or they may be called as a member of a distribution group.

Groups (Departments)		1 - 9999
	A Group is typically a call distribution group that will allow inbound calls to be distributed evenly or on another basis to the logged in members. Users can be members of more than one group which means they can receive calls according to their particular skill set. Groups can also be used for other purposes an administrator can contact all members of a group by leaving a voicemail or sending a text message, for example. Groups can be used to route incoming calls from the group members in a particular way. Each group can have a dedicated administrator with access rights only to their own groups.

VoIP Accounts		1 - 9999
	VoIP, or Voice Over IP, is the technology by which phone calls use the Internet for all or part of their route, thus reducing or eliminating call costs. Businesses are gradually becoming aware of the savings offered by VoIP, though some have reservations about the resilience and quality of connections that are dependant on the quality of Internet connections and will only use VoIP over dedicated data circuits or with QOS (Quality of Service) implemented to reserve bandwidth on existing connections. PhonePresence is fully VoIP enabled and every user on the system has a VoIP account by default, regardless of whether or not you choose to use this. Each user may download the free X-on softphone, or a range of VoIP handsets are available. PhonePresence incorporates several features to increase the resilience of a VoIP based system, including automatic and manual switching of calls between VoIP and landlines or mobiles so even a complete Internet failure will not result in loss of call traffic. VoIP also gives cost saving on outbound calls, typically a quarter of standard BT rates, and the ability to call other X-on VoIP users for free which can give big savings for multisite companies and distributed workforces.

Inbound Main Number
PhonePresence gives your company a choice of inbound numbers depending on your policy, budget, and how you would like to present yourself to your callers. PhonePresence may be also used with existing inbound numbers, geographic or non-geographic:
0871	10ppm Flat Rate National Number - Revenue Generating 0871 numbers are charged to the caller at 8.5p a minute plus VAT or 10p a minute including VAT at all times. This is slightly more than a BT National Rate call (current peak rate 7.91p). Some of the revenue from this covers the cost of the outbound call and service, and a share can be paid to you as revenue or to offset the monthly rental charge, depending on the amount of phone traffic you have. An 0871 number is not a premium rate number and can be dialled from all land-lines and mobiles. Experience demonstrates that customers are as prepared to dial an 0871 number as they are to dial any other 08 or National Rate number. 0871 numbers can be dialled from the UK and some European countries, however if you are receiving a lot of international calls, you should consider an +44870 number.
0844	5ppm Flat Rate Lo-Call National Number - Revenue Neutral 0844 numbers are charged to the caller at 4.25p a minute plus VAT or 5p a minute including VAT at all times. If your calls are transferred largely to UK landlines, the revenue from the number will cover the cost of the outbound call, so the cost of the service will only be the monthly rental. 0844 is the number of choice for organizations such as Health Authorities where a low flat cost is considered a fair option for the consumer. 0844 numbers can be dialled from the UK and some European countries, however if you are receiving a lot of international calls, you should consider an +44870 number.
0800 0808	0ppm Freephone Number 080 Freephone numbers cost the caller nothing, although some mobile operators make charges for dialling an 080 from a mobile. You pay all the call charges. 080 numbers show your commitment to customer service and are often used as sales numbers. However, they can only be dialled from the UK, so if you are taking a lot of international calls, you should consider an 0870, or an international Freephone number.
+44870	Internationally Accessible UK National Rate Number This is a good choice if you are receiving traffic from overseas. 0870 numbers are accessible thoughout the globe by first dialling the UK National Prefix +44. Different rates may apply from different countries. The rates for dialling 0870 numbers in the UK will be changing in 2008.
0207	London Number If you specifically require a London presence, PhonePresence can provide you with a London number regardless of your actual location. A London number is also a good choice if you wish to direct existing calls, for example from a Non-Geographic (08) number that you already have published, or via a redirect of a Geographic number. If these do not apply, it is more economic to choose a new Non-Geographic number such as 0844.

Use of PhonePresence with Existing Inbound Connections
	For companies looking to use the benefits of PhonePresence but keep their existing numbers and phone connections, a gateway can be used to allow inbound and outbound call traffic to be routed to the PhonePresence data centre for processing. Calls are then routed back to handsets or VoIP devices as needed.

Direct Dial Numbers for Users

Each PhonePresence user is automatically assigned a direct dial 070 number. An 070 is a 'Personal Number'. It costs a bit more than a normal mobile number (50p/min) for the caller to dial, but there is no charge from PhonePresence for transferring calls to any number, including International or mobile. There are many benefits, such as where staff members do not wish to reveal their personal or mobile numbers to callers but still wish to be available for company calls. VoIP users and home workers can make calls that originate from their Direct Dial number. This is useful in protecting privacy and assigning call costs to the company without complex accounting.

Target PhoneNumbers per User		8 + VoIP Number
	Each PhonePresence User can 'register' several contact numbers which the system will use when it tries to connect a call to them. By default, these are labeled a 'mobile', 'work', 'home' and 'temporary' number, though in practice you can put any phone number in these slots. Users can log-in to the number that they are nearby at any time. This will affect both direct and group calls. Logging in to a number can either be done using the secure area of the PhonePresence web site, for which each user has a unique account and password. Or, on the move, the current number can be quickly selected by calling in.

Simultaneous Callers		60 (1200)
	The PhonePresence servers have the capacity for thousands of simultaneous phone calls. Your account manager will discuss your required capacity with you when you discuss your system configuration and this is set by default to 60 unless more has been agreed.

Greeting Message
	Callers to each number on the PhonePresence system may be greeted by a professional company message. This can vary with time of day, and you can even specify a particular message for known groups of callers. The greeting message, along with all messages on PhonePresence are in high quality format and can be recorded by a member of your staff or an X-on professionally trained voice artist.

Departmental Selection Menu

Depending on how you want PhonePresence configured, you can then present the caller with a list of departments to choose from, such as Sales, Customer Support, etc. There is no limit to the number of departments that can be chosen, nor levels of menu that can be created to access these. A department may be routed to a group of users, a voicemail box or information service. Since users can be members of a number of departments, this allows sophisticated skill based routing to be set up.

Personnel Selection Menu
	If you wish, you can also give callers the option to choose people by name, so they can reach the person they want to call directly, without having to know which phone number they are currently using. Individuals can choose whether or not to be included in this list of people to be accessed directly.

Automated Attendant
	Another option is 'Automated Attendant' which invites the caller to enter the extension number of the person they wish to contact. Each user will be allocated an extension number according to a dial plan that you advise - it can be 2, 3 or 4 digits. Extension numbers can also be used to access users directly when using VoIP extensions.

Customizable IVR Trees
	Unlimited menus may be linked together to provide self-selection routing or information services to callers. Menus and associated voice files may be configured from a web interface and quickly changed in real time.

Inbound and Outbound Call Recording

PhonePresence maybe configured to record all inbound calls for regulatory or training purposes. Alternatively, call recording can be configured for particular groups or individuals or 'on-demand' so that a recording of a particularly difficult call can be saved. Recordings are archived in compressed mp3 files and available immediately on the web. PhonePresence includes by default a complete call recording service, usually requiring equipment costing thousands. Outbound recordings can be made, either automatically when dialling from VoIP handsets or by dialling a prefix number. Using the latter method, call recordings can even be made of mobile phone conversations. Recordings are kept on the PhonePresence system for 3 months as standard, but longer can be arranged for a modest data storage fee.

Call Transfer Advice

When a user receives a call from the PhonePresence system, they will hear a brief introduction message, sometimes known as a 'whisper' message, before the caller is transferred. By default, this will be the name of the department that the caller has chosen (e.g. "sales call") or, if the caller has selected the user directly, "direct call". You can re-record the Call Transfer Advice messages as you wish. Call transfer advice can be linked to the number the caller dialled, the group they chose from the menu or the number they are calling from, giving the maximum information prior to taking the call. Where staff are taking business calls on phones that are also used for domestic purposes, this feature is very useful so that the correct response can be given to the caller.

Call Reject Option (Answering Machine Detection)

In additional to the Call Transfer Advice, the user taking the call may also be given the option not to take it, or in practice they are required to press a key to complete the transfer. If they choose not to take the call, the caller is transferred to the next person in the group, or to voicemail if it is a personal call. This feature is also useful if the user's phone has a personal answering machine or mobile voicemail set up. When PhonePresence tries to transfer the call and the Voicemail Answers, it does not get the positive instruction to transfer and instead the call continues to be processed. Call Reject is not configured by default, but can be easily set up from the web control panel by the system administrator. The Call Reject option is given after the transfer advice so the user will have information on the call before deciding whether to take it.

Call Queuing to Departments

If all the people logged on to a department are busy on other calls when a call arrives, you can allow callers to be queued. While they queue, they will hear music on hold and you can limit the maximum wait before the caller is sent to voicemail. As callers wait in the queue, they can be presented with a flexible series of reassurance messages to apologize for waiting and advise of waiting times. There is the option of playing the position in queue and to 'jump out' of the queue, for example to leave a message and be called back later. Managing call queues effectively increases customer satisfaction and retention. The PhonePresence Call Centre edition includes load balancing, wallboards and call blending for enhanced call queueing management.

Call Queue Monitor / Wallboard
	Live real time call queue statistics can be projected onto a wallboard or plasma TV screen within the call centre. A live wallboard can improve teamwork, enhancing productivity and freeing supervisors from manually monitoring call handling performance. The wallboard displays one or more statistical windows using chosen performance criteria.

ACD Distribution Patterns

As callers reach the front of the queue, they can be transferred to users or 'agents' according to distribution patterns that ensure their enquiry is dealt with efficiently, quickly and by the right person or the person with the nearest matching skill set. Calls can be distributed according to agent availability, or in order to even out workload or a mixture of these. Overflow groups can be set to take calls at busy times, when queue lengths or waiting times are exceeded and a cascading of overflow groups can be arranged.

Agent Status Monitor / Wallboard

Live real time agent status parameters can be projected onto a wallboard or plasma TV screen within the call centre. Information such as logged in / out / do not disturb / on a call / in wrap-up etc. can be displayed. A live wallboard can improve teamwork, enhancing productivity and freeing supervisors from manually monitoring agent performance. The wallboard displays one or more statistical windows using chosen performance criteria.

SMS and Email Missed Call Alerts
	Individual users can be programmed to received alerts regarding missed calls, even if the caller did not leave a voicemail message. Alerts can be delivered by either email, text message or both.

Caller Number Routing and Messaging

Routing calls according to the caller's CLI number (the number they are calling from) can provide some useful automation tools for call handling. For example, in a support centre, a group of customers may be experiencing an outage of a network resource. When they call, they can be identified and played a specific update message, or sent to a voice noticeboard giving real time information on the incident. Customers requesting support who have exceeded their credit limit can be transferred automatically to the Accounts department. Priority customers can be sent to particular distribution groups, or given priority in call queues.

Voice Noticeboard

PhonePresence Call Centre edition can incorporate one or more VoiceBank voice noticeboards into the call flow, accessed from menu choices or particular numbers. A voice noticeboard allows messages on company activities or events, or emergency information, to be regularly updated by supervisors so callers are kept in touch. An example application may be a sales line or system status information. For more information, review X-on Voicebank.

Call Blending - Integration with Outbound Predictive Dialling (Optional)
	Predictive diallers improve the efficiency of agents by use of sophisticated software which predicts when an agent will become available and dials a contact's number in advance of the agent finishing their current call. The software can also match agent to call in terms of their skill set or integrate with a database to target specific groups or time based goals.

Screen Popping

Caller data can appear on a call centre terminal at the same time as the call is transferred. PhonePresence can access the records for callers from an existing database, or who have called previously, and display that information prior to answering on the workstation of the agent receiving the call. Customer fields are populated in advance of speaking with the caller thereby improving agent efficiency and caller satisfaction.

Hold Caller (Mute)
	Whatever type of phone the caller has been taken on, the caller can be put on hold (and taken off hold) using the star key. The caller will hear music on hold and not be able to hear you until retrieved.

Call Transfer

There will be times when a call is best handled by someone else. As you would expect with any phone system, you can transfer an incoming call. And, unlike most phone systems, you don't have to remember their extension or phone number. When you press a key to make the transfer, you will get a list of personnel or departments just as the caller did originally - PhonePresence knows which phone they are logged in with. PhonePresence supports 'blind transfers' (when you make the transfer and hang up before waiting for the outcome) and 'supervised transfers' (when you speak to the person you are transferring the caller to first). A list of valid transfer extensions is automatically created, which includes people (logged on at their current extension) and departments. Unlike most systems, the transfer mechanism is exactly the same whether the call has been answered on a landline, mobile or VoIP phone.

Timers

PhonePresence can be programmed to switch into a different mode automatically with a seven day auto timer. Different timers may be set up for each connected number or department. The options given to callers in this mode can be different from the day time, and may be just as simple as giving a 'we're closed' message or taking a voicemail message. You can also program holidays in advance, so the system doesn't automatically go in to day mode on Christmas Day, for example.

Dynamic Route Selection for Failover

When calls are delivered to your phones or VoIP extensions, PhonePresence makes a decision as to which route to use to ensure that a single point of failure on the network does not interrupt your phone traffic. An example may be that you program to receive calls on VoIP over the Internet and there is a major Internet failure. PhonePresence can switch calls to the BT network or mobiles. Even mid-call diversion is supported so a call can be connected to another route if it is broken. On outbound calls made by VoIP or dial-through, multiple routes and connections ensure that a quality service is maintained.

Speech Recognition
	Callers can use voice commands to help move through your phone menu. This makes menu navigation even easier for your callers and enhances your business image with increasingly professional customer call handling. PhonePresence Call Centre Edition offers flexible and comprehensive Speech Recognition facilities allowing callers to respond to menu prompts with a large variety of commands.

Call Scripting / Data Capture (Optional)

Call Scripting improves the consistency of agents by use of pre-determined call flows and scripts. Scripting guides the agent through each step of taking the call, gathering the required information for input into a database, or for immediate dispatch to processing centres. This reduces the likelihood of agent error and simplifies the task of extracting necessary information from the caller, particularly in conjunction with the screen popping facility. Agent satisfaction and efficiency is increased as the call handling procedures are clearly defined.

Database Integration (Optional)
	PhonePresence Call Centre can be integrated into an existing database. The database can accessed by the system to provide agents with advance caller information and to populate scripts. The database is updated as agents retrieve caller information, whether new or additional, which can be later used to populate agent on-screen information.

Departmental Mailboxes

Each department can have a voicemail box. Calls may be diverted to the box when it has not been possible to find someone to transfer them to, or outside hours, for example. A group of people are responsible for listening to 'departmental' messages, which will appear as new messages in their personal voicemail boxes. Messages will be identified separately from personal messages, so a sales message will be prefixed "sales message", for example. Once one person has heard the message, it will appear as 'saved' in the other mailboxes in the group. All the features you would expect in a voicemail system are included, including the ability to save messages, hear when they arrived etc.

User Mailboxes
	A personal voicemail box is available for each user on the system, for when they cannot be contacted. A personal mailbox can be used to replace the standard voicemail available on a mobile phone, for example, and work in the same way. Users can record and change their personal mailbox greeting via the phone or via their personal web login.

SMS Paging of New Messages
	Mobile users can receive a text message to alert them of a new voicemail (per message charges apply - see prices). They can then dial in to retrieve them.

Email Paging of New Messages

Messages can be sent as email attachments to a predetermined email list for each departmental or personal voicemail box. They are .wav or .mp3 files which can be played on any PC with a sound system, through Windows Media Player for example. Once you've listened to a message, you can click on a link within to accept that you've heard it, which will flag it as saved - particularly important for Departmental Messages which may be sent to a number of people.

Multi-Part Messages / Data Capture

For some types of messages, it is important to get the information accurately and in the correct order. An example is taking orders and addresses from customers. PhonePresence can be configured to take messages as a series of questions and answers from the caller. Answers may be spoken, or typed on the keypad as numeric data, or even alpha numeric using a text message style input. The complete data entry is validated prior to being submitted for processing on an email or as an FTP document.

Agent Activity Reports

Reports on agent activity are available to supervisors. These are accessible via email or the web and can be downloaded to a variety of formats including PDFs and exported to Word and Excel compatible formats. Graphical agent utilization reports allow supervisors to quickly identify agents performing outside of their target range. The reports can be tailored to provide statistics on various aspects of agent performance and call handling, allowing supervisors to assess and improve call centre efficiency.

Agent Activity Monitor

The Supervisor Console is a Windows based application that runs on the PC of a Call Centre Supervisor providing instant visual feedback of the handling of inbound calls. The activity of individual agents taking calls can be monitored in real time, providing supervisors with statistics and an overview of call handling efficiency. Information such as logged in / out / do not disturb / on a call / in wrap-up etc. are easily accessible.

Supervisor Call Monitoring (Optional)

Supervisors can access live calls from any location allowing them to monitor agent performance directly. By listening to inbound/outbound calls the supervisor can make immediate adjustments to agent call handling. Supervisors can be in any location needing only access to a touch-tone phone to listen-in on agent conversations. Entering the agent's ID via the keypad permits access to the desired agent.

Conversation Recording
	Conversations can be recorded and stored for up to 3 months. This allows supervisors to review at a later date facilitating recommendations for improvements to call handling procedures. Conversations are accessible by telephone or the PhonePresence web interface providing supervisors with the ability to hear the calls from any location.

Login and out of Numbers
	By phone, users can quickly log in to or out of a previously assigned number, such as a mobile. If the calling number is available, the user does not have to enter it and can just opt to 'use the current number'. A temporary number can also be entered.
	The same can be done by logging in to the web site. All changes have effect in real time:

Login and out of Groups
	Each user has the option to make themselves a member of the groups on the system:

Access Voicemail Messages
	You can dial it to check voicemail messages and change your greeting at any time through the special PhonePresence access number.
	Messages can also be played directly from your PC after logging in:

View Recent and Missed Calls
	All PhonePresence reports can be downloaded to a variety of formats including PDF's and exported to Word and Excel compatible formats. PhonePresence Call Centre includes a full set of reports on inbound and outbound call activity, including a real time 'interim invoice' on call spend and revenue. A recent call report is available to each user:

Send SMS to Users and Groups
	This is a useful feature whereby a quick text message can be sent by logging on to the PhonePresence web site. The same message can be sent to a group of users:

Auto Timer Settings
	The administrator can set the auto timer which controls how calls are processed: