Handle calls

With 8x8 Frontdesk, a receptionist can manage up to ten concurrent calls.

Receive calls

  1. When you receive a call, the Call Panel area shows the incoming call.
  2. Click to accept the call.
  3. After speaking with the caller, select one of the following options:
    • Transfer the call without consulting (cold transfer).
    • Consult via call/chat and transfer the call (warm transfer).
    • Transfer to voicemail.
    • Drag and drop a contact onto the active call to initiate the transfer and transfer to voicemail.
    • Initiate a chat with the person on the call directly from the call card by clicking the Chat icon.

For internal calls, the incoming and active call banner includes Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) details, making it easier to identify which extension or service was dialed.

Note: This feature is currently on Limited Availability (LA). For feature enablement, contact us at [email protected].

8x8 Work Frontdesk screen showing an active call with caller name, extension, and source label displayed

When a call arrives through an AI Receptionist configured in 8x8 AI Studio, an AI-generated summary appears automatically in the Call Control panel. You can review the summary before you answer to see why the caller is calling and any details they already provided, such as their account number.

Before you answer

  • Check the AI-generated summary in the Call Control panel to understand the caller's intent and any information they have already provided.

    Agent reviewing AI Studio call transfer and forward summary in AI Summary panel in 8x8 Frontdesk

After you answer

  • When you accept the call, the Active Call Control panel opens automatically alongside the caller summary. Check the summary for any additional context before responding to the caller.

    AI Studio summary panel displaying call transfer routing details during an active call on hold in 8x8 Frontdesk

When a caller is transferred

  • The caller summary transfers with the call to another user, a call queue, or a ring group. The summary and any details already collected are preserved, so the next agent does not need to ask the caller to repeat themselves.

    AI Studio summary panel confirming call transfer to reception destination during an active transferred call

As a receptionist, you may need to juggle multiple tasks at the front desk, receiving and directing calls, attending to guests in person, and more. It helps if you can silence an incoming call and minimize the noise, while you are busy attending to another task. In this release, we are introducing the ability to silence incoming calls.

Here are classic scenarios where silencing incoming calls may come in handy:

  • Frontdesk employees at a hotel reception need to greet guests in person while at the counter. As they cannot decline incoming calls, the calls keep ringing and the noise may disrupt the focus of other receptionists who may be busy on other calls.
  • When receptionists notice incoming spam calls, they do not want to waste time by answering them. As they cannot decline calls on 8x8 Frontdesk, the ringing noise from these calls may be disturbing.

With the ability to silence incoming calls, you can be more efficient on the job. If you receive an incoming call when busy, click the icon on the top right corner of the calling list to silence the call. You will stop hearing the ringing, allowing you to focus on the task at hand. Once you are free, simply click to answer the call.

Note: Silenced calls stay silent until the next incoming call. With every new incoming call, the silenced calls resume ringing. You need to silence the ringing calls again.

Let’s say you receive calls from a caller who typically wishes to speak to a specific contact. If you know the destination of an incoming call, simply drag and drop the contact record from the directory to the incoming call card. Click for a cold transfer. The call is transferred to the selected contact.

Receptionists can quickly decline incoming calls from Call Queues, Contact Center (CC) queues, Ring Groups, or Auto Attendants to ensure calls continue to be handled efficiently.

When Should You Decline a Call?

If you are a receptionist receiving calls from Call Queues, Contact Center (CC) queues, Ring Groups, or Auto Attendant, and you are unable to answer an incoming call, you can quickly decline it.

What happens when you decline a call:

  • Routes the call automatically to the next available agent in the Call Queue, CC queue, or Ring Group.
  • Returns the call to the Auto Attendant if no agents are available.

How to Decline an Incoming Call

  • Click Decline in the Call Panel area.

Or

  • Click Decline on the incoming call card.

This ensures calls are managed efficiently and reduces caller wait times, maintaining a smooth experience for callers.

Click Decline to route the call automatically to the next available agent or return it to the Auto Attendant.

You now have the ability to record calls selectively. If you are on a call and you are required to record the conversation, you can immediately start recording the call.

To start/stop recording a specific call:

  1. From the active call card, click , and select Record.
  2. To stop recording the call, click , and select Stop Recording.

You can access your recording from the Call Recordings tab.

Note: The caller is notified that the call is recorded, and a recording indicator is visible on the call card.