Overview of conference calls

An 8x8 Contact Center agent can bring another agent or an external party into a conference call. For example, an agent may want to consult the case with another agent or supervisor who is an expert while the customer is present on the phone. You can create a conference at any time between an active call and another agent, or an external party by pressing the Join Lines soft key.

8x8 Agent Console8x8 Contact Center's browser-based graphical user interface (GUI) used by Agents to manage customer interactions. uses line 1 to conduct a multi-party conference, and line 2 to connect each additional participant. Each time you connect a new participant to the conference, 8x8 AgentAgents use the Agent Console to view and manage customer interactions. Virtual Contact Center supports Regular agents and Supervisor agents. Console automatically connects the new participant to line 1. Line 2 becomes available to connect additional conference participants.

8x8 Agent Console allows you to set up multi-party conference calls. During a conference call, you can:

• Add agents to a conference call
• Add external parties to a conference call
• Remove agents from a conference call

Add agents to a conference call

In 8x8 Contact Center, perform the following procedure to add another agent who is logged in to 8x8 Agent Console to a conference call. The agent's status must be either Available or Working Offline.

To add an agent to a conference call:

1. Announce to the current caller that you are going to add them to a multi-party conference call.
2. Open the Phone tab, and click line 2.
   
   8x8 Agent Console automatically places line 1 on hold.
3. Click the Agents tab to view a list of agents currently logged in to 8x8 Agent Console, whose status is either Available (shown as Waiting in the list) or Working Offline.
4. In the list of agents, select an agent, then click Make a call.
   
   8x8 Agent Console submits a new phone interaction to the selected agent. After the phone has been answered, the sound of a human or recorded voice enables the Join Lines feature.
5. If you receive the agent's voicemail, click End Call to disconnect the call and return to line 1.
6. If the agent answers, tell the agent that you are adding them to a conference, then click Join Lines.
   
   8x8 Agent Console connects the agent and you to any conference participants already on line 1.
7. Click End Call to disconnect from the conference.
   8x8 Agent Console leaves the other parties connected to the conference call.

Add external parties to a conference call

In 8x8 Contact Center, agents can add an external party to a conference call. Notify the current caller, dial the external number, and click Join Lines once the line is answered.

To add an external party to a conference call:

1. Announce to the current caller that you are going to add them to a multi-party conference call.
2. Open the Phone tab, and click line 2.
   
   8x8 Agent Console automatically places line 1 on hold.
3. In the number text entry area, type a telephone number, and then click Dial.
   • In the United States, type 1 before the area code.
   • If 8x8 Agent Console prompts you to choose a Transaction CodeThe Transaction Codes feature enables agents to supply supplemental information about the reason for or outcome of an interaction. Transaction codes provide enhanced metrics or enable the calling line ID on an outbound call to be modified. For example, transaction codes could be created for different categories of sales activities such as Initial Contact, Prospect, Customer Satisfied, and so on., in the list of codes, choose a code, then click Save. For details about choosing Transaction Codes, see our content on how to select transaction codes.
   8x8 Agent Console dials the number. After the phone has been answered, the sound of a human or recorded voice enables the Join Lines feature.
4. If you receive the agent's voicemail, click End Call to disconnect the call and return to line 1.
5. If a person answered the phone, tell them that you are adding them to a conference call, and then click Join Lines.
   
   8x8 Agent Console connects both the new participant and you to any callers already on line 1.
6. Click End Call to disconnect from the conference.
   8x8 Agent Console leaves the other parties connected to the conference call.

See Also