Enable Auto Answer

8x8 Virtual Contact Center has improved the call handling efficiency of agents via Auto Answer. Using Auto Answer, every phone interaction that is offered to an agent is automatically connected eliminating the need to accept it manually. This new configurable option enhances agents’ efficiency by quickly connecting the calls and reducing the number of clicks an agent has to make. Auto Answer also helps prevent agents from rejecting or missing calls on their workplace phone. When in Auto Answer mode, agents receive an audio prompt to alert them of a call as it connects.

Note: Auto Answer is currently on limited availability. Contact 8x8 Support for more help.

Considerations when using Auto Answer:

• The agent’s audio may be connected before any visual notification is made on the screen for the interaction or any screen pop can be enabled.
• Direct Agent Access (DAA) or Direct Agent Routing (DAR) calls are only sent in an Auto Answer mode to an enabled agent if they are on an Available state.
• An Auto Answer agent with a post-processing time set to zero could potentially find themselves with a non-stop succession of calls.
• If a supervisor is in Auto Answer mode monitoring an agent who is not, the supervisor may be connected first, but the customer will continue to hear queue music or the ring tone until the agent is connected.
• Auto Answer is supported by Virtual Office desktop app, Virtual Office mobile app, and Bria softphone. If the device is not supported, then the system defaults to the standard manual answer.

• Auto Answer is currently supported by the Virtual Office desktop app. Support for the Bria softphone will follow for this feature in a later release. If the device is not supported, then the system defaults to the standard manual answer.

• The Auto Answer feature is visually indicated with an A in the phone tab which persists in all agent states.
  

  Note: If Auto Answer is enabled, the Answer Call button is absent in the user interface when agents are offered calls.

  Note: Auto Answer is only supported on line 1 for phone interactions.

  Enabling Auto Answer

  With Auto Answer, every phone interaction that is offered to an agent is automatically connected eliminating the need to accept it manually. If Auto Answer is provisioned for your tenant, you can enable it at the tenant level, agent group level, or agent level:

  To Enable Auto Answer at the Tenant Level

  1. In Configuration Manager, go to Home > Profile.
  2. Under Phone Connection Mode, choose On Demand or Persistent.
     Reset All allows you to standardize the default connection mode when there are different settings for this feature within the tenant, such as for agents or agent groups.

  3. Select Allow Agents to Change Phone Connection Mode if you want to enable all agents in the tenant to be able to change their connection mode.
     Reset All allows you to reset all agents and agent groups to the tenant setting.

  4. Select Enable Auto Answer. It enables Auto Answer at the tenant level for all agents.
     Reset All allows you to reset all agents and agent groups to the tenant setting for this feature. A confirmation message is presented to show the operation completed successfully.

     

  To Enable Auto Answer at the Agent Group Level

  1. In Configuration Manager, go to Agent Groups from the main menu.
  2. Click to edit or create a new agent group.
  3. Under Phone Connection Mode, choose On Demand or Persistent.
     Reset All allows you to standardize the default connection mode for all when there are different settings for it within the agent group. For example, you see Reset All if you have enabled agents to choose their mode. Reset All is not available when all settings are the same.
  4. Select Allow Agents to Change Phone Connection Mode if you want to enable all agents at the agent group to change their connection mode.
  5. Select Enable Auto Answer. It enables Auto Answer at the Agent Groups level for all agents. A confirmation message is presented to show the operation completed successfully.

     

     Note: Auto Answer is visible at the Agent Groups level only if you have enabled it at the tenant level.

  To Enable Auto Answer at the Agent Level

  1. In Configuration Manager, go to Agents page.
  2. Click to edit or create a new agent and open the General tab.
  3. Under Phone Connection Mode, choose On Demand or Persistent.
  4. Select Allow Agents to Change Phone Connection Mode if you want to enable this agent to change their connection mode.

  5. Select Enable Auto Answer to allow agents answer their calls using the Auto Answer feature. Auto Answer is visible at the Agent level only if it is enabled at the tenant and Agent Group level.

     

  6. In Agent Console, when Auto Answer is enabled for the agent, the agent is notified of their new status as soon as they log in.
     

     Auto Answer is visually indicated with an A in the phone tab. This persists in all agent states.

     

  Combinations for Persistent Connection Mode and Auto Answer Settings

  Auto Answer can be combined with the Persistent feature to create an on/off combination of the two features. Auto Answer settings combined with Persistent can be configured at multiple levels depending on the features availability:

  Connection	Behavior
  Persistent Off, Auto Answer Off	Phone Connection Mode is On Demand and Auto Answer is off, so the agent needs to answer the phone for every phone interaction.
  Persistent Off, Auto Answer On	Phone Connection Mode is On Demand and Auto Answer is on, so the agent phone automatically connects, and the interaction is auto answered when offered.
  Persistent On, Auto Answer Off	Phone Connection Mode is Persistent, so the agent media path is always connected but for every phone interaction the agent needs to click the Accept button.
  Persistent On, Auto Answer On	Phone Connection Mode is Persistent, so the agent media path is always connected, and the interaction is auto answered when offered.

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