Change connection mode

By selecting the Phone Connection mode, agents can set up their voice connection before beginning to handle phone calls and remain connected throughout their working day. Agents can respond to incoming and outbound phone calls with a simple click on the user interface improving their call handling efficiency. If the administrator allows agents to change their Phone Connection mode, agents can choose one of the following modes in 8x8 Agent WorkspaceClosedThe brand new interface for 8x8 Contact Center agents to receive and process customer interactions.: 

  • On Demand: On Demand Connection Mode creates a temporary connection from the agent’s workplace phone to the system. The agents have to manually accept the call on their soft or hard phone.
  • Persistent: Persistent Connection mode creates a constant connection from the agent’s workplace phone to the system. Once the connection is open, it will stay active until logged out. Any changes to the setting will remain in effect for the whole duration of the agent’s Persistent Connection mode. Agents set up their voice connection before they start working on calls and remain connected throughout their working day. It allows them to respond to incoming and outbound phone calls with a simple click on the user interface, improving their call handling efficiency.

Note: There is no audio prompt or audio indication for Persistent Connection mode.

Features

  • Agents can immediately and seamlessly connect to customers.
  • Offers a Persistent Connection mode from the agent's device to 8x8 Contact Center that is ready for outbound dialing.
  • Removes the need to connect the agent's workplace phone for every call handled.
  • Increases productivity from a higher throughput of calls.

Persistent Connection mode must be enabled by your tenant administrator. Once enabled, agents can see their connection mode in 8x8 AgentClosedAgents use the Agent Console to view and manage customer interactions. Virtual Contact Center supports Regular agents and Supervisor agents. Workspace under My Profile > Connection mode.

To change your Phone Connection mode in 8x8 Agent Workspace:

  1. Log in to 8x8 Agent Workspace.
  2. Click the status menu option and change your status to Work Offline.
  3. Go to My Profile > Connection mode.

  4. Click to change the Connection mode to Persistent Connection mode or On Demand.

    Note: You must be in Work offline mode and have the change permission granted to you by the tenant administrator.

  5. Click Save settings. A confirmation message notifies you of the status change.
  6. Click Confirm and change your status to Available to receive calls.
  7. If you have selected Persistent Connection mode, a message indicates your new connection. Click Connect Voice to receive a phone call.
  8. Answer the phone call to receive a four-digit PIN code to authenticate the Persistent Connection mode. This PIN is valid only for that session or while the phone is connected. There is no audio prompt or audio indication for Persistent Connection mode.
  9. When disconnected, a message indicates that the Persistent connection is dropped. Click Retry to connect. You receive a phone call to authenticate again.

If permitted by the administrator, agents can select the connection mode in their profile. Once the Persistent Connection mode is established and you receive an inbound call, the phone tab blinks red. Answer the call from the Control Panel and get connected right away without shifting focus to your desk phone or softphone.

To work with Persistent Connection mode:

  1. Log in to 8x8 Agent Workspace. If the Persistent Connection mode is selected, it triggers an outbound call from 8x8 Contact Center to agent's Workplace Phone or Workplace SIP URI.
  2. Follow the instructions and enter the authentication PIN code.
  3. Click Connect. Your Persistent Connection mode is open and ready to receive calls.
  4. Your status changes to Available automatically.
  5. Accept the offered calls to instantly connect to the inbound call, or hear 8x8 Contact Center ringing the customer for the outbound calls. Your status changes to Busy.
  6. If you click Work Offline or Break, the Persistent Connection mode will remain connected as long as you do not hang up the agent's phone.

  7. If you Log out or hang up the agent's phone, you lose your connection. You need to connect to the Persistent Connection mode next time you log in.

Combinations for 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 Connection mode can be configured at multiple levels depending on the feature's 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's phone connects on demand, 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 must accept the call.
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.