What’s new for 8x8 Contact Center agents in October?

In this release of 8x8 Agent WorkspaceClosedThe brand new interface for 8x8 Contact Center agents to receive and process customer interactions., we have introduced the following enhancement:

New call card for Monitoring agents

Supervisors monitoring an agent can now see a call card at the top of the Control Panel when a monitoring call is presented. The call card indicates that the call is for monitoring purposes. With this enhancement, supervisors can choose which calls to monitor.

Notes:
- When using 8x8 AgentClosedAgents use the Agent Console to view and manage customer interactions. Virtual Contact Center supports Regular agents and Supervisor agents. Workspace softphone, when a call is offered for monitoring, the softphone will continue to ring until the call is rejected or the agent ends the call.
- The call card for monitoring displays even when your status is Work Offline or On Break.
- When using Auto Answer, monitored calls will be auto-answered in 8x8 Agent Workspace.

To monitor agents:

  1. Log in to 8x8 Agent Workspace. Only supervisor accounts can access the monitoring features in 8x8 Agent Workspace.
  2. From the Display Panel, click Monitoring .
    -OR-
    From the Control Panel, click Show menu > Monitoring.
  3. From the Monitoring window, click the Agent Management tab.
    The page lists the groups you selected in the Setup tab.
  4. To begin monitoring, click Monitor in the header area.

  5. Click under the Action column for the agent you wish to monitor.
    -OR-
    Click an agent's name to view the monitoring controls.
  6. Click Start Monitoring.
  7. A call card displays in the Control Panel and your supervisor phone starts ringing.
  8. Accept the call to listen in.
  9. Perform one of the following tasks:
    1. To end monitoring the call, click Finish Monitoring or click End monitoring from the Control Panel.
    2. To participate in the call, click Join Call. End the call when done.

For more information, see Monitor agents.

What’s new for 8x8 Contact Center agents in September?

In this release of 8x8 Agent Workspace, we have introduced the following enhancements:

Introducing support for Video Elevation

Video Elevation is an integrated solution that allows 8x8 Contact Center agents to establish a one-way video connection with customers in need of assistance. With this feature, as an agent, you can switch from a phone interaction to a one-way video interaction with a few clicks. This new feature ensures you can get a clear visual of the customer’s problem by extending a video call invitation to gather all the information necessary for a quick call resolution. The customer can simply click the link received from you via SMS to establish the video connection, without having to install any software.

Note: The live video feed shared by the customer can only be viewed by the agent and the customer. The customer cannot see the agent during the video interaction.

Let’s say Pat is a customer support specialist at AcmeJets, a window shutter manufacturer. Pat receives a call from Blake, a customer, claiming that the recently installed shutters cannot close. To get a clear understanding of the problem, Pat decides to elevate the conversation to video and sends out an meeting link to Blake’s mobile phone. Blake accepts the invitation and Pat can now see the window shutters installed. With the camera pointing at the shutters, Blake tries to close them. Pat notices that a safety pin is preventing the shutters from closing. After instructing Blake on the correct removal of the safety pin, the shutters work as intended. The interaction ends successfully without having to escalate to an expert or dispatch a technician to the customer’s location.

 

Options available to agents while using Video Elevation:

  • Start recording : Use this option to record the video feed from the customer’s camera. An audible alert plays to inform the parties that the session is recorded.
  • Take a screenshot remotely : Use this option to take a screenshot of the customer’s screen (video feed). The customer is not notified that a screenshot has been taken.
  • Ask for location : Use this option to prompt the customer to share their current location. If the client allows you to see their current location, a Google Maps view displays in the lower left corner of the screen. This location is then stored in the Notes section on the control panel in Agent Workspace, and the CRM.
  • Swap camera remotely : Use this option to prompt the customer to swap their camera to front-facing mode. The customer must click Allow on their phone to authorize the switch of the video feed from the rear camera to the front-facing camera. The customer can use the Edit option listed on their phone to edit the access.
  • Close : Use this option to end the video call.

For more information, see how to engage with customers using Video Elevation.

Ability to handle blended interactions

With blended interactions, 8x8 Contact Center agents can simultaneously handle interactions of various media types, such as phone calls, emails, and chats. This flexibility is essential for catering to the diverse communication preferences of customers, and empowers agents to increase productivity and efficiency.

Depending on the admin configuration, the following blended scenarios are supported:

  • While on a phone call, you can be offered chats and/or emails.
  • While handling chat interactions, you can be offered emails and/or phone calls.
  • While handling emails, you can be offered chats and/or phone calls.

The admin sets the limit for the maximum number of concurrent interactions. Still, as an agent, you can use the Stop new option to prevent the system from offering you new interactions until you decide to resume receiving interactions. This option allows agents to control the flow of incoming interactions when they need time to focus on the current interactions.

Note: Call transfers can still be offered even if the maximum number of blended interactions is reached.

For more information, see how to process blended interactions.

Ability to personalize your avatar and biography

When enabled by the admin, you can personalize your avatar and biography from your 8x8 Agent Workspace profile. This personal information will be visible to customers during web chat interactions.

Let’s say a customer uses the web chat available on the company's website. Upon being transferred to an agent, the customer will view the agent's avatar and biography instead of the company logo. This feature allows you to add a personal touch to chat interactions, show your experience, and boosts customer satisfaction—ultimately resulting in a more successful customer service interaction.

  1. Log in to 8x8 Agent Workspace.
  2. Go to Change status > My profile.
  3. From the Settings tab, scroll down to the General information section.
  4. Click Edit profile picture.
  5. Click Upload Picture.
  6. Select the picture you want to use from your local device.

    7. Note: Only .jpg or .png files with a maximum size of 20 MB can be uploaded.

  7. Click Open.
  8. (Optional) Use the blue dots on the profile picture to adjust the cutout for the avatar.
  9. Click Save. Your profile picture displays on the page.

    10. Note: Your profile picture is also updated in your 8x8 Work profile.

  10. In the Bio section, add a short introduction about your professional experience.
  11. Click Confirm changes if you have updated your Bio.
  1. Go to Change status > My profile.
  2. From the Settings tab, scroll down to the General information section.
  3. Click Edit profile picture.
  4. Click Remove.

    5. Note: Your profile picture is also removed from your 8x8 Workprofile.

  5. Click to close the Edit Profile Image dialog.
    Your profile picture is removed and replaced with a generic user icon.

For more information, see how to configure your profile.

New call quality indicator when using 8x8 Agent Workspace softphone

We have included a call quality indicator—one for you and one for the customer—when using the embedded 8x8 Agent Workspace softphone to enable agents engaged in calls to see when the network conditions are not optimal. With this new feature, you can take appropriate action to rectify the connection issue. If you are experiencing connection issues frequently, reach out to your administrator for assistance.

Notes:
- The call quality indicator is only available for two-way calls.
- The call quality indicator only displays when using 8x8 Agent Workspace softphone.

The call quality indicator for your network connection is displayed in the Change status menu during a call.

The call quality indicator for the customer’s network connection displays next to the phone number on the Control Panel a few seconds after the call connects.

Call quality indicator color label

The background color for the call quality indicator icon changes as follows to indicate the quality of the call:

  • Green : Indicates a good connection quality.
  • Orange : Indicates an average connection quality.
  • Red : Indicates a bad connection quality.
  • Gray : Indicates there is no connection.

Hovering over the call quality indicator icon displays additional information about your connection, such as audio quality, quality score, packet loss, and jitter.

For more information, see how to use the 8x8 Agent Workspace softphone as your workplace phone.

For enhancements introduced prior to this release, see our content on previous releases.