Handle calls in 8x8 Contact Center for Agile CRM

To receive or place calls using 8x8 Contact Center for Agile CRM, you must:

  • Be a member of the call queue to which the call is routed.
  • Set your status to Available.

About screen pop

During an inbound or outbound call, 8x8 Contact Center for Agile CRM looks up the phone number of the caller and then searches for a matching record in the CRM. On finding a matching record, it presents the record for you to preview and prepare for the call. This process is referred to as screen pop.

The search may return:

  • A single match: The number is associated with a single Agile CRM contact. The matching record is presented in a new browser tab or under the Search tab.

  • Multiple matches: The number is associated with multiple Agile CRM records. In the event of multiple matching records, the app lists all matches in the Search tab of the integration. By default, the call log is linked to the first record in the list. Assign the call to the appropriate user, and click the Search icon next to the record to view the details. There is no screen pop if there are multiple matches.

  • No match: In the absence of matching records a call log (Task) is created in Agile CRM. After the call ends, the Tasks screen pops. It contains the unknown user’s phone number. You can manually create a record based on the Tasks log information for the unknown user.

Receive calls

If 8x8 Contact Center for Agile CRM is open and you are in the Available state, the Phone tab blinks red, indicating an inbound interaction. When you receive a call, the system looks up a matching record and pops it up for your preview. For details, see our content on screen pop. Click the Phone tab to answer the incoming call.

When a call is offered, the Phone tab blinks red. If the caller is an existing customer, the end-user record opens in a browser tab as soon as the call is offered, allowing you to preview the customer details and prepare to greet accordingly.

To handle an incoming call:

  1. Click the Phone tab to answer the call. If there is a match, a red dot appears next to the Search tab in the integration.
  2. Click the Search tab. The matching record is selected by default under Assign.

  3. Click to End the call. If applicable, the post-processing time initiates. This is your time to add more notes for the call.

    Note: Your administrator sets the post-processing timer. If the post-processing countdown interval reaches zero, 8x8 Contact Center for Agile CRM automatically sets your status to Available.

  4. Click End Post Processing, or wait for the call to terminate. At the termination of the call, a call log is automatically generated and pops in a new browser tab. For details, see our content on logging calls.
  5. Hover over the logged call number and click the Edit icon. The Edit Task screen displays.
  6. To link this call to an existing contact, enter the contact name in the Related To field.
  7. To link this call to existing deal, enter the deal name in the Related Deals field.
  8. Click Submit.
  9. Click Work Offline if you need more time to complete any post-processing tasks.
    The status of tasks in Agile CRMare Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Pending Input, and Deferred. The task created by default is Not Started.

Place calls

You can place outbound calls in 8x8 Contact Center for Agile CRM simply by using:

Control Panel: Enter the number in the Phone tab and click Dial.

Using the integration, 8x8 Contact Center allows you to make outbound phone calls to:

  • Customers
  • Agents

The 8x8 Agent Workspace uses a two-step process to dial an outbound call; dial the number, and answer an incoming call in your own 8x8 Agent Workspace to send the call to the number you want.

To place a call:

  1. Enter a customer phone number in the Phone tab in the integration, and click Dial. Your agent telephone rings first.
  2. Answer the call. The call is then directed to the destination. The phone number rings next.
  3. If the phone number is linked to an individual people record, the record pops after the call connects.
  4. Once you end the call, a call log (Tasks) screen displays. Contact your supervisor for your contact center's policies to place outbound calls.

Transfer calls

Warm and cold call transfers between agents is now supported. This new integrated functionality aims to increase efficiency in communication and improve customer experience.

Let’s say as an agent, you receive a call from a customer with questions that are best suited for a more experienced agent. You can now transfer the call to the agent that can provide a solution to the customer. While on a call, click the transfer icon, and select:

  • Warm transfer: Implies notifying the agent you wish to transfer the call to before transferring the call. The customer is placed on hold while you are connected with the other agent. After briefing the agent, you can complete the transfer.
  • Cold transfer (blind transfer): The call is transferred without notifying the other agent. The agent receiving the call transfer will not see which agent transferred the call.

Notes:
- A warm/cold transfer can only be performed if the agent you are transferring the call to has the status set to Available.
- The agent receiving the warm/cold transfer via an agent/queue/direct agent routing is presented with a screen pop with the customer information if a record of the customer already exists in the CRM. If the search does not yield a matching record, the system pops a new record entry screen.
- The call context such as the reason for the call, the reason for the call transfer, the agent's notes, etc., is not transferred.

Use call controls

While on a call in 8x8 Contact Center for Agile CRM, you have access to call controls that enhance your calling experience. Using the call controls, you can:

  • Dial/Talking: Enter a destination phone number in the number field, and click Dial to initiate an outbound call. The Talking button appears during an active call instead of the Dial button.
  • Mute: Mute yourself during an active call.
  • Hold: Place an active call on hold.
  • End Call: End an active call after selecting mandatory transaction codes, if any.

  • Record : Start or stop recording an active call (availability is subject to privileges). After the call is recorded, the recording is accessible via a URL in the call log. To access the recording, you need an API token from your tenant administrator.

    Note: Before recording a call, please review applicable call recording laws in your vicinity or region.

  • Transfer Lines: Transfer calls from one phone line to another.

  • Join Lines: Join calls on two telephone lines to set up a three-way conference.

    Note: The ability to make additional calls depends on how your 8x8 Contact Center extension is set up.

Log calls

Upon terminating a call (inbound or outbound), 8x8 Contact Center for Agile CRM generates a call log known as a Task. View the number of tasks by hovering your cursor over the Tasks icon (located on the top-navigation bar on the Agile CRM screen). To view all tasks, click on this icon to display the My Pending Tasks screen. Each task includes information such as the call’s status, start time and date the call was answered, duration, tenant, agent name and call direction.

A task also includes a link to the recorded call. To access the recorded call, you need the API token from your administrator. You can change the status of the activity to complete or any other state.

Depending on the number of matches, call log can be linked to the end-user record as follows:

  • Single match: If there is a matching record, a log is created and associated as a task to the record.
  • Multiple matches: In the case of multiple matching people records, there is no screen pop. A call log is created and associated as a task to the first record in the list. You can search for another record and link the call to it.
  • No match: In the absence of a matching record, a message indicates the lack of a matching record.