Handle calls in 8x8 Contact Center for Freshdesk

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

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

Note: At this time:
Freshdesk only supports exact phone number matches. However, when a number is stored in Freshdesk with a leading "0" or "+," the search fails.
If you enter a phone number that is the same for a mobile and work phone for the same customer, Freshdesk displays duplicate records of the same contact.
Freshdesk does not support search by name.

About screen pop

During an inbound or outbound call, 8x8 Contact Center for Freshdesk looks up the caller's phone number and searches for a matching record in Freshdesk. 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 Freshdesk contact. The matching record is presented in a new browser tab and is also listed in the Search tab.
Multiple matches: The number is associated with multiple Freshdesk contacts. In the event of multiple matching contacts, 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. Click the record to view the details, and assign the call to the appropriate user.
No match: In the absence of matching records, there is no screen pop. While the call is active, you can create a new user record for the unknown user, search for the newly-created user in the Search tab, and assign the call to the appropriate user. A call log is created and is automatically saved as a ticket in Freshdesk.

Receive calls

If 8x8 Contact Center for Freshdesk is open and your status is Available, your phone rings, and a call panel displays, indicating an incoming interaction. Upon receiving a call, you can preview the caller info from the call panel. If the caller is an existing customer, the customer 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. Answer the call.

To handle an incoming call:

When a call is offered, your phone rings, and a call panel displays.
The system searches the Freshdesk CRM for a matching customer record. Depending on the situation, the search may return:

A single match: The search yields a single matching record and pops the customer record in a new browser tab.
No match: The search yields no results for the customer and there is no screen pop. A message indicates the lack of a matching record.
Multiple matches: The search yields multiple search results but the CRM does not generate a screen pop. You can view all matches in the Search tab of the integration. Select the correct record from the list. By default, the call log is linked to the first record in the list.

Answer the call.
Add the relevant notes in the Notes section of the integration app
Click Hang up to end the call. The post-processing time initiates.
If required, select a disposition code.
Click Wrap up.
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 log calls.

Place calls

The 8x8 Contact Center for Freshdesk allows you to make outbound phone calls to:

Customers
Agents

You can place calls by:

Entering the number in the Make a call field of the integration and clicking .
Clicking Add interaction > Call from the integration app, use the dial pad to enter the phone number and click .
Choosing to click-to-dial the phone numbers from end-user records in the Freshdesk CRM.

Notes:
- If the number has been dialed before, it displays in the call history list; when you see the correct phone number, select it.
- All outbound calls are two-legged calls. When you dial out, the call is first dialed out to your agent phone. Once you accept the call, the call then dials out to the other party.

To place a call:

Enter the number in the Make a call field of the integration, and click .
If required, select a reason for the call. Your agent phone rings first.
Answer the call. The call is then directed to the destination. The phone number rings next.
If the phone number is linked to a contact, the contact record pops in a new browser tab.
Once you end the call, a call log displays. The call log is saved as a ticket. 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. If the second agent does not answer the phone, and the agent does not have8x8 Contact Center voicemail set up, the call is dropped after the timeout period. For information about your contact center's timeout interval, contact your contact center administrator

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 Freshdesk, you have access to call controls that enhance your calling experience. Using the call controls, you can:

Mute: Mute yourself during an active call.
Hold: Place an active call on hold.
Recordings: Access saved recordings.
Record call/Stop recording: 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.
Dialpad: Enter a number during an active interaction.
Transfer: Transfers an active call to another agent or queue.
Add participant: Add another contact to your call for a three-way conference. The customer is placed on hold until the other agent is added to the conference call.
SMS: Send the caller an SMS or extend a video invitation. For more information, see how to engage with customers using Video Elevation.
Hang up: End an active call and select the mandatory transaction codes, if any.

Log calls

Upon terminating a call, 8x8 Contact Center for Freshdesk generates a call log. The call log includes information such as the time the call was answered, the duration of the call, the call ID, caller info, etc. A call log is created for inbound and outbound interactions and automatically saved as a ticket in Freshdesk.

The call log also includes a link to the recorded call. To access the recorded call, you need the API token from your supervisor. You can set the type and priority, and change the status of the activity to Resolved or any other state in Freshdesk.

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

A single match: If there's a matching record, the call log is created and associated as a ticket to the record.
Multiple matches: In the event of multiple matching contacts, there is no screen pop. The call log is created and associated as a ticket to the selected record or the first record in the list.
No match: In the absence of a matching record, a message indicates the lack of a matching record. The call is logged as a ticket.